Previous research has proven that the issue of paid parental leave remains to be a serious social problem and requires certain measures to be taken by the American government. In her article, Claire Miller evaluates the conditions under which American mothers should take care of their newborn children and offers to consider this economic matter as a new national policy (para. 3). The author underlines the words of the current President, Mr. Obama, that people should not treat child care as some side issue that can be neglected or a particular women’s issue. It is high time to focus on this question and think over some stable conditions for mothers in need. Though some people admit that paid leave becomes a serious economic burden, its expensiveness may be replaced by a number of compromises that can help to improve the living and working conditions. The evaluation of past investigations and achievements, the role of paid leave for mothers, children, and society in general, and the attention to the intentions of the current political leaders turn out to be the main issues in the article The Economic Benefits of Paid Parental Leave written by Claire Miller for the New York Times.
The purpose of the article under analysis is to describe the economic benefits of paid parental leave-taking into account the real-life examples and the outcomes of the presence and absence of paid leave in the lives of ordinary American women. The author’s investigations touch upon a number of different issues like the social status of young mothers, the color of their skin, and the relations with their children’s fathers. In fact, Claire Miller is a writer who specializes in the spheres of health and technologies. Still, her last achievements demonstrate her great potential in discussing such topics as the role of women in business. This is why her attempt to create an article about the economic benefits of paid leave for women is good evidence of her maturity and abilities to investigate different spheres of life.
In the article, Miller focuses on several American states: California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The experiences of these states show that paid leave provide mothers with an opportunity to return to work later and choose more hours in order to earn bigger money. Such development of the events helps to understand that paid leave may not promote high business rates, still, it does not seem to be harmful or unprofitable (Miller para. 7).
In addition, the article helps to realize that maternity leave is not only about some financial issues. Mothers with newborn children are usually in need of psychological, emotional, and personal help. As a rule, many mothers may suffer from postnatal depressions, physical indisposition, and the necessity to take care of a new person all the time. Such mothers just cannot be functional in their working places. And paid leave provides them with a chance to overcome possible challenges in a short period of time and make them functional from all perspectives.
In general, Miller’s article is a good beginning for people to comprehend that paid leave changes should be made. It is not enough to touch upon some financial issues. It is necessary to address this problem as a national policy and improve workplace culture along with social awareness.
Works Cited
Miller, Claire, C. “The Economic Benefits of Paid Parental Leave.” The New York Times. 2015. Web.