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@caffeinated: I've talked to lots of employers that have trouble retaining new moms post maternity leave! Haven't heard of problems retaining single young ambitious men, but that could definitely be an issue too.
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@mrbee: hmm, interesting. i wonder if it would be different if mat leaves were longer?
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@caffeinated: I think there's a big dropoff in most countries, unless their overall policies promote parenthood. Sweden does a great job:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/world/europe/10iht-sweden.html?pagewanted=all
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@jedeve: No, there is no exemption based on the size of the company. Anyone that is gainfully employed for at least 6 months prior to the birth of their child that pays into our Employment Insurance program qualifies for mat leave. Self employed people are exempt from paying into our EI system, so they in turn cannot collect Mat leave.
Our maternity leave is paid for not by the company but by EI. You receive essentially the same benefit you would receive if you became unemployed, which works out to 55% of your gross income up to a max income of $40something thousand per year. Some companies choose to 'top up' your mat leave, some dont (mine doesn't).
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@prettylizy: not quite true: for regular EI ou need to work 900 hours and how long you're on it is calculated for the average length of unemployment in your area. So if I were on reg EI, I'd only get something like 40weeks instead of 52.
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@mrbee: About men taking advantage of their parental leave: at my company it happens enough that no one blinks an eye. Usually it's been that the dad will take the last 3 months. That way mom can breastfeed easier, it's an easier transition to daycare (for mom, because their LO is with their dad, not a stranger and not getting sick right away) and it gives dad a chance to be the primary caregiver.
When I think of my friends that decided to quit after 2 kids when they would have had more, the reason is that daycare is expensive. So I think that if they do want to increase the birth rate, addressing child care costs would be key.
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I'd also implement a longer maternity leave. I think it's ridiculous to expect a new mamma of 6 weeks to return to work. I was barely able to get out of bed at 4 weeks... I barely got into a routine at 6 weeks. I would be in favor of a 5 month guaranteed maternity leave paid for by EI and would love to see companies offer longer leaves of 1 year. I'd even support a mandatory return to work with penalty if they gave 1 year off if women quitting was a big concern (eg. Must work 1 month for every month of paid maternity)
I'd also add some law to make all newly built offices over a certain sqft and malls to build a nursing moms room. This would be in addition to the existing laws around providing women a space to pump that is not a bathroom.
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