President Barack Obama caused a stir recently when he said the U.S. should join the rest of the industrialized world and offer paid maternity leave to all new mothers.
The comments come amidst a midterm election campaign focused on women voters. While some companies offer paid family leave to attract workers, the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act only requires that employers provide unpaid leave for medical and family reasons.
In Jacksonville, few large companies offer paid maternity and family leave — mirroring the rest of the country.
Local employment attorney Tad Delegal and Don Capener, dean of Jacksonville University’s Davis School of Business, joined Melissa Ross for more on the maternity leave issue and the pressures faced by working families.
You can follow Melissa Ross on Twitter @MelissainJax.
