The long and short of maternity leave
Jeff Horwich: Yahoo’s new boss, Marissa Mayer hasn’t made any major moves yet as CEO. But she has continued making news — largely because she’s decided she’ll go back to work just a few weeks after having a baby. That’s re-ignited a debate that’s as old as women in the workplace.
Dan Gorenstein reports.
Dan Gorenstein: There is no reason to play the “What-would-I-do-if-I-were-Marissa-Mayer” game, says Sharon Lerner.
Sharon Lerner: Whether she decides to take leave or not, the point is that she has the choice. And most everybody else doesn’t.
Lerner, who wrote the book “The War on Moms,” says most working mothers don’t — they need the paycheck.
That’s why Ellen Galinsky at Families and Work Institute thinks the Mayer drama has hit a nerve.
Ellen Galinsky: Women’s income has become indispensible to families. Twenty-six percent of women are earning more than their husbands these days. It’s a different time.
Take New England Cable News reporter Lauren Collins who began planning as soon as she got her due date.
Lauren Collins: This is perfect, I can have the baby at the end of the summer. And come back right in time to cover the election.
But Collins says her bosses said slow down, take another month.
Collins: Everyone that I have talked to has said, there will be other elections. But your baby is only going to be a baby once.
Collins says 12 weeks is good; besides, she’ll be back before the inauguration.
I’m Dan Gorenstein for Marketplace.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
