Parental Employment Benefits Around the World (Infographic)Guess which country ranks among the worst for maternity leave? The land of the free and the home of the brave.
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Last week, in his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama again implored Congress to require paid maternity leave for all employees, mothersandfathers. He said that America is "the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers."
Sadly, he was right about maternity leave,at least．信不信由你,唯一的国家吧ld that still don't mandate paid maternity leave areLesotho, Papua New Guinea, Swazilandand the United States of America. Take a second to let that sink in.
Related:A Guide to Maternity Leave for Entrepreneurs
U.S. employees who work for employers that have more than 50 employees can take up to 12 "job-protected" unpaid work weeks per year to "bond with a newborn or a newly placed son or daughter," per theFamily Medical Leave Act．Did you catch the unpaid part? How about the more than 50 employees part, a key detail for the more than21 millionAmericans clocking in at small businesses that employ 20 or fewer people?
Perhaps the best country for working parents is -- no surprise here --Sweden, where parents are treated to480 long paid days offper child. Moms and dads in the Scandinavian nation can share paid maternity leave and take it any time before their child reaches the age of 8. Must be nice.
Related:How to Handle Multiple Employees Having Babies All At Once
For a look at how the rest of the world stacks up when it comes to maternity leave, check out the eye-opening infographic below from the folks atCitation, a British employment law compliance firm.
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