John Oliver sheds light on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which, as it stands, is the best support for new mothers in the U.S. This law guarantees that a job will be held for 12 weeks for new moms, but only if they’ve been with their employer for at least a year and the company has at least 50 employees. As Oliver aptly points out, that leaves 40% of workers unprotected. Imagine a woman going into labor at work—she’d better pray it’s during her lunch break, and that her coworkers are okay with a little chaos in the break room.
The FMLA was enacted in 1993, despite strong pushback from many legislators. These same lawmakers might buy their mothers flowers on Mother’s Day, but they fear that helping moms keep their jobs while bonding with their newborns would spell disaster for American businesses. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
But let’s shift our focus. While family leave might not concern those of us who are done having kids, what about the next generation? Don’t our children deserve better than the current state of affairs? Here’s what they’re dealing with:
- Freelancers and contract workers receive zero support, with no job security after childbirth.
- Those eligible for the 12 weeks of leave often aren’t paid unless their workplace has a specific paid-leave policy—meaning they must burn through vacation and sick days.
- Workers at companies with fewer than 50 employees are out of luck.
When I had my daughter, I was still in the television industry. After her arrival, I secured permission from my direct supervisor, her superior, and even the network president to extend my unpaid maternity leave for an additional month. I wanted to savor those precious moments with my 3-month-old before diving back into the unpredictable hours of TV production.
However, when I called HR to confirm my extended leave, I was met with a firm refusal. “It’s against company policy,” the HR rep stated, adding that it wouldn’t be fair to other mothers. She concluded with an incredibly tone-deaf remark: “You’ll see that once you go back, it’s easier than you think.” Really? That’s the kind of encouragement a new mom needs after being told her plans have been dashed. If we hadn’t been on the phone, I might have lost it.
“Mothers shouldn’t have to piece together recovery time from childbirth like we plan for a four-day getaway,” Oliver quipped. And let’s not forget dads. He humorously highlighted Major League Baseball’s paltry three-day paternity leave policy. Consider Daniel Murphy, a player for the New York Mets, whose wife went into labor on opening day—he missed the first two games. Sports commentators jumped all over him, suggesting outrageous solutions like a preemptive C-section. Oliver couldn’t believe it: “Hey, honey, I know I’m in the middle of a 162-game season, but let’s just do surgery so I can get back to swinging a bat!”
What’s happening to our values when we think parents don’t need time with their kids? This isn’t a radical concept—189 other countries offer paid family leave. Families are vital to society, yet we live in a culture that complains about parental involvement in children’s lives while making it impossible for women to balance work and family life. If you can’t afford to go without pay, the decision is made for you, and that’s just unfair.
It may be too late for many of us, but we have a responsibility to advocate for the next generation. The empty platitudes we hear on Mother’s Day aren’t enough. “You deserve the very best, moms, but you’re just not going to get it,” Oliver sums up poignantly.
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Summary:
John Oliver critiques the inadequacies of the Family and Medical Leave Act, highlighting the lack of support for new parents in the U.S. He emphasizes that while some workers get limited job protection, many do not. Despite the progress made since the act’s inception in 1993, the system remains flawed, particularly for freelancers and those at smaller companies. The societal pressure on parents to prioritize work over family continues, with a call for better policies to support future generations.