A working American mom has taken to social media to share a tearful selfie and explain why 12 weeks of maternity leave is not enough.
Rachael Larsen, a director of product operations at a Salt Lake City education company, took to LinkedIn to share a tearful selfie that she took the day she returned to work following her maternity leave.
Despite the picture being four years old, she explained that she has not been able to shake off the sadness she felt that day.
"The shame around raising a family and working full-time is real. I took this on my first day back to work after my second daughter was born. I wasn't ready. My daughter wasn't ready. She wasn't sleeping and was extremely fussy. I woke up five times the night before to feed her. I was exhausted," Rachael wrote.
"As a majority income source for our family, I was forced to suck it up, put on a smile, and get back to work."
She acknowledges that being able to take 12 weeks of partially paid maternity leave put her in a position of "extreme privilege".
"I had a job that I loved at an amazing company with great bosses. I had a daycare facility that I could afford with great teachers I trusted. But… I was not ready," she continued.
Working Mother reports that the US is the only country in the developed world where working moms typically receive less than 12 weeks of paid maternity leave.
Now, while the FMLA offers 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for employees, it is worth noting that this applies to just 60% of American workers.
Despite being listed on the 2020 Working Mother 100 Best Companies, the mom-friendly companies only offered an average of 10 fully-paid weeks of leave for moms.
While the newly-sworn-in Vice President Kamala Harris has proposed a bill giving every new parent six months of paid leave, this still falls significantly short of the paid maternity leave offered to parents in comparison to other countries.
As per the Working Mother, European companies offer their workers significantly more maternity leave, with Hungary offering 72 weeks; Sweden, 480 days; Iceland, 12 months, and Norway, 49 weeks.
"We need to do more to support parents and families," Rachael says. "It may have taken me four years after I knew I'd never have another baby to share this photo. But, I’m glad that I have the courage to speak my truth now."