UK Politics

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Parental leave isn't a holiday or a 'year off' – so don't pit parents against workers | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

you couldn’t just hall off to the Bahamas or whatever

You absolutely can, with a child.

It may not be a ‘job’, but it is still work

Nope. Of course you can define "work" as anything you do, including brushing your teeth and watching telly if you want - but looking after the baby is not something I would ever describe as "work".

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

You get maternity pay to feed/wash/whatever another human being.

Carers have been doing this for years. It’s work. It’s even a career for some people.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

American Heritage Dictionary; Work, definition:

Physical or mental effort or activity directed toward the production or accomplishment of something. ”Cleaning the basement was a lot of work."

Such effort or activity by which one makes a living; employment. ”looking for work."

Again, kids are work. And since, as another lemming pointed out, some people do it as an actual job, it counts under both definitions.

And if you do hie off to the Bahamas, you still have to bring that work along. You can’t just leave it behind and just have a relaxing vacation with nothing to do. (Unless you find a babysitter, but then you’re not doing the work of childcare anymore; now you’re using maternal leave for something that isn’t work).

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Again, kids are work

Again, you are wrong.

And if you do hie off to the Bahamas, you still have to bring that work along

What work sweetheart, since you just took a year off work?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

All right, honey. What would you call the constant care an infant needs, if it isn’t work?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Infant care, silly.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

And it is work, by, again, both definitions.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago

No, silly. It is an infant care.