http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills info@washingtonwatch.com http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#109003 I am a federal employee and cannot believe that they do not have a short term disability plan for new moms and any one else who may become disable temporarily. Then they are giving us 4 weeks of paid leave?? Wow! when its mandatory that I take at least 6 weeks! This is crazy,I am not impressed at all but I guess something it better than nothing :(... 109003@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:20:03 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#92859 And just why, as a federal employee, can't you have maternity leave? Or is it just that you can't have a PAID maternity leave? Did you think to save up some annual leave? Or sick leave? No, of course not. That would be a responsible thing to do. Instead you want the rest of us to pay for you to be off.... 92859@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:54:51 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#88030 I am considered a fed employee and it sucks that I cannot have any maternity leave. I live in California and do you know how much benefits I would get if I were a state employee. It is not fare. Too much is taken out of my check to not be able to have maternity leave. And whoever ... is you are stupid one. Are you a mother?..I wouldn't think so.... 88030@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:52:24 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#68377 And I suppose your taxes will be enough to pay for this benefit as well as all the other services and benefits you receive? Not likely. You can't be too intelligent. You gave up a higher paying job for government service. And you can't spell or put words together in coherent thoughts.... 68377@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:27:58 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#67437 Funny - I'm fairly certain that taxes come out of my check too...am I NOT a taxpayer because I'm a federal employee? I actually took a PAY CUT leaving the private sector because I wanted to serve my country. I also sit amongst federal contractors who make double what I make and have better benefits packages. To be honest, I was embarrased to find out federal employees didn't even get dental insurance until the past few years! No wonder you think federal employees are so worthless - who would want to work for pennies and less benefits then those they sit amongts. Your right, I'm a very intelligent vetran with a dedicated work ethic - we shoud all leave the government and go into private business. That would make things better!... 67437@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:31:51 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#66577 Fair is this - When EVERY employee in the US has this benefit you can have it. And you are certainly overpaid if you are making $50,000 when so many are unemployed.... 66577@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:33:38 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#65056 Me personlay i hope this bil passes because its a critcal time in a child life to bond with their family. on the part were we are over paid is wrong being it i could make over 100k a year in private but in gov i barly make 50k. so you tell me whats fair. i pay same taxes as rest of you and same fica, Health.... 65056@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:53:22 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#64640 i worked for the government for 10 years and served in the military for 4 years. I will never leave the government. I do not do any work and love it. best place to collect a paycheck for not doing nothing.... 64640@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:54:08 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#60445 If you can't afford to take four weeks off to bond with your child, how can you afford to have a child in the first place?... 60445@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:07:09 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#60363 Actually FT, I have been a federal employee for the past 36 years and I make well above that average figure. What is sad is the idea that taxpayers should pay for you to "bond" with your new child. Sorry, but as far as I am concerned there is no reason for that type of give-away.... 60363@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:43:56 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#59898 I am a CPA who left he private sector to serve the public in the federal sector. I left a very good job and took a large pay cut, which I will never reach with the government. For those thinking I couldn't manage in the public sector, my employer begged me not to leave and offered a promotion. I love my federal job and work just as hard (and no, I'm not making anywhere near the $106K .. claims is the federal avg pay). In the federal sector, I'm more efficent because I am thinking about the taxpayer. Which includes me, my husband, my father, sisters, and brothers. I am pregnant, but was able to save the time needed to take time off. I still support the bill and hope it passes. I'm sure RJ Franklin and .. will have their usual nasty comments. I'm glad they are not working for the federal government, we do not need such negativity. It appears they use all their energy to put down others. Sad...very sad.... 59898@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 02 Jun 2009 22:46:56 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#59279 Who says we "are a country that abhors abortion"? You fundamentalist zealots may say that but not all Americans agree. Find some other way to justify throwing money at a small group of over-paid government employees. I'm sure you would "love it if all new mothers had such support". Just another form of welfare payments. Get pregnant - get a check. What a crock!... 59279@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 23 May 2009 13:10:34 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#59110 There is a fundamental value decision here - how do we value our families and children? We are a country that abhors abortion, yet are not willing to make sacrifices to support mothers. Providing a woman with one month of salary after having a baby seems to me to be fair. I for one, being a pregnant women who will NOT have any paid leave, would be willing to pay my tax dollars for this, even though I will not enjoy the benefit myself. I would love it if all new mothers had such support - whether in the private or public sector.... 59110@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 21 May 2009 08:33:20 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#59035 Please. Do you think we haven't paid, each and every one of us, for the incompetence of employees in Corporate America? We pay more and more each year for the services and goods the big companies provide and look how that turned out. Private business does not automatically equal a more cost-effective, ethical or talented workforce. Please look past the shine.... 59035@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 19 May 2009 23:28:37 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58894 RL, you sound just like a Wal-Mart employee. "I worked sooooo many hours without pay." All that does is prove you to be about as smart as a tree stump. And if your office can continue to operate without you perhaps you are not needed in the first place. Let's do away with your job and save the taxpayers a little money. OK?... 58894@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sun, 17 May 2009 12:19:48 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58814 I went back and figured out the extra hours I worked over my ten years of federal service, without compensation from the taxpayers, and it never bothered me until I started reading this. In fact I was proud of it. And wouldn't you know, all this time as a federal employee I was paying taxes too. It isn't as though my office gets to hire someone to replace me for maternity leave, we make up work for each other, same as we do with any parent or colleague who is on leave, whether medical or otherwise. I also agree that we need to extend these benefits beyond the federal government and fortune 500s. It is a sad statement of how we value (or undervalue) children.... 58814@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 14 May 2009 21:50:32 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58605 Sad. The majority of comments here reflect our society's lack of support for mothers and families. "If you want to have a kid, fine ... but do it on your own time and at your own expense." Most employees having children do so relatively early in their careers, when they have not had the time to build up leave or large reserves of cash to support a self-funded maternity leave. Of all things, it amazes me that we're having a debate over whether to allow mothers time off to care for a newborn. I think this discussion says a lot about our society.... 58605@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 11 May 2009 10:06:33 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58448 For all those who oppose this, please educate yourself and come to grips with the reality. Most countries in the world offer PAID maternity leave to their young mothers and even fathers for up to 2 years+! And people are complaining about 4 weeks to raise the children of America, our future? Times have changed and the reality is that the US is no longer the leading world when it comes to areas such as this. There are only a few countries in the world that do not offer paid maternity leave. The USA followed by countries such as Swaziland (yes, it is a country) and Papua New Guinea. Even countries like Iraq and Afghanistan who many people feel are undeveloped and behind the times are leaps and bounds ahead of the US on this topic. The UK, Japan, Sweden, UAE and other successful countries are taking care of their futures, why not the US? This should be extended beyond just federal employees...... 58448@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 08 May 2009 18:17:15 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58422 Oh, and this just passed out of House Committee without a verbal objection because no one is going to go on record against families. It already passed the House last year with plenty of Dem and Rep support, so I'd say that the "American people" broadly support it. Look for this thing to be law this year.... 58422@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 08 May 2009 10:17:56 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58421 If you actually bother to check, you'll find that most Fortune 500 companies have much more generous maternity leave benefits - 8 - 12 weeks of paid time off to have a child. This is just 4 weeks. So, this is the sort of benefit that is offered by large companies that employee lots of highly educated professionals - ie- exactly the sort of companies USG is competing for in the employment marketplace. The other thing to look at is the cost a replacing a worker. This benefit pays out about 8% of a feds' salary. Replacing them pays out 20%+. Do the math. I've spent 17 years working in the private and public sector. I can tell you there is little to no difference between employees in either one. The managers in the private sector are more cut-throat, but that is about the only difference. Don't rap federal workers for being any different than anyone else, because they aren't.... 58421@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 08 May 2009 10:16:02 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#58343 So how about making this for all employers/employees? I am a widow and I don't get any extra leave/vacations/sick time to take care of my 2 year old. I work very hard and I am here sick myself because I have already taken all of my time for my son...who has caught everything under the son. It wasn't as big an issue before my husband died because we would alternate our schedules or I would make up shifts on the weekend...welll that is no longer possible as daycare is only open specific hours. This is an important issue that needs to be extended to all families so that families can take care of themselves.... 58343@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 07 May 2009 14:09:47 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#57450 So unreal, how many compahies do you think offer these benefits? Not many if you bother to check.... 57450@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:31:42 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#56866 Unreal. if we want a efficient, effective federal workforce, we should give them the same benefits enjoyed by the private sector. Otherwise, working for the gov't will be overlooked by our most talented people. Btw, I am not a federal employee.... 56866@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:01:50 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#56612 So sk, are you under the FERS system? If so it is your own fault if you don't have a good retirement. The contributory portion of that program allows for generous matches of the amounts you put in, as well as favorable growth rates. And under FERS you can also draw your social security without offset. So try that "poor mouth" on someone else.... 56612@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:10:20 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_SN_354.html#56607 Boy do you have your information wrong. I am done having children but if I get ill and I am not on the job. I had better have saved my sick leave and vacation. But because of my age I pay for private disability insurance. Just to add I have worked as a mail carrier for 20 years, my knees are now bad, shoulders are bad. I worked in the private sector, shoe plant and restaurant and as hard as those jobs were they were a walk in the park compare to my postal job. Physically and mentally. Oh and just in case you think I will get a lot when I retire, I will get a whopping 600 dollars a month at 62 from my federal retirement. So I am putting away my own 401 to compensate.... 56607@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:00:16 EDT