[throwaway5792]

What's the solution? Allow non parents to take 10 weeks off for health issues?

What if then a parent has a baby and then has some other health issues. Can they take 20 weeks off? Or would that be unfair because as parents they can take 20 weeks vs 10 for the single person?

[WindyLakeReturn]

Isn't that a bit like asking what if the parent is given 10 weeks off and then has another kid. Do they get another 10 weeks off or is it unfair that they get 20 while the person having a single kid gets 10?

There is also not a need to immediately jump to 10 weeks over in comparison for mental issues. Improvements can be much more minor, such as not frowning on people using sick days. Not even granting any more time off, just less judgment for using what is already granted.

[throwaway5792]

> Isn't that a bit like asking what if the parent is given 10 weeks off and then has another kid. Do they get another 10 weeks off or is it unfair that they get 20 while the person having a single kid gets 10?

Yes, that's exactly right. It's absurd to complain about parents getting 10 weeks off.

[mike_d]

Is it too much to ask that everyone be treated equally?

Family status is a protected class, unless you are childfree. If we said everyone except Hispanics gets an extra 10 weeks paid time off, HN would be losing its collective minds.

[throwaway5792]

How do you treat everyone equally then?

[apta]

It's not the same analogy. People with children are not equal to people without, so they can be treated differently.

[pm90]

Every time a policy suggestion is made there is always that person who will try to find “loopholes”.

If a parent has a baby and then has health issues, yes they should take 20 weeks off. People should be treated as human adults and be trusted with the time they need to take off.

Yes, There will be those who abuse the system. These would be the outliers; even if they get “away”, we should still be generous with these benefits.