Supreme Court Votes Against Redressing Gender Discrimination In The Workplace

[rd_kent]

Here's the link: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/05/18/scotus-maternity/

I am of the opinion that women who choose to have a child should have their jobs protected until they return to work. However, I do not agree that they are considered "temporarily disabled" and are categorized the same as someone who say, had an accident and got hurt. The person who has an accident and cannot work should have additional protections.
As for the SCOTUS ruling, these women should have worked additional time to make up for the time lost while on maternity leave if they wanted to have the same retirement check as those who worked the entire time.
I guess I'm saying that if we (and I do) agree that deciding to have a child should be up to the woman and is a choice, then why are we providing the same protections as those who do not have a choice?

[Fresh_Start]

1. My DH manager had three separate disability claims

for motorcycle accidents: 2 of which were for accidents during racing.
How the hell can his self-indulgent stupidity be more deserving of disability than a woman's disability during pregnancy?

[rd_kent]

2. Its not

however, we have no way to differentiate between a dumbass who injures himself racing bikes and someone who has a car wreck. I guess the answer lies in the intent: He didnt intend to hurt himself and miss work.
I agree that the guy assumes some risk, but comparing an involuntary injury to choosong to have a child is apples and oranges.

For the record, in my utopia, I would have the ability to say to that guy "sorry dude, you made a choice. No benefits for you!"

[Warpy]

3. Producing a child is not the same as going on vacation

and the creation and care of the next generation of citizens and workers is not a silly, self indulgent hobby practiced by silly, self indulgent women. It's not always a choice, either. Much of the time, it's a surprise or even a shock.

You seem to be missing a very large point here.

Other nations have partially recognized the benefit of the unpaid work women do and have stipends during pregnancy and early childhood plus subsidized child care when the mother returns to work. That her job is also protected is simply part of the whole package.

We're still operating on the old "woman as natural slave" system whereby the usefulness of producing the next generation is completely unrecognized and only grudgingly is a job protected for a measly six weeks, barely enough to get over labor and certainly not enough to launch a new life into the world.

Your guy who wrecks his car certainly deserves disability insurance, it's the humane thing to do, but he produces nothing while he's laid up but a stack of bills.

The woman who is out on maternity leave is producing something very important, a person who will be paying your social security insurance when you're too old to work. Surely she deserves the same protection, at the very least.

[rd_kent]

5. I disagree.

"It's not always a choice, either. Much of the time, it's a surprise or even a shock." I think you could not be more wrong. With very few exceptions (rape, etc) a choice was made.

I am not arguing the value of a woman raising a child, its all too subjective and will rarely be met with a consensus.


"The woman who is out on maternity leave is producing something very important" Maybe to her, she is, but not necessarily to her co-workers.


I see what you are getting at, but many do not share your valuation. Choice is choice, and with it comes the choice to stop working and have a child. Giving a benefit to the one that makes that choice but not giving it to everyone is discriminatory.

[uppityperson]

7. Contraceptives fail. Mine did 1st time I got pg. Guess my choice was to not get an abortions, but th

the fact I was pregnant WAS a surprise to me since I use contraception religiously (so to speak).

[rd_kent]

9. I don't understand what your point is.

I am not being obtuse. You admit that you made the choice to carry a baby. What does that have to do with the topic of whether employers should be forced to provide special privileges to pregnant women and not to everyone?

[Euromutt]

8. I disagree in turn

"The woman who is out on maternity leave is producing something very important"
Maybe to her, she is, but not necessarily to her co-workers.

If her co-workers want to enjoy social security and Medicare thirty years from now, or have people to staff the nursing homes when they get old and decrepit, they'd damn well better recognize the importance of the fact that somebody is producing today the children who will be the workforce of tomorrow.

[rd_kent]

10. But that is your OPINION.

SO, if I read you correctly, you think that if I want social security and medicare, I should endorse special treatment for pregnant women in the workplace?

[rd_kent]

4. ...

[rd_kent]

6. .