Maternity Benefits

One of the many things I love about my wife, is that when she decides to do something she really invests in it. That is why you will find many books on pregnancy, child development and knitting all over the house. Because we have so many books I always learn something when I am picking up around the house. An interesting collection of baby facts can be found in Crib Notes: A Random Reference for the Modern Parent by Amy Maniatis and Elizabeth Weil. I found some thing very telling on page 54 & 55; a list of countries and their Maternity Benefits. Here is a sample.

Country/Length of Leave/% of Wages

Argentina/90 Days/100

Australia/1 year/0.00

Canada/17-18 weeks/55 for 15 weeks

Cuba/18 weeks/100

Egypt/50 days/100

India/12 weeks/100

Iran/90 Days/66.7 for 16 weeks

Israel/12 weeks/75

Russia/140 days/100

Rwanda/12 weeks/ 67

South Africa/12 weeks/45

United Kingdom/14-18 weeks/90 for six weeks flat rate after

United States/12 Weeks/0.00