From the ArcaMax Publishing, Women Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/women/s-630621-694010
LONDON (UPI) -- A survey of British women found 74 percent of those
polled would be in favor of allowing working women without children to
take a leave of absence.
The survey of 2,000 women, conducted by Red magazine, found 74 percent
of respondents spoke in favor of allowing childless women to take a
six-month or more break from work in the same way new mothers are
given maternity leave, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
"I think a lot of women who have worked for their employer for 10, or
15 years look around at their colleagues taking maternity leave and
feel some element of envy and think, 'What would I do with that time
away from the workplace?'" said Sam Baker, editor-in-chief of Red
magazine. "This isn't a working mum versus working non-mums argument.
Nobody thinks maternity leave is a holiday. Employers, especially now,
need to incentivise their staff in imaginative ways and that could
involve offering leave. Some companies are already doing this."
However, some business groups said it would be difficult for companies
to even offer unpaid leave in the current economy.
"This is a nonsensical idea in the best of times. But in the deepest
post-war recession, granting rights to women without children would be
foolish, said Corin Taylor, senior policy adviser at the Institute of
Directors.