Looking for a great baby shower gift? Look no further than your vacation time!
The hot new trend is gifting vacation days to expectant moms, so they can have more paid maternity leave.
Most of us assume that when a woman has a baby, they get three months paid time off -- but that's not necessarily the case.
The United States does not mandate paid maternity leave. However, according to an Employee Benefits Survey from the Society for Human Resource Management, in the last two years paid maternity leave has increased from 26 percent to 35 percent of employers who are offering it.
The country with the most paid time off for maternity leave is Norway with 35 weeks of maternity leave at full pay.
Studies have shown that bonding with your baby during the first three months can have a huge impact on their life.
Developing a close bond with your baby can boost immunity, enhance IQ, set the state for good mental health, create a less anxious child and one that can adapt better to change and the world around them.
That's why it's important to make sure you have enough time off to bond with your baby and why donating vacation days to co-workers is becoming trendy.
Is it something you'd consider doing? Share your opinion by voting in our poll.
This is not something that is governed by state or federal laws. It's up to the individual employer to approve the donated time.
There is power in numbers, so if you want to make this an option at your work, just start with asking how it's done. Who knows, maybe it will spark a change to make the U.S. the leader when it comes to paid maternity leave.
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