3. Kimberly N. had a senior position at a charitable organization when her son was born. She planned for a six-week maternity leave, but her son was born with a life-threatening condition,
and she ended up taking 12 weeks with partial pay Kimberly's supervisor was unhappy that she
took such a long leave and refused to let her work part-time or from home. After going back to
work, Kimberly had a terrible performance evaluation that contrasted sharply with her previous
positive evaluations. She soon left her job, which significantly impacted family finances. Savings
quickly dwindled, debts grew, and Kimberly filed for bankruptcy A few months later, she found
a part-time job at a lower level with no benefits but was laid off when the recession hit. She
worries that future employers will question her period of unemployment
An Argument for Parental Leave in the United States, written byWalsch, Janet.
Failing Its Families New York City, NY: Human Rights Watch, 2011 Online