WKU News

Professor Victoria Gordon recently published the second edition of her book Maternity Leave: Policy and Practice. Beth M. Rauhaus joins Gordon for this edition, which features two new chapters. The first helps contextualize maternity leave in regard to work-life balance issues, while, the second includes news case studies from states, cities, and private organizations.

The topics covered by this book are particularly timely, as many organizations in the United States over the past 25 years have decreased paid leave benefits offered to employees. “Just because we do not hear a lot about the dissatisfaction of women with maternity leave benefits, it does not mean a problem does not exist,” Gordon says. “The realities of maternity leave have transitioned from a mythical and idyllic time of physical recovery and connecting with the newborn, to a time of stress and worry for the new mother, who is interested in returning to work after childbirth without fear of facing personal or professional repercussions.”

The book also stresses the importance of work-life balance, which is central to the understanding of the importance of maternity leave policy. “Workers, regardless of gender, contribute to the workforce and many have additional responsibilities at home,” Gordon says. “This can create tension as they try to prioritize or juggle competing demands.”

The second edition of Maternity Leave: Policy and Practice is a good resource for those interested in parental leave policy and is ideal for use in a variety of graduate and undergraduate classes in politics, public policy, gender studies, and human resource management. “We hope all readers of this book will gain a more comprehensive understanding of maternity leave/paternity leave/parental leave as it exists today,” states Gordon, “and will actively join in the work that still needs to be undertaken to help all new parents achieve work-life balance.”