Stephanie Coontz Quotes

An increasing number of Canadians must juggle the demands of work with the need to care for children, or for family members who are ill or too frail to care for themselves. Our programs have simply not kept pace with these societal changes.

Motherhood gives you access to a range of different intellectual experiences and ways of seeing the world, which, in a way, makes you more flexible in the workplace. But our employers, our colleagues, don't necessarily understand.

And I don't believe that women can successfully have it all. I really don't.

I'm proud to be Secretary of Labor. But I'm even prouder of two more important titles: dad and husband. I've been able to be all three. I want all working people, no matter what their jobs are, to be able to meet their obligations both at work and at home.

A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship - and you know what, a father does, too. It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a 'Mad Men' episode.

When there are good postings available, the people who choose who is to come to that particular position, they will always have, at the back of their minds, a fear that, 'If I take a woman, she might prioritize her family over the job and, therefore, not be available at times when her presence is required.'

I feel things are changing now. Actresses are working at same pace even after getting married or having kids.

No parent should have to choose between their job and caring for their child, and no person should miss valuable moments with their loved ones because of work.

Whomever you are and whatever your relationship is to work, I think we all have suffered from being over-hyphenated. You know, 'working-mom,' 'tiger-mom,' 'stay-at-home-mom'... how about 'mom?'

Being transparent about parental leave and pay policies will help build a workplace culture where men also feel supported in taking on their fair share of caring responsibilities.

In an economy where women now make up half the work force, we're going to have to address the treatment of pregnant employees more systemically. The passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would better protect against the discrimination pregnant job seekers face.

I come from Canada, and maternity leave is six months to a year, and they also have paternity leave, and I think that there's something to that. There's also something to making a more comfortable environment for women to breast feed or to bring their kids into work and to have more nurseries in these office buildings.

You shouldn't have to win the boss lottery in order to have a little bit of flexibility at work. Raising and supporting a family isn't just a financial obligation. What's important isn't just being able to put food on the dinner table - we want you to be at the dinner table, too.

Our goal as Republicans is to ensure gender discrimination ends once and for all, and to also help guarantee those who want to remain in the workforce and continue their careers aren't hindered by clunky, outdated regulatory structures that penalize them for making that choice.

If a man aspires for a political career, he can start at 18 and go on and on. This is not true about women, who fall back when marriage and children happen, which are equally important. That is not gender bias.

As women, we're presented this false choice that is either our children or our work. But I don't think I fully understood the paradox until I had a child. I bring my son to work and let other parents do the same. I am very intentional about the workplace that I create, and my son is a big part of that.

My greatest mistake? I once took a three-day maternity leave. I had my daughter on a Wednesday, and then went back to the office on the Monday to sack a manager.

I'm so glad that my profession helps me find a balance. I have the luxury to choose between my work and my family. Many women don't. I thank my stars for whatever I have.

There's a repression against mothers where we're expected to be full-time workers and pretend we're not mothers, and then expected to be full-time mothers who pretend we're not working. Simultaneously, within the hours of the week that exist.

When push comes to shove, my children always come first, and I am lucky that I work in an environment that respects that.

I wish, mainly, that I could have a job and work all the time and also not have to leave my kids. If there was a way to clone myself and be at every parent-teacher meeting and be there to put my kids to bed every single night and also star on Broadway, that's what I would do.

The piece of legislation that I'm so excited and delighted to be doing is shared parental leave.

People have told me, 'You shouldn't bring your daughter onto the podium, 'cause it's the workplace,' and things like that. But I'm not gonna really listen to that. I'm gonna do what I think is fun for me and my family, and everything'll be all right.

Paid family leave, for instance, has strong backing in scientific literature as an effective means of enabling families who want kids to have them.

I remember once when I was working on a magazine, and one of the male editors was going on a field trip with one of his sons. The office was full of, 'He's such a good dad,' whereas I came in late from a doctor's appointment for one of my children and was asked, 'Where were you? You'll need to make up the time.'