4 ms·

(separate comment, because this is not related to genders) > Basically, life happens, and work needs to account for that. I'm not sure that it does need to do

by knorker 10y ago

(separate comment, because this is not related to genders) > Basically, life happens, and work needs to account for that. I'm not sure that it does need to do that. Let's say someone has three kids and is a single parent. This person cannot be the best at what they do. It's just not possible. That guy or gal who has to leave at 4pm sharp every day to pick up from child care and then needs to care for the children can not compete with someone who does not and has the same passion for work, and abilities. Who has read more books, who has gone to more conferences, networked, and actually coded, after 10 years of this. All else being equal? I think it's up to the state to encourage raising children if it wants, but let's not pretend that someone who's been away for years is as good as the same person who has not. Some countries legally mandate that parental leave MUST be counted as "work experience", with promotions and salary increases as if they were working. (e.g. Sweden, with its 400+ day parental leave) (don't counter with "someone really good and a parent is better than a mediocre one without children", since you'll find that I said nothing implying otherwise, because of course that's true)

balls187 10y ago
> Let's say someone has three kids and is a single parent. This person cannot be the best at what they do. It's just not possible. I can only offer a counter from my own experience--the 4 people at my company I have worked with well enough to assess their skillsets, who have had kids recently, still perform as well as they did before having kids.
- knorker 10y ago
  That's not what I'm saying though. Take these people in 10 years. 10 years of having to come late and leave early because child care. 10 years of sometimes having to stay home with a sick child, attenda PTA stuff, not sleeping because baby screaming or something. 10 years of being poorer because having a child is more expensive[1], and having MUCH less "free time". Though I still classify it as leisure time. Depending on the country, this includes being COMPLETELY away from work for a year of parental leave. Do you think these people will be as good as their parallel-universe counterparts that did not go through this? You only have 100% of your time.

by knorker 10y ago

balls187 10y ago

> Let's say someone has three kids and is a single parent. This person cannot be the best at what they do. It's just not possible. I can only offer a counter from my own experience--the 4 people at my company I have worked with well enough to assess their skillsets, who have had kids recently, still perform as well as they did before having kids.

knorker 10y ago
That's not what I'm saying though. Take these people in 10 years. 10 years of having to come late and leave early because child care. 10 years of sometimes having to stay home with a sick child, attenda PTA stuff, not sleeping because baby screaming or something. 10 years of being poorer because having a child is more expensive[1], and having MUCH less "free time". Though I still classify it as leisure time. Depending on the country, this includes being COMPLETELY away from work for a year of parental leave. Do you think these people will be as good as their parallel-universe counterparts that did not go through this? You only have 100% of your time.