There are lots of versions of the "works in practice, but does it work in theory?" anecdote. Most times I've heard it, the "does it work in theory" guy is eithe

There are lots of versions of the "works in practice, but does it work in theory?" anecdote. Most times I've heard it, the "does it work in theory" guy is either french or american and the topic of conversation is some element of the post-WWII Marshal Plan. Anyway... This is a policy area that (in my estimation) just doesn't lend well to philosophical theorizing. This (more contentiously, but also IMO) which means we need to watch out for the French and the Americans. They will want to solve the theory part of the problem in a theoretically ound way, without inelegant hacks or "this seems to work" solutions. Just to state the obvious, the problem is: "How do we improve maternity benefits and (maybe) increase fertility, without undermining women in the workplace." Theoretically) the problem is almost impossible to solve. In practice, there are all sorts of things that help or hurt, some of them surprising. For example, it seems to be the case that "shift work" (anywhere from fast food to paediatrics) is way better for mothers. In a shift job, if you aren't in your seat, someone else is. Work doesn't pile into your backlog, waiting for you to come back. This means jobs are better defined, and can therefore be more easily parceled out. Ironically, shift work turns out to be more flexible in ways that matter to working mothers. It doesn't lend to flextime and work from home, but it does lend to job sharing, flexible loading and such. The trend is in the opposite direction though. A lot more modern jobs (especially good ones at technology companies) tend to be built around individuals. You might have 3 "sr developers" on a single team, but they generally can't step into eachothers' shoes flexibly. Each one plays a unique role. It's almost impossible to reconcile such tidbits of specific, practical knowleedge with a wider abstract theory of labour, contracts, freedom and such. But, it is possible to make more maternity (and paternity) friendly policies by understanding them.