Global Benefits Comparison
Step 1) Select a country (NOT the United States, Canada, Mexico, or China). Look up information about employee benefit practices in that country. Select specific employee benefits and compare and contrast them with similar benefits in the United States. Provide industry and/or employer examples (by name), if possible. Select a different country than your classmates. Also focus on different benefits (if possible) than those chosen by your classmates.
Step 2) Answer the following 5 questions using question and answer (Q&A) format for your response; in other words, include the original question along with your response. Within your post support your responses with information from at least 2 reputable sources (library and/or Web-based), and provide the full citation at the end. Use APA format for your references. Share your own personal experiences if applicable.
1. What country other than the United States Mexico Canada or China did you analyze?,
2. What specific benefit did you analyze? Describe it.,
3. How does the benefit work in the United States?,
4. How is the benefit in the country identified in Question 1 similar to the benefit in the United States?,
5. How is the benefit in the country identified in Question 1 different from the benefit in the United States?
Q1. What country other than the United States, Mexico, Canada, or China did you analyze?
Answer:
I analyzed Sweden, a Scandinavian country known for its progressive labor policies and strong employee welfare systems.
Q2. What specific benefit did you analyze? Describe it.
Answer:
The benefit I focused on is parental leave. In Sweden, parents are entitled to 480 days (approximately 16 months) of paid parental leave per child. This leave can be shared between both parents, with 90 days reserved for each parent to encourage paternal involvement. Parents receive approximately 80% of their salary for the first 390 days, capped at a certain limit. The remaining 90 days are paid at a flat rate. Parents can use the leave until the child turns eight (or completes first grade), and they can split it into multiple parts.
Q3. How does the benefit work in the United States?
Answer:
In the U.S., parental leave is not universally paid. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), eligible employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. This applies only to certain employers and employees who meet eligibility criteria. A few states like California, New Jersey, and New York offer paid family leave, but federal law does not guarantee paid parental leave.
Q4. How is the benefit in the country identified in Question 1 similar to the benefit in the United States?
Answer:
Both countries provide job protection during parental leave, ensuring that employees can return to their positions after leave. In both systems, parents are allowed to take leave for the care of a newborn or newly adopted child. In some U.S. states with paid family leave, parents may also share leave time, similar to Sweden.
Q5. How is the benefit in the country identified in Question 1 different from the benefit in the United States?
Answer:
The most significant difference is that Sweden offers long-term paid leave funded by public taxes, whereas the U.S. generally does not provide paid parental leave at the federal level. Additionally, Sweden emphasizes equal sharing between both parents with “use-it-or-lose-it” days for fathers, while paternal leave is underutilized and often unpaid in the U.S. The Swedish model reflects a national commitment to gender equality and child welfare, while the U.S. relies more heavily on employer discretion or state mandates.
References (APA Style):
Försäkringskassan. (2023). Parental benefit. Retrieved from https://www.forsakringskassan.se/english/parents/parental-benefit
U.S. Department of Labor. (2024). FMLA (Family and Medical Leave A