checking over my work contract recently, i noticed that i get less leave if my child were to die than if one of my parents were to. i can’t remember the actual numbers, but i think it was something like 3 days compared with 5… is it me, or is this just wrong ?
i’m working in japan. does this have anything to do with it?
That’s just wrong! I haven’t a clue what impact the cultural difference might make, but I’d wager just about anyone would be more devastated by losing a child than a parent. We expect to bury our parents, eventually, we don’t like it, but it’s supposed to happen that way. Conversely, losing a child disrupts all our expectations, in fact it’s my ultimate “I could handle anything except…” nightmare.
Perhaps there’s some idea about settling of a parent’s affairs, moving the surviving parent, estate issues of some kind that would take more time for a parent that prompted that bassackward thing?
i have no idea, and i have no children to worry about. i’m wondering whether my company (who i haven’t questioned regarding their policy) assume that i would have to travel overseas to bury my parents (not in the plural sense, touch wood!) whereas my children would naturally be in japan with me… but still! for your children to die before you is something no-one wants to go through. i did think that the respect they give to their elders in japan may also have something to do with this topsy-turvy attitude.