FMLA protects your job for 12 weeks....I got that part. But, here's my question...are those 12 weeks when you are "under contract" or are they 12 weeks from when the baby arrives.
ie. I am due August 17 but teachers are not supposed to report until Aug.23. So, is the first week, when I'm not under contract, part of my 12 weeks?
Thanks!
Re: F/U: FMLA ? for teachers
For me in NJ it is 60 working days. not school breaks, days off, etc. I am due in July and will take my FMLA sept 1- dec 3
Not sure how it is in Maryland--but I'm an administrator in TX so I'll take a shot. Here your scenario with the 1st week when you technically are not reporting for duty would not count toward 12 week. Here we are contract for 'x' amount of days (say 187). But teachers paychecks in TX are still spaced out over the 12 month period. So since you wouldn't fill in an absent from duty form/request--- you are not requesting days.
Clear as mud? Curious how Maryland might differ though.
So if you have a baby in the middle of the summer, then your "12 weeks" starts then? Or Day 1 is the first day of school?
ETA: I'm in TX, so "Day 1" doesn't start until my first contract day... (which happens to be the week I'm due, lol!)
In our district, your "maternity leave" starts the day the baby is born. So if I deliver before the school year starts, my first 6 weeks of "recovery" still starts before our first day. I would still get my 12 weeks, but they would start from the birth day and not the first day of school...
I would double-check with your district to make sure you understand their policies. I received a letter that details my leave as well, did you get something like that?
BFP/Labor/Everything Buddy: Papetvet/Erpetdoc
In our school district, you can take 12 weeks of leave total in one year and still maintain your job, but your "maternity leave" which cannot exceed 8 weeks straight (I don't lose a sick day for a holiday, but it still counts for the 8 straight weeks) starts from the day you give birth. You may be able to take 12 weeks, but they can limit how much sick time you are able to use for paid leave.
Definitely check your contract and talk to HR - the sooner the better!
I am a teacher in Philly and our time doesn't start until the 1st day of school if you have the baby in the summer. But you dont get any pay in the summer. If the baby is born during the school year we get 6 wks or 8 wks depending on delivery. It is paid using sick days first and then if you have wage continuation. We can take a total of 89 days and medical continues but the pay is only for the 6 or 8 wks. We can take up to 4 yrs leave but no pay or medical after the 89 days.
They don't make us fill out the FMLA paperwork unless the principal is complaining since everything is in our contract.
So you really need to talk to your HR dept, union or employee health dept.
"There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good. So love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."
What is the district you teach in, if you don't mind sharing? My district and the surrounding ones all have the same policy that because we are full time salaried employees, regardless of if we are actually in front of students, the first day of FMLA begins the day the baby is born. The first 6 weeks for vaginal birth is paid for through sick/personal time accrued and then the remaining 6 weeks is unpaid FMLA. We can take up to 2 consecutive semesters off with board approval, but after that we either have to come back or face job security issues.
I'm going to try to take the first semester off next year. I wish I could take the whole year.
I also teach in PA. Our FMLA starts the first day of the new contract year.