September 2012 Moms

Paid Maternity Leave? What's that? (PIP)

Re: Paid Maternity Leave? What's that? (PIP)

  • It's just pathetic.
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  • its sickening.....
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  • When they talk about paid maternity leave in Canada, it's not full salary for the entire 50 weeks. We're on a reduced salary for the whole time (Ontario is around 55% of your wage when you finish work).

    Not that I'm complaining, I'd rather a reduced salary and 50 weeks off than nothing.

  • imagetara1223:

    errr....I get paid "maternity leave" from the state of NJ, albeit not full pay, I get 2/3 pay for a minimum of 12 weeks.

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada.

    I'd rather just save for my pregnancy. However extra job protection would be nice, not that I'm complaining what I get in NJ either. 

    I have to agree - after hearing what other states get, we're pretty fortunate in NJ. 

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  • imagetara1223:

    errr....I get paid "maternity leave" from the state of NJ, albeit not full pay, I get 2/3 pay for a minimum of 12 weeks.

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada.

    I'd rather just save for my pregnancy. However extra job protection would be nice, not that I'm complaining what I get in NJ either. 

     

    Its nice that you get that in NJ but it would also be awesome if that was made available in all states. It SUCKS to be on maternity in NC. My company doesn't offer anything either.  

  • I get 80% for 5 of the 6 weeks (there is a one week waiting period for it to kick in) through my STD, and then use my vacation time to cover the rest. But the STD is something I opt to pay for, so I'm essentially paying myself throughout the rest of the year.
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  • imagegingerchix1980:

    When they talk about paid maternity leave in Canada, it's not full salary for the entire 50 weeks. We're on a reduced salary for the whole time (Ontario is around 55% of your wage when you finish work).

    Not that I'm complaining, I'd rather a reduced salary and 50 weeks off than nothing.


    This sounds awesome. I get to use my two weeks PTO, then I get STD at 60% for no more than 4 weeks. Yippee! No wonder new moms are often stressed.


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  • I live in Canada - and we are eligible to apply for both Maternity and Parental leave; maternity leave being up to 17 weeks and Parental leave up to 35 weeks (up to a total of 52 weeks).  Either parent is eligible to participate in the Parental Leave, or both; which means that the 35 hours can be split between both parents if so chosen.

    We are able to apply for Employment Insurance benefits (which vary by province), we pay into EI on every pay check; in Ontario where I reside, we are eligible for up to 50-55% of our wages, which is averaged out over the last 6 months of our employment prior to applying.  We do not receive full salary or wages.  Another prerequisite is that you must have at least 600 insurable hours in the 52 weeks leading up to the point of application to be eligible for these benefits - so for those that only worked casual or part-time and did not pay into Employment Insurance up to the required # of hours - will not qualify for these benefits. 

     ETA: ... and just to add, we do have high taxes in Ontario...

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  • imagemelody921:
    imagegingerchix1980:

    When they talk about paid maternity leave in Canada, it's not full salary for the entire 50 weeks. We're on a reduced salary for the whole time (Ontario is around 55% of your wage when you finish work).


    Not that I'm complaining, I'd rather a reduced salary and 50 weeks off than nothing.




    This sounds awesome. I get to use my two weeks PTO, then I get STD at 60% for no more than 4 weeks. Yippee! No wonder new moms are often stressed.



    The maternity leave pay in Canada is a percentage of your salary, up to a capped amount around 400 to 450 a week. If you are middle class, you are not actually receiving the 55 percent of your salary. It is definetly a huge help, and I am very glad to get the paid time off.
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  • in ny you get std as well but it tops out at 170$ with taxes taken out, so if you get the full $170, it ends up being 140$ bring home, but by the time they process your claim your maternity leave/medical leave is usually over. i was paying into a long term disability when i was working but that was only good for weeks 13-26, because you can only claim disability for 26wks a year.

    i just wish there was better coverage as well for maternity leave, i'm not saying full pay for 50wks but something needs to be done, i only ever received 5pto days a year and they had to be used from sept-june1st or you'd lose it. all other days that were taken off were unpaid unless a medical disability was the cause. i had to cash in my 401k to help cover this pregnancy

  • imagetara1223:

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada. 

    YesYesYes 

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  • imageMomtobeNJ:
    imagetara1223:

    errr....I get paid "maternity leave" from the state of NJ, albeit not full pay, I get 2/3 pay for a minimum of 12 weeks.

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada.

    I'd rather just save for my pregnancy. However extra job protection would be nice, not that I'm complaining what I get in NJ either. 

    I have to agree - after hearing what other states get, we're pretty fortunate in NJ. 

    Also in NJ, I am happy that they began offering FLI a few years ago bc they didnt when I had my son. I am grateful to get the 6 wks beacuse as a teacher we dont get anything unless you pay privately into disability (which I do) insurance. I should add we can take up to a certain amount of sick days paid if we have them, as well.

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  • I may be the odd ball out here but I don't believe the Federal Government or State for that matter should have ti pay anyone for maternity leave/ Like PP said she gets it in NJ but she pays out the ass in taxes.

     Why should the Federal Government provide women with money to get pregnant and take off of work I just don't get it.

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  • imagetara1223:

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada.

    50 weeks off may be a bit high, but the fact that we get nothing in the US is a little pathetic.  Moms that don't have a lot of money, may not have expected to get pregnant or are just going through a rough time financially, should at least be allowed to take a few weeks off with their baby.  I'm sure our goverment could cut spending somewhere to cover the cost of 4-6 weeks paid maternity leave.  JMHO.

    I think there are too many exceptions to FMLA.  DH works for too small of a company to be covered.  We both really want him home for 2 weeks (that's all I'm asking - 2 weeks!!) and his boss is only letting him have 1 week.  He's even taking it unpaid, but since he is the main salesperson for the company she won't let him be gone for 2 weeks.

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  • I get 6 weeks paid.  I would take an additional 6 weeks unpaid, for a total of 12 weeks off, but I work a job where I'm not even sure I can be left alone for the 6 weeks.  :( 

    My cell phone is my work line, so I am getting a home phone and turning the cell on silent.  I know already that my boss/coworkers will not respect the 6 weeks.  I really want to take the 6 weeks for myself and I don't care who I piss off in the process.  

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  • imagetara1223:
    imagekelbel527:

    imagetara1223:

    My taxes are already through the roof, I can't imagine what the cost of living would be if the government (state or federal) gave us 50 paid weeks off. I imagine things would cost what they do in Canada.

    50 weeks off may be a bit high, but the fact that we get nothing in the US is a little pathetic.  Moms that don't have a lot of money, may not have expected to get pregnant or are just going through a rough time financially, should at least be allowed to take a few weeks off with their baby.  I'm sure our goverment could cut spending somewhere to cover the cost of 4-6 weeks paid maternity leave.  JMHO.

    I think there are too many exceptions to FMLA.  DH works for too small of a company to be covered.  We both really want him home for 2 weeks (that's all I'm asking - 2 weeks!!) and his boss is only letting him have 1 week.  He's even taking it unpaid, but since he is the main salesperson for the company she won't let him be gone for 2 weeks.

    We can get it in this country, but that mom who is already struggling to pay her bills will have less, because she'll be paying more in taxes...so yes she'll get some paid time off, but she'll have less in the bank to begin with because she was paying more to the government to provide those services. See?

    If times are that though, she'll qualify for welfare, which is what welfare is for, those who are going through a rough time, whether it is unemployment, illness, etc.

    However, I do think having reasonable job protection isn't unreasonable, however companies who are exempt usually have a reason for it, if its a small biz where they have 8 employees and 3 of them are out on leave, how is the company supposed to operate? FMLA isn't just for pregnancy, it covers a wide range of medical issues so if half of the company has a crisis at the same time, which obviously doesn't have high odds, but could happen, the company could go under...that's why they are exempt. 

    So while it sucks that YH is only getting a week at home with you and LO, there is a reason behind it.


    I see what you're saying, but I also believe that taxes shouldn't go up to provide mothers with some job protection / some paid leave.  I think there are other wasteful areas of spending that they could cut instead.  But that's an entirely other topic.  Smile

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    imageMomiJerz:

    I may be the odd ball out here but I don't believe the Federal Government or State for that matter should have ti pay anyone for maternity leave/ Like PP said she gets it in NJ but she pays out the ass in taxes.

     Why should the Federal Government provide women with money to get pregnant and take off of work I just don't get it.

    I agree. I am fortunate to work for a family friendly company that gives me 12 weeks full pay. It was something I reviewed prior to accepting the job as I see it as part of the benefit package since I knew I would most likely be having children while working for this company.  The government is not doing nothing, I think FMLA is great and does cover the majority. We have services and financial aid programs to assist mothers that need it.


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  • imagetara1223:

    imageSteph+J:
    All things considered, I'd still rather live in the US than any of the other countries listed. 

    Yes

    Plusalso, nothing is free. You're paying for it through taxes...so essentially, if we wanted what the other countries have, we would either lose services we currently have, or life would cost more. These countries don't just pull money out of their a$$es and say here is 55% of your pay for 50 weeks because we like you. It's all relevant..do some research on what these other countries pay in taxes at the federal and state equivalents to ours...you'll understand why they get what they do.

     

    Yes ALL OF THIS

    Also, I totally lucked out and get 6 weeks STD at 100% salary and then 6 weeks Parental Leave at 100% salary, then I can take any vacation time I have left, and additional unpaid leave as well. My company honors then 12 week FMLA protection and then adds another 12 weeks of protection after that. Totally awesome. That said, they'll totally make you feel like a douche if you are pregnant or due during tax season.

  • imageMomiJerz:

    I may be the odd ball out here but I don't believe the Federal Government or State for that matter should have ti pay anyone for maternity leave/ Like PP said she gets it in NJ but she pays out the ass in taxes.

     Why should the Federal Government provide women with money to get pregnant and take off of work I just don't get it.

    Not the oddball out - I agree.  Having kids costs money.  It should cost the parents money. 

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  • Aren't you just paying ahead of time for paid maternity leave with other counties?  They take it out of taxes and it goes into an account, that is what funds it.  I suppose if we all just took X amount out of our checks each week and put it in a "maternity leave" account we'd have the same thing, minus Uncle Sam making money off the interest. 
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  • I live in canada and although I do pay a lot in taxes, I'm so thankful for those 50 weeks :)
  • Another Canadian here!  Yes we get 50 paid weeks, it is at a garnished wage which is dependent on what province you live in.  Living in Saskatchewan (we have one of the lowest taxes) I believe I will get the most.  I can get anywhere from 55-65% of my wage.  But we do cap out at something like $500 per cheque.

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  • imagelzmac11:

    Another Canadian here!  Yes we get 50 paid weeks, it is at a garnished wage which is dependent on what province you live in.  Living in Saskatchewan (we have one of the lowest taxes) I believe I will get the most.  I can get anywhere from 55-65% of my wage.  But we do cap out at something like $500 per cheque.

    As said before, Canadians do get 50 paid weeks at 50% (I live in Manitoba). My employer will then top up the EI payment to 90% of my wage. So for the 50 weeks I do get 90% of my wage.



     
  • I would prefer to pay a bit more in taxes to have everyone be able to claim some kind of paid maternity/parental leave. To me, that shows that our government (and our society) values families, values children, and values the work it takes for women to birth and bond with their babies. What we're currently saying is that if you happen to be fortunate enough to have a job with paid leave (as I do, and many of us here), that's great, but if you happen to work for a small business that can't afford it, or you're an hourly worker with no benefits, etc. you have to fend for yourself. Sure, pregnancy and children are a "choice", but children make up the next generation, which will be taking care of us as we age, running our businesses and governments, inventing new technologies - don't we need to value them, too, and not pretend that we could get by without them? I'm rambling, but to me it seems very selfish and self-serving to say that everyone should be able to save enough money over the course of their pregnancies to pay for their own maternity leave, that society shouldn't have to take care of its most vulnerable citizens.
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  • In CA we get 55% of our wages for as many as 4 weeks pre-delivery and 6 weeks post for a vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for a c-section through state disability insurance and job protection for the same amount of time under FMLA. Then we have the option to take an additional 6 weeks of baby bonding time also with 55% of your wages for an additional 6 weeks with job protection for the same amount of time under CFRA. 

    So you actually are eligible for between 16 and 18 weeks under state disability but because you don't get paid for your first week on disability you have to cover it with PTO you actually get 17 to 19 weeks. 

     ETA: CFRA also covers the father for 6 weeks for baby bonding. AND something I learned recently the maternel grandparents if the mother is a minor. (I wonder if that one was added in when 16 and Pregnant got so popular?)

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  • Ontario Momma here - obv there are pros and cons to both situations. I am extremely luck to have an employer that will top up to 80% of my wage but only for 6 months, so it'll go down to 55% of my wages after 6 months. I feel quite blessed to have a year with my LO but it does take a lot of financial planning to go from 100% to 80% to 55%. However, our cost of living is through the roof. EVERYTHING costs more here - it shocks me sometimes when I come into Buffalo/Niagara Falls to do some shopping and just compare the price of gas and food!
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  • imagetinyhumantoe:

    I get 6 weeks paid.  I would take an additional 6 weeks unpaid, for a total of 12 weeks off, but I work a job where I'm not even sure I can be left alone for the 6 weeks.  :( 

    My cell phone is my work line, so I am getting a home phone and turning the cell on silent.  I know already that my boss/coworkers will not respect the 6 weeks.  I really want to take the 6 weeks for myself and I don't care who I piss off in the process.  

    If you qualify for FMLA, this is absolutely agains the law!

    It irks me to the core that some companies don't respect the little time we do have off. 

  • imageMomiJerz:

    I may be the odd ball out here but I don't believe the Federal Government or State for that matter should have ti pay anyone for maternity leave/ Like PP said she gets it in NJ but she pays out the ass in taxes.

     Why should the Federal Government provide women with money to get pregnant and take off of work I just don't get it.

     

    At least we're talking about women who WORK in this scenario. Let's not get into things the Federal Government (and let's call it what it is-- the taxpayer) covers for those who do not. THAT'S what *I* don't get. 

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  • imageanitalynn:

    It's the Pakistan fact that kills me the most. Pakistan values paid maternity leave more than the US. Wow. :(

    After reading through the other comments on this thread, it looks like our society (and politicians) have succeeded in convincing the average American that women don't deserve any kind of compensation while out on leave. I mean, we all know what would happen if we started paying the silly women just for popping out babies--they'd be out on maternity leave all the time. Amirite? Women.

     

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  • Maybe it's an UO, but I don't get why we should expect someone else to cover it. Should SAHM get a stipend too? By not paying SAHM from a tax pool, do we not value them? We saved money before having our kids to cover the time off. I work for the federal govt and get ZERO paid maternity. I get my 12 weeks unpaid FMLA and can substitute unpaid for paid leave I have on the books. We probably would have tried for #3 sooner, but we needed to save more. My kids, my responsibility. I'd love to have a #4 but its not an option financially. No one is going to pay me to raise them, that is my choice. STD can be purchased from companies like Aflack if you need to supplement your income. I get that "surprises" happen (aka my #2) but its not other tax payers responsibility to pay me to bond with my infant.
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  • To me the 50 weeks is about having the time to bond and actually raise your child.. we are fortunate enough to get to be there for the first and most important(in my opinion) year of their lives..  Here in Canada SAHM's are not entitled to maternity/parental leave  as they have not been paying into the Employment Insurance out of their wages. If we decide to have a 2nd child right away one would have to work for x number of hours(I believe that its about the equivalent of 6 months of full time work, to be entitled to it again..

    How I is see it, is we pay a percentage into EI from the first day we start working,  and we continue once we return to work untill the day we retire. If you are lucky there are very few times, or no other time that you will see a cent of what you pay into for all those years...

    I cannot imagine  having to go to work 6 weeks after LO is born..

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