baby

kmdendy

If I move to another job and have the baby before I work at the new job for a complete year, am I covered under their insurance?  Do I have insurance for the 12 weeks that I take off to be with the baby? I live in America. 

delujm0

I'd be careful about taking a new job without negotiating in maternity leave. Assuming the 12 weeks you are referring to are the required 12 weeks unpaid leave under FMLA, you will not qualify for that. You must be at a company for at least 12 months for FMLA to apply to you. Additionally not all companies need to comply with FMLA...they need to be a certain size for example to fall under the law.

Also, most of what I've seen of short term disability benefits (which may pay part of your salary during part of your leave) requires a 12 month employment period to kick in. Some places won't even allow you to sign up if you have a "pre-existing condition" - and pregnancy counts.

Some companies offer better than what is required by law, so I'd just suggest that if you are considering taking a new job while pregnant that you are open with the hiring staff about your pregnancy and get all of the information on their insurance and leave guidelines before accepting the position so that you can weigh your options.

kmdendy

Yeah I believe I will be covered while I work for them from day 1 but I don't think you get "guaranteed maternity leave" if you haven't worked somewhere a year. So it's like they drop me for those 12 weeks because I am not "working for them."  I will have to look into COBRA. 

I guess I'm just curious how bad it is financially to make that move and get COBRA.

delujm0

COBRA can be super expensive...like many hundreds of dollars a month. Depends on the plan. I'd personally be more concerned about the lack of FMLA coverage...without that, the employer is under zero obligation to hold your job for you. So at the end of 12 weeks you may not have a job anymore. And then you'd be looking at more COBRA with no income and no end in sight.

You may be able to negotiate 12 weeks off into your job acceptance though.

cdepperschmidt

I know for my job, if I am taking sick or personal leave I'm am cover under insurance. If I take unpaid leave, I am expected to pay insurance premiums out of pocket.

Stephanieshort2

kmdendy said:

Yeah I believe I will be covered while I work for them from day 1 but I don't think you get "guaranteed maternity leave" if you haven't worked somewhere a year. So it's like they drop me for those 12 weeks because I am not "working for them."  I will have to look into COBRA. 

I guess I'm just curious how bad it is financially to make that move and get COBRA.

COBRA is very expensive. You are paying 100% of your insurance premiums, unlike before when your employer was paying a large portion. Also, once you leave your job, it could take several weeks before the COBRA paperwork gets mailed to you. At that point, you will have to submit a large payment for the missed premiums. If you have any doctor's appointments during this time frame, you may have to pay out of pocket then submit a claim for reimbursement once your coverage has been backdated. 

I am in a similar boat and want to leave for another job, but have decided against it for many reasons: no guaranteed maternity leave (paid or unpaid), attendance issues due to doctor appointments, and the potential for less-than-stellar performance. When you start a new job, they expect you to be on your A-game and make a good impression. Pregnancy can make this not only physically or mentally difficult for you, but some managers could hold this against you.

At your current job, you have more than likely already earned the reputation as a hard worker and have gained trust in your managers and coworkers. If at all possible, I would wait until after the baby is born to find a new job.

Best of luck!

ash413

kmdendy said:

Yeah I believe I will be covered while I work for them from day 1 but I don't think you get "guaranteed maternity leave" if you haven't worked somewhere a year. So it's like they drop me for those 12 weeks because I am not "working for them."  I will have to look into COBRA. 

I guess I'm just curious how bad it is financially to make that move and get COBRA.

No they wouldn't drop your insurance, they could end your employment. They are not required to keep you since you will not have been employed with them for 12 months.