Maternity leave?

charcharx

What's the deal with maternity leave? I'm thinking way ahead but what is like the law of norms of taking maternity leave. I'm 9 weeks 4 days and my bosses are completely messing me about and cut down my hours and my pay and I can't afford bills never mind saving for baby. If somewhere else does give a pregnant woman a job ..will I not be able to get leave because I havnt been there long enough? I just can't afford to stay where I am and certainly can't afford to not work!

Thankyou

peppercorn16

(Assuming you live in the US)...To some extent it varies from employer to employer. The Family Medical Leave Act only guarantees you some leave if you have been employed full time for one year at a company with at least 75 employees. However, some employers waive the one year part and allow you to have access to these benefits immediately upon employment, or after a probation period. For instance my husband works for a company who allows FMLA benefits immediately and he was able to get bereavement leave (also through the FMLA) when his grandmother passed a few months after he started. Some employers have their own policies and provide leave on their own terms through the company (not FMLA-related), but it just depends. A friend of mine had to use a combination of her vacation and short-term disability leave for her maternity leave in order to be able to get anything off. Unfortunately we are not guaranteed anything, and it's something you'd have to discuss with your employer. It all depends on the benefits available to you and when they kick in, and on the policies set by the company. This is one of the reasons I am extremely hesitant to make a job move right now, though I am really needing a change of pace.

charcharx

Thankyou very much, that's very helpful!

claireloSC

Also your job should not be messing with you for being pregnant. That's not legal. Slight correction to PP, it's 50 employees not 75. Also look up your state laws. There might be extra help there as well.

xomeredith

Where I work (and it's a big company) all our maternity leave comes out of vacation time. Plus all of our holidays come out of vacation time so I'll have all the holidays and then maternity leave. My office manager told me if I don't have enough vacation time for my 6-8 weeks I just won't get paid. And DH and I can't really afford that so I'm freaking out about it. She said our FMLA was just to guarantee I have a job when I come back and it might not even be the same job.

ljalmeida

Yes FMLA doesn't guarantee paid maternity leave, it just guarantees leave so that you have a job when you get back. It is not mandatory in the U.S. For any employer to provide you with paid maternity leave. That being said, it is illegal in any state for them to cut your hours or discriminate against you in ANY WAY because you are pregnant and you should go immediately to HR about this. If they don't do anything lawyer up because you will be entitled to lost wages.