@DuchessOfCambridge - I did just think of one loophole that might apply that you might look into. We closed the loophole, but it still exists for other people. If there is no policy to say that FML can only be taken as 12 weeks in a consecutive year, you may be able to get away with taking Nov/Dec for birth/baby health complications, and then Jan/Feb as FML bonding (for example), depending on how your years are set up, and what the policy says. Does that make sense? So if a new year starts, and there's not that consecutive year limitation, then, technically you could use "next year's" FML allotment right away.
@SweetMelissa4 oh good call! I'm not positive how it works for us, I'll have to check when I'm at work next week. Right now I'm praying baby won't need time in the NICU, I've just been thinking about it because I was born 3 weeks early, though I was fine and didn't need NICU time.
@DuchessofCambridge Yeah, it really is heartbreaking. A guy I work with had this issue - his wife gave birth really early (at 30-32 weeks, I think....)And she was scrambling to work out leave time.
As an interesting, somewhat related note, I read an interesting article about affordable child care, and how that needs to be coupled to our national conversation about parental leave. Because while parental leave only helps parents (usually moms) take a break from work, affordable childcare helps parents keep working. I never thought of the two as coupled before, but probably should have. The article was talking about a woman who is going back to school and has her two sons in a Head Start program, and she was basically saying she and her sons would be stuck in poverty if she couldn't put them in childcare to go back to school, because the father's income alone isn't enough to afford childcare. The article also talked about some interesting studies that found that state investments in childcare returned up to $7 on every dollar spent because of the reduction in dependency of future generations on public assistance, reduction in crime rate, etc., among vulnerable populations. It was really interesting.
@DuchessOfCambridge we have that "loophole" in our state. FMLA resets January 1st so I get 12 weeks in 2017 and 12 in 2018 which is good in the event of something like bedrest or NICU.
Just be careful using that loophole if there is any chance you could get pregnant again next year! I know, sounds crazy right now, but I had DS3 in 2016 and will have this LO in 2017, so I'm glad I didn't use the fmla in the beginning of 2017 for DS3.
@jess0211 Where did you look to find out that your state had that? I'm curious if the state I'm moving to does as well. My company is headquartered in NY, but your benefits reflect the state you currently live in. Hmmmmm
@jess0211 Where did you look to find out that your state had that? I'm curious if the state I'm moving to does as well. My company is headquartered in NY, but your benefits reflect the state you currently live in. Hmmmmm
I second this question! How would I find out about this? Do I need to ask HR? (I have a preference to go to HR already informed...)
My company policy states whether FMLA is in consecutive months or calendar months. So, there's that. Otherwise, to find out my state laws I googled "insert state maternity leave". That took me to my state's website for the department of labor. Health and human services departments will also sometimes have FMLA data.
@RiverSong15 Thanks! Our company handbook doesn't say a word about maternity leave so I guess I will have to inquire, but I'm going to find out about our state laws first!
Re: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
As an interesting, somewhat related note, I read an interesting article about affordable child care, and how that needs to be coupled to our national conversation about parental leave. Because while parental leave only helps parents (usually moms) take a break from work, affordable childcare helps parents keep working. I never thought of the two as coupled before, but probably should have. The article was talking about a woman who is going back to school and has her two sons in a Head Start program, and she was basically saying she and her sons would be stuck in poverty if she couldn't put them in childcare to go back to school, because the father's income alone isn't enough to afford childcare. The article also talked about some interesting studies that found that state investments in childcare returned up to $7 on every dollar spent because of the reduction in dependency of future generations on public assistance, reduction in crime rate, etc., among vulnerable populations. It was really interesting.
My company policy states whether FMLA is in consecutive months or calendar months. So, there's that. Otherwise, to find out my state laws I googled "insert state maternity leave". That took me to my state's website for the department of labor. Health and human services departments will also sometimes have FMLA data.