I will receive 21 weeks (~5 months) fully paid and I will take all of it. With my last baby our policy (same company) wasn't quite as generous and I had 14 weeks fully paid and it was hard to come back. And I'm not someone who ever wanted to stay at home, before having the baby I thought "what on earth am I going to do that whole time" - lolol forever.
While my ML seems to be one of the longer ones, I agree with our Canadian sisters - it should be more (and my husband gets almost nothing)!
I work for a very small company (6 employees, including the owner) and it is not required to offer FMLA leave. Our small bit of annual vacation and paid time off starts over each June and I have unfortunately already used all of mine for this year because we went on a family vacation in August (our first one ever) a few weeks before finding out I was pregnant. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do once it's time to deliver.
I just found out that if I decide not to go back to work after my maternity leave (which I'm not planning on, but I am considering talking to DH about going back part-time) that I don't have to pay back any of the maternity leave! I assumed that I'd have to work at least a certain amount of time to ensure that. I'm so excited!!
I was denied short term disability bc because it's a precondition.... it's really fucked up. I didn't know that I needed to even sign up for it the last Company I was at just offered it.... so now I am screwed. But I am still take 12 weeks fmla no pay. Lol what a joke. If men had babies it would be different. I can go on and on but I'm taking the high road
That's usually how insurance works though, especially STD. If you apply for it after you already have a "condition," you won't be approved. I'm not saying it's right, just stating that it's "normal."
That scares me because I've applied for STD which I have to take for 6 weeks before my parental leave takes place. I don't understand how they can do that? If I get denied, I'm going to be pissed.
@Katty422 I was denied STD at my last job because I didn't sign up for it during our benefits open enrollment period a month before getting pregnant. I was a FTM and had no clue I even needed it. I had to do what you did, take 12 weeks FMLA with no pay. I was able to use 2 weeks sick/vacation which helped and we saved money for me to be out the other 10 weeks to pay for bills. I feel your pain.
Re: maternity leave
While my ML seems to be one of the longer ones, I agree with our Canadian sisters - it should be more (and my husband gets almost nothing)!