How does maternity leave work for school districts? I'm sure it varies per state or district, but I'm just looking for a general idea.
I called Central Office today, and they told me to sign my FMLA papers and then we could get together and look over my days and such. But they mentioned having to use all my state/local days and something about getting docked if I don't have the days. (which doesn't seem right for me to have to use my sick and personal days)
How did it work for you? And what questions should I ask?
I still have quite a ways to go, but I'm due the week before I'm scheduled to go back to work, and wanted to be better prepared.
Thanks!
Re: Teachers/School District employees..?? re: maternity leave
I work in a smaller, private school. We get no paid maternity leave. I have to use all my sick/personal days. Luckily, my due date is during our last week of school so I'm hoping I can hold out until close to then.
I thought it was really strange but many of my teacher friends in public schools say they get none either. I guess since we have summers "off" many expect we should plan to have our child then. If only it worked that way!!
ETA: My school will grant up to a year off w/o pay but promises to hold your position for you.
I left before it applied to me, but I can answer your question.
Basically, nothing was given other than they acknowledged the need to take some time off. You'd use all of your sick days, and then any additional days you'd take unpaid. I had 45 sick days, for example, so I could have taken 9 weeks paid, and any more would have been unpaid. Of course, then I wouldn't have had any days should she have gotten sick, etc., but you do what you have to do. I could have gone back sooner and thus had some sick days left. Newer teachers wouldn't have had a full 30 days and thus much of their 6 weeks would have been unpaid; of course insurance would have continued, but they'd get paid only for the number of days they had. It seems many teachers are super fertile given the number of April - June due dates going around...that way they had the summers off and used sick days just to get through the end of school. You could take up to a year off and a job would be held for you, but maybe not the same job, and you'd have to pay for COBRA if you wanted health insurance beyond 12 weeks.
Not cool, eh?
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Well, I know we don't get paid leave either. I am planning on using up all the FMLA time. And from what I understand I get 60% pay from short term disability, and no pay for the remainder of the time I'm out, which is fine. It will be tight, but well worth it. But if I'm ok with not getting paid for the 6weeks, after std runs out, why would I HAVE to use up my personal and sick days. Could it be to cover the two weeks before std kicks in? I'm so confused.
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Where I was working when pg there was no paid maternity leave. I had STD which I could use but I had to use a certain number of my days (or maybe all, cannot remember) before that kicked in. You have to have STD in place some time before actually getting pg. I was able to get an extension of FMLA by writing a letter and requesting it, but my leave ran out while I was on bedrest and before I had even delivered.
I find it sad that there is no paid leave, but the schools here cannot even cover their budgets so I don't know where they would get the money for that.
This is the same for me. I paid into short term disability and received 2 checks the 8 weeks I was out. It helped.
The whole thing is screwy - it was especially bad because I didn't even start the school year, so even GETTING my days for this year was a whole issue. I don't get them all until I've been at work for X number of days.
See and thats one of my big worries right now. I'm supposed to report back on Aug 8th but I'm due on Aug 4th. So what happens to my new days since I don't plan on going back to work until Nov 1st. As it is I only have 3 days left TOTAL for the year. I have used up most of my days due to my IF treatments.
multiple failed cycles, multiple IUIs, lap with ovarian drilling 4/2008
Finally BFP on 11/23/09 beta#1=36 beta#2 =62 beta#3=139
Liliana was born on March 27,2010 at 21w5d due to infection and pre-term labor
BFP #2 on 6/20/10 after Gonal-F and TI First u/s showed Twins!
TTC#2 since 02/2012 with out RE...
Back to RE 08/2016----- Cycle #1 10/2016 Femara 7.5mg=???
Ditto PP -- FMLA will hold your job for 12 (or 13 maybe?) weeks, but you have to use sick/personal time to get paid. Depending on the state, you may be paying in to short term disability, which would kick in 2 weeks after you are taken out of work.
Since I'm an intern in a school and not considered an actual school employee until next year, I have no sick or personal days. And since in RI all teachers are state employees, we don't pay into STD. So I get nada, starting whenever I am taken out of work. It is going to hurt!
I'm in TX with you and work in Fort Worth ISD. Maternity leave is 6 wks long, whether it is over a holiday or summer vaca. I used all my personal/sick days (and I had 23 saved up) within the 6 wks of maternity leave. After your days are used up and if you are still within the 6 wks maternity leave then FWSID deducts sub pay from your daily rate for 10 days. After the 6 wks of maternity leave you get FMLA with is 12 consecutive work weeks. So this does not include holiday weeks (Winter and Spring breaks) or summer vaca. FMLA is not paid though. I had short term disability insurance which helped some with this.
I also had to have a form turned into the central office within 72 hours of having the baby and then had to turn in a doc note every 4 weeks I was off. Finally I had to being in a
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Sorry my computer has a mind of its own.
So finally I had to bring in a note from the doc saying I was allowed to come back to work. It is very confusing, and I so I made several trips to the central office to review what had to be done.
After 21 cycles, and severe MFI, we finally did it with IVF #1 w/ICSI! Nico arrived 12/3/08!!!
TTC for #2: IVF w/ICSI #2-4/17/10-BFN; IVF w/ICSI #3; 7/4/10-BFP!!! Beta #1- 96; Beta #2-528; Beta #3- 7371; 6w,5d-blited ovum=D&C
IUI #2 1/10/11-BFN; IUI #3 2/18/11-BFN
IVF #4 w/ICSI & PICSI ER 5/13/11, ET 5/1/118-BFP!! Natalee arrived on 1/23/12!!!!
Pregnancy Blog: Miracles Can Happen
Parenthood Blog: The Adventures of Nico & Natalee
Similar to what others have said:
Its 6 weeks paid/6 weeks unpaid for a vaginal delivery.
Its 8 weeks paid/4 weeks unpaid for a c-section
However.......the weeks I am paid I have to use MY sick days. If I don't have enough (which I didn't this time around....), I have to "borrow" from the district. Each year, I have to pay 5 back. So, instead of getting 12 sick days at the beginning of the year, I will only get 7. And, I have to do this for as many years as it takes to pay them back. I literally had to borrow like 40 days for this maternity leave, which means it will take me 8 years to pay them back....blech.
I think it sucks that we have to use all of our sick days.
The worst part is that when I go back to school in 2 weeks, I will have ZERO sick days (with two young kids at home...). So, if I need to take a day off, I have to do it without pay....