How easy is it to get your maternity leave extended?

norcaljuly08

So I am a teacher and the original plan was to take off 4 weeks before my due date and then 6 weeks after and basically not go back the rest of the school year. Well my LO decided to come the second day of my maternity leave so now I am scheduled to go back to work May 19 because that is 6 weeks. Is it easy to get your Dr to extend your maternity leave disability? Anyone have theirs extended?

zarapipe

Well you can take 12 weeks under FMLA so that would get you to June 2.  Is that an option?

j.g.farmer

I'm a teacher also and have planned for 12 weeks from the beginning, which would not require me to go back.  Unfortunately, DD was 3 weeks early so I have to go back to work for 12 school days.  Not that you care   A friend of mine, also a teacher, was only going to take 8 weeks but after baby came she decided she wanted to take more.  She just called and they extended it  She did not need a doctor's note.  I would just call and ask, I think it's pretty painless.

norcaljuly08

Thanks I forgot about FMLA ?I will check into that.?

snicksnack

if you are trying to get paid under STD it could be hard.  My friend's doc wanted her out 10 weeks after a C and her job only wants to pay for 8, which is standard C leave.  She has been fighting to get paid since her doc wants her out 10.

BabyLove987

You can extend your unpaid leave, but not your short term disability.  The 4 weeks before your due date counts as part of the 12 weeks of FMLA. 

I'm also a teacher.  If I don't go back before the end of school, I'm not reactivated on the payroll and would not have benefits (health insurance) during the summer because the district would not be paying their share of my benefits.

autumn bliss

Not a teacher, but all I would have to do is clear it with my supervisor if I wanted more time off.  HR said they couldn't care less, as long as supervisor signs off on it if it is more than the 12 weeks of FMLA.

Stirpy33

it depends on if you want to get paid or not. I'm a teacher and we can get 6 weeks paid leave (using our sick days) and 6 weeks unpaid leave using FMLA.

If you want to get paid more than 6 weeks, we need a doctors note stating that we can't return to work until "x" date, and then we can use our sick days to get paid until "x" date. I'm hoping my doctor will write me a note, not sure what for, but I want more paid time off!

Good luck!

aocain02@yahoo.com

You're in CA so you are entitled to FMLA and CFRA.  They overlap to some extent, but that should buy you some more time. 

I think it is different from employer to employer.  I began my maternity leave December 28th, and through the FMLA/CFRA I would have been covered until the end of May.   I asked for an extended leave of absence to be off until mid June.