Today I double-checked with our insurance benefits coordinator to see what our maternity leave policy is.
Apparently, since I didn't opt for short-term disability during open enrollment, the only paid leave I get are the sick days that I accrued. We only get 6 a year, and they do roll over, but I know that I used a good chunk of them last year when I had the flu. So basically, the majority of it will be unpaid. Which totally BLOWS.
I know, I know. It's my own fault, since I didn't opt for the disability, but you'd think that since I'm a TEACHER, that I'd get more paid benefits outside of disability.
I'm just a little peeved by it, especially since I was planning on taking the rest of the year off anyway since I'll only have 8 weeks left after my EDD. I knew I was going to have some unpaid time, but this is just ridiculous to me.
Does anyone else have a crappy maternity leave policy or is it just me?
Re: Maternity Leave Rant
Sometimes they allow you to change benefits due to a change in family status (i.e...having a child). Will they let you add the short -term option now and have you pay whatever you missed in payments?
Just a suggestion...if not...I am sorry
I'm not sure why you'd have better benefits outside of disability because your a teacher... I guess it depends on your union. We have a ton of teaching unions in our area that don't even offer vision or dental insurance, let alone good maternity leave.
As far as crappy maternity leave... I get no paid maternity leave. I have 2 sick days a year which I will obviously use and I get 8 vacation days a year but that's all, and unfortunately neither vacation or sick days roll over. It's a use it or loose it policy.
We don't have unions, and we don't get any paid time. We have to use sick days. I have 6 weeks saved up, plus I'm taking spring break. I'm also taking the week after spring break because it's CRCT testing, and I don't really want to be there to sit and do nothing all day. The last week will be unpaid, and I get 60% of my pay from short term disability. That's still not much money, though.
I agree with pp about seeing if having a baby will allow you to change your benefit plan.
Life of mrsjanks
That is a bummer! I'm in a similar situation. I was hired in May and signed up for disability insurance "just in case" I got pregnant or whatever. They told me their policy was you have to be working there 6 months before you can receive benefits. I ended up getting pregnant and was relieved. Then I found out they had changed their policy within the last year and you have to work here for 12 months before you get benefits. The baby is due in March!! Two months before I can claim benefits!
The weirdest part is when I tell people about it they are like "Why are you trying to claim pregnancy as a disability?" And others laugh at me for wanting disability insurance. Some people. SO stupid! Pregnancy = a medical reason you cannot be working, thus you can claim temporary disability. Ugh. Idiots.
Sorry you're going through the same thing. 8 weeks with no pay is not gonna be fun!!
I think for most companies you have to be enrolled in STD for at least a year before they will cover materniy benefits.
We can take up to 12 week off unpaid through FMLA. We can roll vacation and sick days over so I should have about 10 weeks paid along with my STD of 6 weeks at 60% pay. The STD is something that we have to elect and pay extra for. (I've been banking days like a mad person since DD was born) We do have to use all sick days and PTO before we can take any time unpaid and those days do count against our 12 weeks.
I work for a children's hospital and while I'm grateful for our generous PTO policy our maternity/paternity benefits stink. If both parents work for our company they can only take off 12 weeks combined.
We have a great
FYI - Yes you can do a change in status, but not until the baby is actually born. And by that time, it'd be too late for the STD that you'd want to sign up for to go into effect. Being pregnant is not considered a change in status. If your husband loses his job, or gets a new job and you want to add him or remove yourself from the coverage, that counts as well. Also, keep in mind, if anyone plans to add their baby to their insurance, it is typically (check your own policies) covered the first 30 days under you, then you will need to complete a change in status form ASAP in order to have coverage extended to your baby after the 30 days. Keep in mind, the baby will have its own deductible as well separate from yours.
Don't you love insurance?!?!
I do this for a living, if anyone has any questions, I recommend calling your provider, but if it's a general question, I'll be happy to try and help.
Pregnancy #3 and I was able to take a week off for my first baby and two for my second, I was a teacher both times, and this one I'm a manager of a store so planning on one week. I don't get sick days now either. Such is life.
Yeah - I get six weeks UNPAID leave or eight weeks UNPAID leave if it is a c-section. So I'll be back to work a month and a half after the baby is born and going without my paycheck that long as well.
The best we can do now is just stock money away to help supplement us while I'm off work.
Sorry, I know it sucks. My company auto-enrolls you in STD as a company-paid benefit so I will get 60% for 6 weeks with a 2 week elimination period (so baiscally I will get paid for 4 weeks). I'm planning to use all of my PTO and vacation pay to cover the rest of the time. I'm going to take the full 12 weeks.
That's amazing! Canada has their priorities in order...
This! I really can't believe how difficult it is to get paid time off for maternity in the States. How frustrating. My husband and I are worried about how we'll make do with 55% of my salary for a year, but I'm thankful we at least get to take all that time if we want it. I'm sorry to hear it's such a challenge for a lot of you.
Just to clarify for people who don't know, we don't just get free money for a year. We pay into employment insurance our whole working lives - it is a source deduction meaning the employer takes it off our check and remits it to the government. It is an insurance program administered by the government. We get a percentage of our wage/salary up to a maximum of 400 and some dollars a week. That doesn't come close to 55% of my salary. Thankfully, my employer recognizes the importance of happy, healthy, valued employees and tops us up to 95% of our salary for 17 wks (which is the length of "maternity" leave under EI, the remander of the 52 weeks is parental leave and can be taken by either parent, or shared).
bfp#4 3/19/2014 edd 12/1/2014 please let this be the one!
beta @ 5w0d = 12,026! u/s 4/22/14 @ 8w1d it's twins!
Yes to add to the Canadian thing - I've paid into that pot for 20 years since my first part-time job, so the max I can get (not near 55% of my salary either) won't come close to paying me back. I mean, it's sort of like being forced into saving for mat leave whether you end up using it or not? I sure am glad it's there for me now, it's almost rewarding to get some of it back
Question - for those that aren't covered - do you take unpaid leave, or are you expected to return to work quite early? In that case, do daycares take young babies? I think they have to be at least 6 months to even be considered around here?
Disability insurance only pays 50% of your salary. I got it only because it will cover bed rest if I happen to need that. You can sign up for it at any time. You just have to go through AFLAC or something similar. I signed up two weeks before I got pregnant, but you have to sign up 2 months before in order to get the maternity leave pay.
With all of that being said, maternity leave is considered 6 weeks, or 30 days. You end up with 15 days of pay. I already have 21 days of sick leave saved, and it will be more by the time I give birth. I'll be getting more money through sick days than I would through AFLAC anyway.
"Beanie" Natural 7w MC 11/21/12
"Nole" stopped growing at 7w3d D&E 2/11/13
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