It appears that I am getting screwed on my mat leave.

hoppermommy

**THIS IS A VENT**

I am a teacher in TX so we don't have unions or anything like up North.  I have been paying for short term disability for the past two years because I had planned to have #2 in April/May and the disability would help me get money while I was out.  I had a chemical pregnancy in August and then didn't get pg again until October.  Now that I'm having the baby during the summer my district says that I won't get any disability money and if I want to take the full 12 weeks that FMLA allows, I will have to use all of my sick days for the entire school year while I'm out the first six weeks of school.  On top of that I would get docked for the remaining 4 weeks.  DH is a teacher as well so we really depend on both paychecks.  I just don't see how we can make it work financially with two kids and not getting paid plus only one of us being able to take paid sick days for the entire school year. 

I'm really bummed about this because this will most likely be our last child.  With DS I had May, June, July and two weeks of August at home with him.  I feel like I'm getting jipped out of my time with my child.  I know it is going to be ten times harder to leave #2 at six weeks than it was to leave DS at 3 months. 

LauraOTR

I'm in a similar situation.....we have fabulous unions here, though, but this caveat to short term disability is not something they have addressed.. I'm a therapist in the schools, but schedule/pay is same as teachers. Being due in early June, I will need to use my sick days until the end of the year. STD doesn't kick in until 20 sick days are used. But for me, 20 days would take me into summer, so I don't get STD at all. Makes me wonder WTF I've been paying for all these years if I can't even use it? I do plan to take off 6 weeks when school starts in the Fall, but it will be completely unpaid. Luckily, DH and I saved up enough money to cover 6 weeks unpaid FMLA (in case I had the baby mid-year), so I will end up with about 18 weeks off total. If we didn't have that savings, I'd need to return right when school returns.

Betts12

That just plain sucks.  I don't have any advice but, still, I'm sorry. Sounds like you tried to plan ahead and are just getting shafted.

I work for a small firm that doesn't fall under FMLA or any of the pregnancy discrimination acts.  It's hard to figure out the system and prevent yourself from getting screwed.  (My own little vent.)

Amaya84

From my understanding of FMLA laws, they have to give you the same curtisy as they would any other person on medical leave. I'd look into it more.

Jenn0810

Since I am due in mid-June I do not get to use our 6 weeks of mat leave...which is understandable but it would be nice if they would offer it to us when we return in the fall. Because they do not, I am choosing to use 8 of my 12 FMLA weeks once school starts. The baby should be 17ish weeks when I return to work. It is all unpaid so we are saving up for my time at home. I am a teacher too and we have a union but our mat leave stinks. It was 12 weeks before I started at this school then they reduced it to 6 all of it unpaid. I have STD but it only covers 6 weeks vaginal or 8 weeks c-section birth for time off...but again, since I am due in the summer I won't get to use it. I would get paid more by just using my regular pay than using STD anyway. If the dr. thinks I need to stay home for a few weeks prior to delivery then I will use STD at that time. 

gymnst1013

Amaya84:

From my understanding of FMLA laws, they have to give you the same curtisy as they would any other person on medical leave. I'd look into it more.

FMLA is not what provides the pay though.  That is the STD.  FMLA only guarantees your job.

OP, so sorry!!  That really sucks!!  I wish I had advice for you

KallieandJustin

I have a friend in the same boat...I am so sorry!  It totally sucks!

JaqiDec04

I didn't know other states allow disability for their teachers. In CA their is no short term disability at all for state employs.

Could you take 6 weeks off before your due date, and use your disability then?

actresscye

I know that technically I am supposed to get 8 weeks of maternity leave and I thought being that it will be summer vacation that I could tack that on.  My summer vacation they said IS part of my maternity leave (which just sounds stupid to me) but oh well.  I have to figure out if there is a way I can tack on 4 more weeks to it.  I just messed up sick days because I was ordered by the doc to take this week off for being sick.

prncsstp

First, I think it sucks that youve been paying into STD, and now wont be able to use it...but I wouldnt stop paying into it, or I would switch to long term disability (they are just good protections to have if something happens to you!)

 But, I am going to try and not sound snarky here, but look at the sunny side of the situation... but when does school finish for you, and when does it begin again? I know here in NY, school ends around June 20th or so, and begins again after Labor Day. That would that would mean if you had the baby exactly on June 20th (just throwing out a date) then you would have close to 11 weeks "off" with the baby....

I know its not what you wanted or were expecting, but its alot more time then some non-teachers get, you know...

I do realize there are some things that teachers have to do in the summer - lesson planning, classroom organization, etc... but thats not full time, right?

samfish2bcrab

prncsstp:

First, I think it sucks that youve been paying into STD, and now wont be able to use it...but I wouldnt stop paying into it, or I would switch to long term disability (they are just good protections to have if something happens to you!)

 But, I am going to try and not sound snarky here, but look at the sunny side of the situation... but when does school finish for you, and when does it begin again? I know here in NY, school ends around June 20th or so, and begins again after Labor Day. That would that would mean if you had the baby exactly on June 20th (just throwing out a date) then you would have close to 11 weeks "off" with the baby....

I know its not what you wanted or were expecting, but its alot more time then some non-teachers get, you know...

I do realize there are some things that teachers have to do in the summer - lesson planning, classroom organization, etc... but thats not full time, right?

Considering the rest of the Western world values families and their need for time to bond, i'd hardly say this is an occasion to "look on the bright side".   The U.S> has one of the worst mat./pat. leave policies and it makes me incredibly sad to see people facing situations like this.

prncsstp

samfish2bcrab:

Considering the rest of the Western world values families and their need for time to bond, i'd hardly say this is an occasion to "look on the bright side".   The U.S> has one of the worst mat./pat. leave policies and it makes me incredibly sad to see people facing situations like this.

Im not really sure why my comment was turned into a political statement ... we all choose to live here in the US (some ppl on the board live elsewhere, obv.) - and its not like FMLA policies are anything new - we know they suck.

Most women only get 6wks paid leave, with the option of an additional 6 unpaid to hold their jobs. Many HAVE to go back to work after 6wks. 

OP will be able to be home for nearly 11 weeks - thats a luxury that a lot of women dont have.... so yes, look at the bright side. turn lemons into lemonade  [insert other cliche here]. 

 

ausgal

I am also a teacher in TX, and I started paying for disability this year since I am now married and I was told  (by the guy selling the disability) that if I were to have a baby in the summer, I would not only receive my paycheck from the school, but also the disability paycheck on top of that... (granted I have a healthy pregnancy til the end and don't have use the disability pre-delivery)....So I would check into that more closely because that sounds fishy.... why are you paying for disability if you aren't going to get to use it? That's like punishing you specifically for having a baby in the summer... Your disability should kick in when you run out of sick days once the school year is going...

Where in TX do you live?