Vent: No maternity benefits for adoption...
Mrs.Johnson
member
I replied to a post below, but I just wanted to vent about this afternoon. We got selected by a B-mom last Wednesday and we are excited! Well, I told my principal today and she assured me I could take my 25 sick days when we get the baby. Well, I spoke with the guy in charge at Human Resources and he basically said we get nothing. I can take 12 weeks unpaid leave under FMLA. I still have to pay into my retirement and insurance or it will lapse. But.. Wait for it...It won't affect my tenure... woohoo! (Insert sarcasm here). So... once again I am being punished for not being able to give birth to my child. If I was going to give birth, I could use my short-term disability to pay 60% of my salary.
That A-hole said that the parish does not give any paid time off because I am "Just picking up a baby." (I wanted to slap him when he said that). I feel like I need at least what biological parents get, maybe more, because a bio-mom has had 9 months to be pregnant and "get to know" the baby. I need time to bond too!
Anyone else in my situation? Is there anything I can do?
Thanks for listening to my vent.
Re: Vent: No maternity benefits for adoption...
I got stuck with the same thing - and my company doesnt even offer the 12 wks of FMLA because its a small company. I would want to slug the man to for his "sensitive" response about just picking up a baby.
Let me tell you from experience, I only had 2 weeks off (my only vacation time) and it was HELL. Whether you birth the baby or not, infants need night time feedings, etc. and you get just as much sleep deprivation, etc. as any other mother. Bonding is one thing, just getting enough sleep to feel human is another!!
Just wanted you to know I feel for you...hang in there - the gift will far outweigh the work situation...
WOW!!! I've got no words......
You said parish...are you teaching at a Catholic school? DH teaches high school within the LA Archdiocese. I figured he'd get paternity leave. I'd better look closely.
That's awful. I'm a teacher too and I get 6 weeks paid leave if I have enough sick days and 6 more if I want without pay. It's exactly the same if I had given birth.
Sorry about the situation you're in.
Wow, how awful! I assume you're at a parochial school? I am a teacher, too, but have a decent contract under the teacher's unions. My rights are the same as birth of a child--may use sick days for pay (I have 8 weeks) and then 12 weeks FMLA. At that point, I stop accumulating senoritity, and my insurance lapses. But I can take up to a year unpaid for parenting leave. I will be doing that.
Geez, I hope you find a loophole. Anyone else aside from that bonehead to help you? Maternity/Adoption leaves in the US are a joke altogether.
Wow...that sucks that he could not even be nice about it...
I work at a small CPA firm and there are no extra benefits...I'm trying to work out a plan where I can "bank" my overtime hours during tax season to set aside a nice little cushion of time in addition to my 3 weeks vacation.
My DH and I are hoping to trade off and make the most of our vacation time...maybe he will work 2 days and stay 3 days at home and I will work 3 days and stay 2 days at home so we can keep the little one w/ us for a good amount of time b/f we start daycare.
that was really insensitive of him. What a jerk.
I do feel for you about the lack of leave and benefits. We were in the same situation in that we didn't get any. Fortunately our son was born on Christmas Day. DH had 2 weeks of vacation still (he'd been saving it just in case- and was going to be off those 2 weeks anyway) and then the new year hit. Because it was a new year, he was able to use a week of his new year's allotment of vacation. So he used 2 weeks of 2007 and 1 week of 2008. But I know that's not always possible.
I hope you can work something out.
That's awful! I would double and triple check though. In California you can still take paid disablility to bond with adopted children. There are also other programs you can use...maybe in your state there is some other kind of leave that you might fall under where you can still get a portion of your pay? Hope it works out!