Unpaid maternity leave?

AFBTB · July 2009

Have you heard of this? I'm a teacher, and I went into my school district's human resources dept. to start the paperwork for my maternity leave. That was when I found out that the 3 months I'll be out will be unpaid, and I will also have to write them a check for what would originally be pulled pout of my checks for my life insurance.

Is this normal? Ladies, is your maternity leave unpaid as well?

lecooke · July 2009

Except for accumulated sick days, yep. Sucks total ass.

thecaptain · July 2009

Yes, 12 wks unpaid!! Booo. I am hoping to save up some vacation to bump it up. . .

marathongrl · July 2009

I am also a teacher and will only be paid for my accumulated days and donated days. I've never heard of having to write the school a check...

Mrs_Springbride · July 2009

my job is unpaid maternity leave. less accumulated sick and vacation days. it sucks. and we are to small for FMLA (only 6 employees).

RadicalDreamer143 · July 2009

I believe so, but shouldn't you have a lot of sick/vacation time built up? Maybe its a NY thing, but when my MIL was out for a YEAR (she fell and got RSD, poor woman), most of that time was paid for by her sick/vacation time, then I think she went on short term disability. Mind you she had only been a public school teacher for a few years at that point, so she didn't have a ton of time to accrue it.

Kie310 · July 2009

At my job I will be going on Short Term Dis. while I'm on leave & I only get paid $1K a week (which is a big difference for me). So, I get a little something, but not everything. We are putting a little more away every pay right now & are hoping my husband will get a raise by the end of the year to help out alittle more too.

LaNegrita · July 2009

YES, MINE IS UNPAID BECAUSE I TEACH AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT DOESNT PAY INTO UNEMPLOYMENT. I'LL BE RELYING ON AFLAC. DO YOUR SICK DAYS ROLL OVER INTO THE NEXT YEAR?

bklyninri · July 2009

Are you in NYC? If so...that is the situation! Although I do believe you can use your sick days to cover some of that time.

marathongrl · July 2009

Have you heard of not getting 12 weeks of maternity leave? I have heard at my school we get 8 weeks for a regular birth and 12 for c-section. Can they even do that? I though FMLA guarenteed you 12 weeks

amyucfdg · July 2009

Yes, I've heard of this. In our district, my benefits will come out of my docked paycheck too and I'll have to pay for that as well. You might want to consider looking into dh's insurance, life insurance, etc until you start back the following school year. That way you won't have to pay out of pocket, but will still get your benefits from dh.

mindlek8 · July 2009

I haven't fully looked into mine yet but I believe I will go on ST disability, which, for me, is 100% paid for 3 weeks and then 65% pay for up to 10 weeks.

amyucfdg · July 2009

marathongrl:
Have you heard of not getting 12 weeks of maternity leave? I have heard at my school we get 8 weeks for a regular birth and 12 for c-section. Can they even do that? I though FMLA guarenteed you 12 weeks

Yes, but they don't pay you.

JulieK08 · July 2009

marathongrl:
Have you heard of not getting 12 weeks of maternity leave? I have heard at my school we get 8 weeks for a regular birth and 12 for c-section. Can they even do that? I though FMLA guarenteed you 12 weeks

FMLA guarantees your job for 12 weeks, but doesn't guarantee pay.

XXLAURAF · July 2009

I am a public school teacher in new york...westchester county...i only get 6 weeks unpaid...can use my sick days but otherwise its unpaid which sucks is that a few years ago it was 12 weeks paid...i think this is bullshit especially because we are TEACHERS hellooo

Bianca42 · July 2009

marathongrl:
Have you heard of not getting 12 weeks of maternity leave? I have heard at my school we get 8 weeks for a regular birth and 12 for c-section. Can they even do that? I though FMLA guarenteed you 12 weeks

FMLA guarantees that you can take 12 weeks off. It in no way says that you will be paid for those 12 weeks. Assuming that your company pays into disability, you are typically eligible for 8 weeks (or 12 for c-section) of disability. I know that in NY, the disability is half of your weekly salary up to a max amount you can get. I maxed it out last time.

I was able to use any vacation and personal time that I had available to get a full paycheck. My company does pay for our medical insurance while we are on leave. I have a flex spending plan and a 401K loan, so I do have to hand over a check for that (or have them withhold it from one of the weeks that I use vacation time).

AFBTB · July 2009

Thanks for all your answers ladies. I didn't know they could do this. It really sucks big time.

I'm already on DH's insurance, he's active duty air force. We waived all other benefits except for the life insurance. I think we got short term disability too. I'm going to look that up and see what we signed up for. I think I'll call the guy I talked to yesterday about maternity leave and see about using short term disability.

My sick leave doesn't roll over from year to year. I'm going to try to save up what I can, but I'm going to have to take some sick days for my OB appts. My OB doesn't make appts after 3:30, which requires me to take a day off to go see her. Being a teacher and having to make dr appts sucks.

heather_09_15_07 · July 2009

FMLA doesn't pay you, it only requires they hold your job a certain amount of time.

AFBTB · July 2009

Once again, thanks for all your answers everyone!

kimandjared · July 2009

I work at a school too and we get diddly squat!! Because of budget cuts, we only get 5 sick days a year.... and you can't accumulate them. So I have a feeling I will use those days before March or only get paid for 5 days while on maternity leave.

Pickle123 · July 2009

AFBTB:
Have you heard of this? I'm a teacher, and I went into my school district's human resources dept. to start the paperwork for my maternity leave. That was when I found out that the 3 months I'll be out will be unpaid, and I will also have to write them a check for what would originally be pulled pout of my checks for my life insurance.
Is this normal? Ladies, is your maternity leave unpaid as well?

That's why I got short term disability. That on top of my 8 weeks of accumluated sick leave, will be enough to get me 10-12 weeks off.

amyucfdg · July 2009

AFBTB:

My sick leave doesn't roll over from year to year. I'm going to try to save up what I can, but I'm going to have to take some sick days for my OB appts. My OB doesn't make appts after 3:30, which requires me to take a day off to go see her. Being a teacher and having to make dr appts sucks.

Do they pay you if you don't take all your sick days? I'm a teacher too and have made my apts for the latest in the day-usually 3 or 3:30 and have told my principal that I need to leave a little early. Maybe your teammates can cover your classes, rather than you having to take a full day. Can you take half days?

AriLiB · July 2009

marathongrl:
I am also a teacher and will only be paid for my accumulated days and donated days. I've never heard of having to write the school a check...

this exactly. GL!

AFBTB · July 2009

Well, this sucks. I talked to the guy and he says that since I wasn't enrolled in Short term disability last year that they will probably consider my pregnancy a pre-existing condition. Boo!

Oh well. I know we can make it by on DH's salary but this just sucks.

GreekyPie · July 2009

Mine is fully paid for 6 weeks (vaginal birth) or 8 weeks (c section). Then I can use vacation. However, they'll let me stay out as long as I want for up to 6 mos., but I would need to pay my health insurance during that time (same as you, though mine wouldn't start until 6 or 8 weeks post partum). I'll probably go back part time for a while and ramp back up to 40 hrs.

Stacyc625 · July 2009

totally normal.

you didn't check that out before you got pregant???

did you think you were going to get paid for NOT BEING THERE???

NeverKnew · July 2009

For me, I get 6wks for a vag delivery and 8 for a c/s. Those weeks are 'paid' at 65% of my normal salary and fall under short-term disability. The good news is they continue to pay my healthcare benefits during that time.

I get up to 12 weeks FMLA, which is completely unpaid. I'm seriously considering taking the full amount. I can't imagine going back any earlier.

GreekyPie · July 2009

Stacyc625:
did you think you were going to get paid for NOT BEING THERE???

A little harsh. Plenty of people get paid for "not being there".

jksweets · July 2009

I do get paid during part of my time on leave. Depending on if it's natural or c-section, I'll get either 6 or 8 weeks. If I want additional time after that, it's my PTO or it's upaid.

Hulahoop1234 · July 2009

It really surprises me and scares me that people can be so irresponsible about having children. Seriously, you are an adult, you need to look into your maternity benefits prior to having a baby. Assuming that your school district would provide 3 months of paid maternity leave and pick up the tab for your insurance while you are out is just ridiculous.

Stacyc625 · July 2009

maybe in Canada.

megann831 · July 2009

I'm a teacher, I think I'll have about 8 weeks worth of sick days so that's good, but I had bought disability insurance (I think pudential) which will cover me. I also know some teachers who have put in a resolution to the board for extra sick days - sub pay and gotten them, so I'm also going to do that

ak071401 · July 2009

Your bio says you are in "La la land". LA, I am assuming? If so, look into state disability. If you pay into it, you should get paid for part of your maternity leave through that and then part of your leave through California Paid Family Leave. I am surprised your HR rep didn't tell you that. You can google it to get more info.

AFBTB · July 2009

Not in LA, didn't feel like posting where I was. I'm in AZ.

To those that are being harsh, and think I'm irresponsible, you shouldn't judge someone you don't even know. I don't need to defend myself and justify my reasoning to a bunch of internet strangers who get their jollies by bullying someone they don't even know. That's ridiculous. Which is why I hardly ever post.

mikkelsonch · July 2009

No need to be so nasty, people. We're all stressed out right now. Go easy. I'm sorry that some people were being mean to you here.

Soon2BMrsN · July 2009

No offense, but this is exactly the kind of thing one should know about before becoming PG.

I'm a teacher and due to federal laws, I'm not allowed to use any of my accumulated sick days once school starts, so I'm taking 7 weeks unpaid. And I do have to pay the district back for my portion of the insurance costs for those 7 weeks. FMLA only guarantees your time off, not necessarily with pay.

ditzydi_2000 · July 2009

Under FMLA depending on the size of your company they have to give you so much time off and ensure you retain your job when you return. They don't necessarily have to pay. Sucks but what can ya do?

My office is a total of five people so I'll be lucky if I even get a month off for maternity leave.

marisslyn · July 2009

I have 4 weeks of sick/vacation days I can use. Then I think i get 1/2 pay for 6 weeks. So two weeks, no pay.

bbhalphen · July 2009

I teach in Louisiana. We get six weeks paid and six weeks unpaid. Lots of teachers only take off the 6 weeks. I am due in March and plan on taking all 12, and then not going back next year. Our sick days roll over so I might can use some of those, I probably have about 25 stored up by now.

sapgirl76 · July 2009

All of this makes me glad that I teach in IL. We get to roll over our sick days and our personal days, if unused, become sick days the following year. We're expected to accumulate a ton of sick time and then cash it in at the end to retire early. Sooo... after 12 years of teaching, I have over 150 sick days racked up. The down side is that I can only take 6-8 weeks (whatever my doctor gives me) paid, regardless of how much time I have accrued.

Mrs. GEK · July 2009

That's how mine is too. I signed up for short term disability before getting pregnant so that it will help while I'm out on maternity leave.

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