- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
Detroit Babies
FMLA and short-term disability question
Hi all -
My workplace can not figure out my leave or give me any info! Ugh...it is really frustrating! There has not been a pregnant woman there for years 
I am 100% sure that the doctor is going write me off from work at some point because of my medical conditions and the high-risk nature of my pregnancy and the fact that I work 100 miles one way to work.
I thought I would be on short-term disability and THEN go on FMLA. They are saying that I have to use my FMLA first. Does anyone know anything about this stuff?
Thanks!
Holly
This discussion has been closed.
Re: FMLA and short-term disability question
That is not the way it usually is. If I have to go on bed rest before giving birth it is considered short term disability and I receive 60% of my pay. How many people work at your company?
Hi J & R 07 -
I am a faculty member at a university that has about 400 employees. I thought it sounded weird but they claim I have to use the FMLA first. That would send me back to work right after the baby is born (if I have no complications). Any ideas?
-h
You must be on FMLA to claim STD.
You need to know that the two are completely separate entities. The FMLA (family medical leave act) is what entitles you to medical (maternity or otherwise) leave via the government, and this protects your job for 12 weeks. It has nothing to do with STD (short term disability) which dictates how much (if anything) you get paid during this time of leave.
You can choose to use all 12 weeks or less dependant on your financial situation, but regardless, the legislation mandates that your position must be held for that 12 weeks. If you go on bed rest, and require 6 weeks of no work, then you are entitled to 6 weeks of job protection post-partum. The reason that you are only entitled to the 12 weeks total is to protect the employer so if you are gone for say 8 months, and are unsure if you will come back, they can hire someone else to do your job and keep the business running.
Some companies offer STD at no cost (amount varies) to the employee, others require that you pay for your own STD as an elective benefit.You need to ask them if they offer you STD payment, and if so, what you can expect to recieve.
Lastly, you will probably have to fill out paperwork for both. Federal FMLA paperwork has to be signed by your physician, as does most STD paperwork before you recieve payment.
Good Luck! Sounds like your HR person needs a lesson in medical leave!
AlmostMrsF is right- FMLA doesn't pay, it's just a job security thing. It's 12 weeks for an entire year, so say you were taken out of work early in your pregnancy, that time counts against the 12 weeks. So it's not like you could be off for 12 weeks, come back to work and then take another 12 weeks off when the baby is born.
STD is what pays you while you're off work. Most plans pay 60% of your pay for 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery, 8 weeks for a c/s. If you have a medical reason to be off prior to delivery, STD will cover that time but again, most have a week "waiting" period. So that doesn't kick in until the 8th day. If you take addition time off past the 6 or 8 weeks, then you likely won't get anything (unless your company offers something)