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Disappointed in Maternity leave policy

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I work for a small company (50 employees, globally).  We all work from home offices.  They don't have an official maternity policy, but have been working on it since I and another coworker are pregnant.

They gave us the draft today.  We get up to 12 weeks leave, unpaid.  They will pay for 3 of the weeks, but here's the kicker....it won't get paid until we return to work full time for 6 months.  

The thing that really pissed me off is that they will give 1 week pd leave for paternity leave, but that one does not have the language in it about it being paid after they have returned for 6 months.

I know I should be grateful for any kind of paid time, but since we have to float the money up front it doesn't really help and I am feeling super pressured to go back to work as soon as I can (like take only 4 weeks). 

I am our breadwinner and sole provider after LO arrives. Guess I'm just feeling stressed and pressured. :(

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Re: Disappointed in Maternity leave policy

  • marathongrlmarathongrl
    Since this is still a draft, can you work it out to read more like you get the 3 weeks paid, but if do not return to work full time and remain with the company for the 6 months it will need to be paid back....  Still a terrible option, but it would help with money while you are gone instead of after the fact.
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  • Autumn_bride2bAutumn_bride2b member
    That's *is* odd, but I'm not sure there is any legal recourse because of the small size of the company, and I don't think that the US FMLA applies to other countries, so those employees might not count in the size of your business, for legal purposes here. Can you suggest a compromise, getting half? Or getting paid with a regular paycheck on a 2-week lag?
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  • jksweetsjksweets
    I'm sorry - did someone else prior to you get a better plan, or were you just expecting better?  Each company is really able to devise their own maternity plan, some don't pay for any of it.  I do agree that it stinks you need to wait 6 months to be paid!
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  • Anna&MattAnna&Matt member
    Do you have any sort of Short Term disability? If so that will pay you while you're out at a percent of your salary. We get a bonus equal to 4 weeks pay after we're back for a month but it's not 6. That seems kind of crazy - they must have had people come back and work for a couple weeks and then leave.
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  • STW2009STW2009

    imageCellobelle:

    They gave us the draft today.  We get up to 12 weeks leave, unpaid.  They will pay for 3 of the weeks, but here's the kicker....it won't get paid until we return to work full time for 6 months.  

    The thing that really pissed me off is that they will give 1 week pd leave for paternity leave, but that one does not have the language in it about it being paid after they have returned for 6 months.

    What? They give paid paternity leave but not maternity? Do they realize the baby actually comes out of you? You need time to recover from that not to mention time to bond with the baby.

    I would question this policy.

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  • kmtfukmtfu
    that does suck. but, like you said, at least you get something eventually. we get 12 weeks off - 100% unpaid. No
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  • MFalorMFalor member
    We don't get paid leave at my company, but we can use paid time off (vacation days) that we've accrued.  Could you do that?
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  • MrsRebeccaMrsRebecca member

    I don't think it's that bad. At leas you're getting some money back to you. Very few women have fully or even partially paid maternity leave.

    Had I not decided to SAH I would have gotten 6 weeks at partial pay through the state of CA and could take another 12 weeks totally unpaid. I could use PTO to supplement though.

    When we were TTC we just saved 18 weeks of my income so that we wouldn't be worrying about money and I could enjoy my maternity leave.

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  • snicksnacksnicksnack member
    I would talk to your boss about working after you have been medically cleared with the baby still at home with you. My friend worked it out with her boss that she would come back part time from home with the baby there for 6 weeks. Her job can really be done anytime of day so she worked while LO slept or in the evening when her hubby was at home. Something to think about
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  • Bianca42Bianca42

    It's still better than my company's policy...we get up to 12 weeks leave...but none of it is paid.

    And, it is pretty crazy and wrong that who know that they aren't going to return after maternity leave don't tell their employers until after they get paid for the leave...but it happens.  When I was pregnant with DS, the boards that I frequented then (I can't remember where) there were women who talked openly about planning to screw their company out of the maternity leave.  There then were the women who fully intend to go back to work and then change their mind later.  (I'd say that it's pretty rare for a father to take his 1 week of paternity leave and then decide not to return, which is why the policy doesn't make them wait.)

    Maybe you can suggest that they change the policy to pay right away but you sign something that you are liable to pay it back if you leave within 6 months.  (This would work better if you are on bi-weekly pay, as they could at least take 2 weeks worth out of your last check.)  They may not go for it...but it can't hurt to suggest it.

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  • tmp-527934375008843tmp-527934375008843

    I was just hoping for better.  They haven't had a pregnant female in many years, hence no policy. They really have tried to take care of us in all of our other benefits, so I was just a little saddened by the strictness of the getting paid 6 months later thing.  I'm hoping they will revise that to getting paid the 3 weeks and then it must be paid back if you leave within 6 months (which I would think would accomplish the same goal but with much less pain). 

    We don't fall under FMLA, which wouldn't really come into play anyway because being out for 12 weeks and still keeping my job isn't in question.

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  • MrsRebeccaMrsRebecca member
    imageBianca42:

    It's still better than my company's policy...we get up to 12 weeks leave...but none of it is paid.

    And, it is pretty crazy and wrong that who know that they aren't going to return after maternity leave don't tell their employers until after they get paid for the leave...but it happens.  When I was pregnant with DS, the boards that I frequented then (I can't remember where) there were women who talked openly about planning to screw their company out of the maternity leave.  There then were the women who fully intend to go back to work and then change their mind later.  (I'd say that it's pretty rare for a father to take his 1 week of paternity leave and then decide not to return, which is why the policy doesn't make them wait.)

    Maybe you can suggest that they change the policy to pay right away but you sign something that you are liable to pay it back if you leave within 6 months.  (This would work better if you are on bi-weekly pay, as they could at least take 2 weeks worth out of your last check.)  They may not go for it...but it can't hurt to suggest it.

    I was thinking the same thing...they are trying to protect themselves against paying employees who end up leaving. I think suggesting signing a contract agreeing to pay the money back 100% if you don't complete 6 months of work after you return is a good compromise.

     

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  • GraceOMallyGraceOMally

    Request that they revise the policy so that one of the three weeks matches the Paternity leave and the two additional weeks are 3 months after return to full time.  I say 3 months because that is the standard for benefits to begin when you are a new employee.  6 months is pretty ridiculous.

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  • Jeni182Jeni182 member

    imageAutumn_bride2b:
    That's *is* odd, but I'm not sure there is any legal recourse because of the small size of the company, and I don't think that the US FMLA applies to other countries, so those employees might not count in the size of your business, for legal purposes here. Can you suggest a compromise, getting half? Or getting paid with a regular paycheck on a 2-week lag?

    I believe with FMLA the company has to have more than 50 employees within 75 miles of each other.

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  • Nicole731Nicole731 member
    imageCellobelle:

     

    I know I should be grateful for any kind of paid time, but since we have to float the money up front it doesn't really help and I am feeling super pressured to go back to work as soon as I can (like take only 4 weeks). 

    I'm going with this. We don't get any paid leave.

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  • qtpa2tqtpa2t member
    As someone who owns her own company, I can understand the language.  The only way they would get money back from an employee that decides not to return would be to sue them.  That in and of itself is a cost.  Honestly, I think your plan, while not great, isn't atypical.
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  • mooetamooeta member
    we don't get anything at all.  We can use our vacation and sick time but other than that it is unpaid.  I'll be taking 4 full weeks and 4 weeks half time to maximize my time, but then I'll be tapped out.
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