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Laid off while preg - what are my rights - NOT discrimination!
It looks like I'm getting laid off soon. My company is merging which means our company will be dissolved.
Does anyone know what the rights are for medical insurance? I'm 26 weeks pregnant. I just want to make sure i'll get continued coverage if the company dissolves? It's hard to find out what my rights are, when I google it all I get is info on discrimination but my situation is not. I just want to be prepared for what I need to talk to HR about once they give me the official notice.
Once I get laid off officially I can apply for unemployment and then disability once she's born right? Do you get both or is it one or the other? Anyone know who I can talk to about this kind of stuff? I don't understand it AT ALL.
Thanks!
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Re: Laid off while preg - what are my rights - NOT discrimination!
I was your same situation in 2008 when I was about as far along as you are...I was lucky enough to get another job right away but I still didn't qualify for benefits so my husband was able to add me. I actually ended up getting laid off again while I was on maternity leave from my new company and that was almost a year ago and I still haven't found anything. So as to not drag on my boring life....I don't know about the medical but you probably will qualify for COBRA. I am very familiar with the whole Unemployment/Disability situation so here is what I DO know!
1. You can only collect 1 at a time...so most likely you will go on unemployment first until your dr puts you on disability which I believe they can do 4 weeks before your due date if you don't have any complications. Then you will file for disability...6 or 8 weeks usually depending on what type of birth you have. After that you can apply for 6 weeks for Paid Family leave which is the same amount as your disability. After that, its back on unemployment if you haven't found anything by then.
2. You want to collect as much disabilty and PFL as you can because it pays more than unemployment and you can't get it back.
Like I said, I am an EXPERT at this stuff by now so feel free to PM me if you have any questions! Good luck!
Thank you SO much! That was very informative, I really appreciate it. I might hit you up for more info if I can't figure it out as I get closer to that point. This might sound stupid but where do you get all these forms? The CA EDD website or something? I'm asking without having tried to find it so I'm sure it's very simple if I google it.
I'm curious if COBRA is offered if the company is no longer around. I can ask our HR this info, she's a ding bat and not very good but she should be able to answer my ?s. COBRA sucks b/c it's so expensive. Unfortunately I can't jump on with my hub b/c he's self employed so we pay an arm & leg for his private insurance every month. I was really enjoying my benefits thru work... Thanks again!
As far as filing for unemployment you can do it online through the EDD website...that is the fastest way. Your doctor might have the disability forms as well (mine did) but you can print them out on EDD website too. When you are on Disability, when your last check comes they will send a form asking if you will be taking PFL and how many weeks and then they will file it for you.
Like I said, I don't know too much about COBRA but I know that there is some kind of govt subsidy that helps with the cost. Also, if another company is taking over your company then they might be covering it as well...just a guess though. If not, there are plenty of low cost insurances that you might be able to pay out of pocket...which I know sucks. I had to change doctors completely at around 6 months prego because I had Kaiser with my work and DH didn't. It was hard, but it ended up working out. Feel free to email me cagap1 at yahoo dot com. HTH
This happened to me exactly when I was 7 months pregnant. Basically, you NEED to find out if the group's health plan you are using will continue. If the group continues, you can COBRA (meaning you can pay 100% of the premium but stay w your current insurance). If the group is dissolved like mine was (the company went out of business), there is no COBRA and you have to get your own policy. This is tough b/c you have a preexisting condition called pregnancy! Does DH have a policy at work? Losing your coverage is considered a "qualifying act" so you won't have to wait until open enrollment to get on. Otherwise, are either of you members of any professional organizations like National Assn of Realtors or CPA assn or a credit union? Usually those groups have group insurance policies available which you can jump on with a preexisting condition.
You can apply for unemployment. Do so the second you get laid off unless you can get your doc to sign you out on disability while you're still working. That's the ideal. Mine would not do it. Then, when your doc puts you out on disability at 36 weeks (or now if you can convince her to!), you will terminate your unemployment concurrently to applying for SDI through the EDD office online. Then, 12 weeks later when the SDI and Paid Fam Leave run out, you call or go online w EDD again and reopen your unemployment claim. You cannot pull disability and unemployment at the same time. Plus disability pays WAY better. Email me at missturner7 at hotmail.com if you want to chat about it.