High-Risk Pregnancy
Bed rest mommas - if you work question about leave
Hi,
My doctor told me that I may be parked in the hospital at 24 weeks and full bed rest. However, I can do my job from the computer at the hospital but my company is not being fully accommodating. For all the mommies that are on bed rest - are you on FMLA or on disability? What are the laws and what can a company make you do?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Re: Bed rest mommas - if you work question about leave
I've been on strict bedrest (at home) since 20 weeks. I'm an attorney, and while I can technically do most of my work from my laptop remotely, after one day of trying I discovered that it's very difficult to do so when laying down (which I'm required to do), so I opted to go out on full medical leave rather than try to work remotely. I am on short-term disabililty, which is fully paid and runs concurrently with my FMLA leave (16 weeks in DC). My doctors had to fill out some paperwork saying I was unable to perform the functions of my job, but in general it was pretty easy.
I'm not an employment lawyer, so I'm not sure what exactly a company can make you do, but I beleive they have a duty to try to accomodate your disability restrictions under the ADA as long as they are reasonable. Also, as long as you have been at your company for a year and they employ at least 50 people, you are entitled to take at least 12 weeks of FMLA leave, which is unpaid but they have to protect your job and benefits while you're out. Have you talked to your HR department, rather than your supervisor? They can probably give you the best information on what's available to you. Your supervisor may not know or may be more focused on how work will get done in your absence than on what your options/rights are.
Good luck!
the PP has a similar situation that I do. I tried to work from home, but it was very difficult. I have short term disability insurance that runs concurrent with my FMLA. I have been out so long that it will go into long term disability.
Follow the PP advise, I hope it works out well.
If I get put on bed rest at 24 weeks - my short term would automatically kick in and they would put me on FMLA. However, I know that with FMLA - that means they can only hold your job for 12 weeks. My question is - do they have to kick you into long term disability or is that optional for the employer?
Honestly - I do not want to use FMLA until I have her and use disability until then. I am just trying to figure out my options. My employer is not really that accommodating so without contacting an attorney just yet, I need to figure out how some of you are working it.
With DD I was on "temporary" bed rest at home for 2 weeks and they let me work from home (though it was the holidays and no one was really doing anything). Later in my pregnancy I was placed on hospital bed rest and was told I would not leave the hospital. At that time my company put me on STD (and of course FMLA). It sucked, but I can understand their reasoning. I wouldn't have been able to work from the hosptial. Because I was on bed rest for 6w and then DD was born early my FMLA ran out the week she was coming home from the hospital (37w), I quit my job because there was no way I could leave her when I hadn't even really had a chance to be her mom yet.
GL!
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