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Typical Maternity leave?

AliBeantownAliBeantown
in Boston Babies

Hi Ladies,

Starting to plan for conception so I decided to look into what my workplace's maternity policy is.  Looks like I have 2 months of "protected" work, which I assume means I can be gone for 2 months and still have job security.  And, I'm paid out of my Extended Sick Leave, which after being here 3 years, I've accrued 3 weeks.  So...essentially I'd have 3 weeks paid, and then another month plus unpaid.  Sounded a little scanty to me.  Anyone care to share what their workplaces maternity leave is like?

Tx!

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Re: Typical Maternity leave?

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    amandajb1amandajb1 member
    FML says you get 12 weeks with job security, unpaid though. I work per diem so I got no paid leave. Also you can look into short term disability.
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    SuerteNNSuerteNN

    imageamandajb1:
    FML says you get 12 weeks with job security, unpaid though. I work per diem so I got no paid leave. Also you can look into short term disability.

     

    But STD (the acronym doesn't look that good -lol) is supposed to be approved by your obgyn and she would not do it unless there are serious concerns about your health. If your pregnancy and delivery was normal, I don't think one qualifies for STD.

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    Tilly123Tilly123
    My company offered 12 weeks job protection under the Family Medical Leave Act.  They also offered short term disability of 6 weeks for a natural birth and 8 weeks for a c section.  The first week of short term disability was a 'qualifying' week and unpaid, although I was able to supplement it with one week of PTO.  I then supplemented at the end of the short term period with another week of PTO.  The remaining weeks were unpaid.  My husband and I saved leading up to my maternity leave to supplement for the weeks I would be unpaid. 
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    bayraesmamabayraesmama member
    imageSuerteNN:

    imageamandajb1:
    FML says you get 12 weeks with job security, unpaid though. I work per diem so I got no paid leave. Also you can look into short term disability.

     

    But STD (the acronym doesn't look that good -lol) is supposed to be approved by your obgyn and she would not do it unless there are serious concerns about your health. If your pregnancy and delivery was normal, I don't think one qualifies for STD.

     

    I got 6 weeks STD (ha!) but it was something ridonculous like 50% of my pay which after deductions for taxes and benefits was like pennies a week.  Also the paid weeks were similar to PP, I could take earned PTO if I wanted to use it but the rest was unpaid.

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    tbmadeamistaketbmadeamistake member
    I actually looked into maternity leave while at my last position because they only offered 8 weeks and I had been told it was 12 by a friend.  It depends on the size of the company.  I think (and don't quote me), that companies under 25 employees fall under MA law which says 8 weeks leave, generally unpaid unless your company is super nice.  Companies over 25 employees or in multiple states fall under federal law which is 12 weeks, also unpaid unless the company says differently.  I'm not sure how STD works, but that sounds like a great way to at least get partial leave.  I've also heard that if you've been at a company for less than a year it changes the payment options, but not the amount of time given.  I'm starting a new job tomorrow, temp for a month and then hopefully perm, so I'll have been with the company for about 4.5 months when I give birth.  They know I'm pregnant so when I get offered perm. I'm going to ask what the maternity leave is like and try to finagle something.  GL!

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    AliBeantownAliBeantown
    Thanks Ladies! That was helpful feedback!
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    shesweenshesween
    I'm very lucky and wish more women got better benefits. I get 12 weeks paid. 6 weeks is short term disability and 6 weeks is company maternity. If I have a c-section, I would get an additional 2 weeks paid. If elect to, I can also take accrued vacation time to my leave. Anything after that then goes to the FMLA unpaid benefit.
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    ARez726ARez726 member

    STD is all about what your individual company offers...it has nothing to do with the health of your pregnancy.  Employees at my company earn one week for every six months of employment, with a maximum of 12 weeks of STD.  I have been with my company for 6 years, so I will get the maximum of 12 weeks at 80% pay.  This also falls in line with the 12 weeks I am guaranteed through FMLA.

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    WowItsABabyWowItsABaby
    imageARez726:

    STD is all about what your individual company offers...it has nothing to do with the health of your pregnancy.  Employees at my company earn one week for every six months of employment, with a maximum of 12 weeks of STD.  I have been with my company for 6 years, so I will get the maximum of 12 weeks at 80% pay.  This also falls in line with the 12 weeks I am guaranteed through FMLA.

    It absolutely CAN have something to do with the health of your pregnancy. Due to my length of time with my company, I am ELIGIBLE for a total of 26 weeks of STD (13 full pay, 13 half pay). However, the STD company that my company uses only allows for certain periods of leave for certain medical situations. Maternity is very cut & dry: 6 weeks for vaginal delivery, 8 weeks Cesarian (which i've since found out is very common for companies that offer STD). Now, if I had another medical situation another time in the year, THEN I could access additional weeks of my total 26. But if I had gone into my pregnancy assuming I could take the full 26 weeks paid, I would have been VERY surprised when the paychecks stopped after 6! 

    For the OP, if her company doesn't offer STD, then the point is moot anyway. There aren't any individual policies for STD that can be signed up for individually, however if their employer offers it as an option, i'd recommend signing up now due to the common waiting period for coverage for maternity.

    Mass Family leave is 8 weeks job protection; FMLA is 12 weeks job protection but the criteria to qualify for FMLA is that the company has to have more than 50 employes (within 75 miles) and you have to have been at the company for a year.

    What's "normal" can vary. Most that I know took the job protection that they qualified for (MA or FMLA) and received pay for all or part of that time with a combination of STD and cashing out PTO that has been accrued. I personally took 12 weeks- 6 STD paid, 2 using vacation time and 4 unpaid. 

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    Sara1373Sara1373
    I get 3 months paid leave, as do most of my friends who are having babies, but I think it really depends on the company you work for and their specific policies outside of what the law dictates.
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