Tell me about maternity leave...

PennyLane26 · January 2013

I have a meeting with my administration on Friday regarding my maternity leave coverage. I believe I have 6 weeks at 50% pay. I am a teacher and I will not be returning in the fall, but my normal pay will continue through the summer after my 6 weeks is up.

I also get insurance through my husband. How does that work? Can I also claim short term disability (or something similar) through them?

It's all so confusing! I understand every job and insurance is different, but how are you dealing with maternity leave and benefits? What is your coverage like?

patchen30 · January 2013

From what I understand, FMLA, by law, requires that your employer hold your job for at least 12 weeks, but doesn't require that your employer compensate you. So, you could have unpaid maternity leave. If your employer pay you 50% for 6 weeks they're technically going above and beyond.

I think that usually when you have a baby it's considered a "life event" and you can make inter-year changes to your insurance coverage (i.e. get on your DH's).

I'm not sure if this is part of FMLA or what, but at most places you can have up to 2 weeks of paid short-term disability before you deliver (your maternity leave will not start until after you deliver). If you go beyond that I *think* LT disability kicks in, which you have to have supplemental insurance coverage for (at least that's how it is here).

It's confusing and there are laws set in stone, and then your employer's policies. So talk to someone in HR or the equivalent if you can.

I'm SUPER lucky - I have 4 months paid maternity leave. It's really unusual and I know how great it is!

fabulouspinkmady · January 2013

I'm pretty freaked out about ML too... actually, not so much ML, but leave before birth if I get placed on bedrest or if I have to stop working. I get 8 weeks paid (fully, I believe) leave once they are born; however if I have to go out before then, I will only have a small amount of PTO, and then I would be on FMLA. I'm going to work as long as I can, but I don't know how I will be feeling by 30+ weeks and I can't work from home or go part-time either.

I do not have short-term through my work. DH does, but I am not on his plan. It probably depends on what kind of coverage you are signed up for through your husband's insurance. For example, if I was on DH's health insurance, I don't think that includes short-term; he would have had to sign me up for that seperately. He may have to do some research to see what you are covered for

AmCheri · January 2013

I work in a small office so FMLA does not apply. There is no mandated maternity leave in our state, so I have to exhaust my vacation days (I don't get sick leave, personal days or anything of the sort) and then I'm eligible for short-term disability leave. It will probably amount to something like 8 weeks. I'm a part owner, so I do have more flexibility and plan to work from home to extend my leave.

Jezebell26 · January 2013

Mine is weird. I have to use all of my sick time/pto first. Once the baby is born and I have run out of time (which I only have like 32 days!) they will apply for FMLA for me. Now I am hearing I can get 6w paid but its a percentage of my salary. I'll take anything. I do not have state disability insurance as my job does not pay into it. I do not have any supplemental insurance either. So once FMLA runs out I am hoping I can make it on my own for maybe 2-3w on just DH's salary and then will return to work in June for a few weeks then have the summer off. We do get paid throughout the summer too. The only issue with me is I hold the insurance for the family so once I stop getting a paycheck from my job we could be responsible for the portion of the insurance that is taken out of my paycheck. Which is less than $100 twice a month.

It defintiely is confusing and ive been to HR twice and gotten two different answers. So IDK what is going to happen. I am trying not to let it stress me out and we are going to bank our tax refund for when I am home so we can pay a few bills. DH just got promoted and I think we can swing it for a little while. Id love to not return until Sept but that isnt going to work for us Good for you for not going back in the fall!

JBDamonM · January 2013

PennyLane - I am no help, bc I know teachers ML's tend to be different from the corporate world.

Ditto to what one of the PP's said though - as for adding insurance, it's a life changing event, the only catch; you need to make the changes within 30 days of birth!!! I learned this one the hard way when I got married.

Other questions I have for some of the ladies:

- Anyone know where I could get more info on potential mandated coverage for 2 weeks pre delivery date? This would be awesome for me since my company is being a-holes about letting me use a week of carry over PTO by March 31 (baby due April 4).

- Anyone know how it works when you are the insurance carrier and out on ML? Some of my leave will be paid, some of it will not. I am curious how they will deduct the insurance when I'm not getting a paycheck?

Unfortunately my company has not been easy to work with in regards to my ML. I called in December and asked for the paperwork and they told me they will only take it 30 days before due date. I need to use a week of PTO for the STD to kick in - and they won't let me use my above mentioned carry over PTO for this.

It's very disheartening to me that they won't be more accomodating, but it is what it is.

pantsarella · January 2013

PennyLane26:
I also get insurance through my husband. How does that work? Can I also claim short term disability (or something similar) through them?
It's all so confusing! I understand every job and insurance is different, but how are you dealing with maternity leave and benefits? What is your coverage like?

You would already have to have any short term disability coverage in place in order to file a claim with this. I don't think I've seen an employer offer the employee's spouse disability coverage, but that's awesome if that's the case.

I have to use FMLA and it's all unpaid. I have the option to use saved leave in order to get paid, which I will be doing. I'll have about 5 weeks stored at that point, so that's all I'll get paid for, regardless of how long I'll be out. The plan is for me to take the 6 or 8 weeks (based on delivery), and then DH to take 2 weeks of FMLA to delay putting the child in daycare for a bit longer. He has far more leave stored than me, so it's not an issue for him.

Killer Tomato · January 2013

Where I work, I get up to 6 months of unpaid leave after the birth date. I get STD for (I believe) 6 weeks, after I use up any sick time and go through the waiting week. The STD can start before/after the birth, but can only last 6 weeks. FMLA can also start before/after the birth, lasts 12 weeks, but does not provide any monetary benefits, just job protection. So a lot of these will overlap, but only the STD is providing me with any income. I had looked into supplemental STD, as the max NY provides is not that great, but the supplemental STD my job offers specifically excludes coverage for pregnancies/birth through ART. Grr.

My understanding is that STD is something only your job or a supplemental external policy (like Aflack) would provide, not your husband's insurance.

Luckily, we get health insurance through my DH's job, so I don't have to worry about covering those payments. We have 30 days to inform them of LO's existence to add her to the policy.

I am THRILLED to be able to take up to 6 months, even if it is unpaid, but the finances are going to be interesting...

Also, you should investigate the policies at your husband's employer. Spouses are also entitled to FMLA leave for the birth of a child. We think DH will be able to use his accrued sick time for a few weeks of leave after LO is born. And if you don't have life insurance, often employers offer group policies at really good rates.

And yes, trying to get definitive answers out of HR can be interesting--it's a confusing process. My HR constantly has to try and get answers from the central office, and I fully expect to not really know what is going on until it actually happens.

candyreesecup · January 2013

My ML coverage really stinks....my company is small, so FMLA isn't applied and I get 6 weeks no pay, ugh! Majority employees are male, so I think I am the 3rd women in the company's history to have a ML.

I already accepted the reality that I am going back full time after 6 weeks and my baby will be in daycare...I did negotiate to work from home twice a week and my boss agreed, so that's at least a positive news for me!

Roxie5739 · January 2013

Remember FMLA protects your job but not from layoffs. Something I maybe facing in next few months.

kgs0505 · January 2013

Being paid or not usually depends on if you pay into the state disability program or not. If you don't pay into it (usually called SDI on your check), you don't get paid. I keep hearing that teachers don't usually pay into disability, but I'm sure that varies state to state.

Leave before baby is born is short-term disability, same as leave after baby is born. But they are for slightly different reasons.

Gregermis · January 2013

I'm still working on figure all that out too.... We get 6wks or 8 wks depending on whether it's a vaginal or c-section delivery at 80%, except for the 1st week apparently which you have to cover with sick leave or vacation (or unpaid)... so that's either 100% or 0%. That's a company policy, though (and my FMLA starts AFTER my paid leave Smile )

MichelleDis · January 2013

No maternity leave where I am, have never had it in my career, it's pretty rare. But we do have STD, which is what I used with DS5. I had to use all sick/vacation time first and that one week wait, then STD kicked in- i think it was 6-8 weeks at like 60-70% pay. FMLA is 12 weeks, but it overlaps with STD, so I didn't get 6 weeks STD and then 12 more- it was just 12 total, 6-8 would be paid at a percentage under STD coverage. Our STD at my new job I believe only gives you like 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and 8 for c-section or something. Crazy, right? lol!

phishgirl29 · January 2013

I'm a teacher and our contract allows us to used FMLA up to 6 (or 8 weeks for c-section) of our sick days, which is fine considering that I'll only have to use at most 20 days of the 90 I've banked because the baby is due in June so I'll be missing only a month or so. DH and I are savers by nature and I'm contractually allowed to take up to 2 years unpaid and still have a job to come back too. We can't do 2 years, financially but we are doing September through Christmas break and I'll return to work January 2nd. I should also mention that I have Aflac supplement insurance in case of bed rest, c section and hospital stay and I will keep my insurance until August and then I go on DH's until January.

DH has a sweet daddy paternity deal at his job which will allow him to take up to 60 work days within the first year of birth (using his banked sick days). He will take his in January once I'm back. This way we're looking at daycare starting at 9 months. I hope thing work out the same way they do in paper!!!

mnj05 · January 2013

I'm a teacher too and with my district, we get 6 weeks maternity leave but we only get paid for the amount of sick/personal days we have left, the rest is unpaid. FMLA for me will be an additional 6 weeks, also unpaid. I have short term and long term disability through my district which means the first 30 days for me will be unpaid, but the rest of the time I'm out, I will get a percentage of my regular check.

I don't know about taking short term through your husband's insurance. I'm also on my husband's but I took the short/long term with my district to make sure I'd be covered.

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