Calculating mat. leave question

cpm1223 · July 2013

I'm probably over analyzing and being stupidly hopeful but here's my question.

If I get 8 weeks of maternity leave, does that mean 8x7, including weekends or is it 8x5 counting just business days only?

If its 8x7 then I get way more work weeks off but if its 8x5 then it's just 8 work weeks off.

I'm the first in my company to ever take maternity leave so I just wanted to get some answers before I plan anything and talk to boss. I'm also sort of the "hr person" so my boss wouldn't really know the answer either.

sugarland726 · July 2013

I would assume it is however your vacation time is considered. So if you get two weeks vacation a year and that equates to 10 days, I would use the same formula for maternity leave.

cpm1223 · July 2013

sugarland726:
I would assume it is however your vacation time is considered. So if you get two weeks vacation a year and that equates to 10 days, I would use the same formula for maternity leave.

My vacation is calculated by hours. So I get 120 hours a year. This is why I'm confused. If only the employee handbook told me how many maternity leave hours I got, It would make more sense to me!

cpm1223 · July 2013

I think I'm grasping at straws. I always assumed it was 8 work weeks but then I got to thinking that it was a bit vague...

Lena122 · July 2013

I also get vacation hours. I plan to take 12 weeks of leave and that will equate to 40 hour work weeks.

I don't think it'd make sense to count your normal days off as part of the week. So I'd guess it should be 8 weeks of 5 day work weeks.

FSUNole31 · July 2013

I know everyone may be different, but with DS I had 8 work weeks off. I could have taken up to 12, but didnt have enough sick time saved up so the end would have been unpaid which we weren't prepared for.

cpm1223 · July 2013

Lena122:
I also get vacation hours. I plan to take 12 weeks of leave and that will equate to 40 hour work weeks.

I don't think it'd make sense to count your normal days off as part of the week. So I'd guess it should be 8 weeks of 5 day work weeks.

Darn, that's what I assumed! But figured I'd check!

MissRdotS · July 2013

Lena122:
I also get vacation hours. I plan to take 12 weeks of leave and that will equate to 40 hour work weeks. I don't think it'd make sense to count your normal days off as part of the week. So I'd guess it should be 8 weeks of 5 day work weeks.

This is what I would think too.

blue_elle · July 2013

I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days (counting weekends) it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days (workdays only), it's still 8 weeks.

cpm1223 · July 2013

blue_elle:
I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days counting weekends it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days workdays only, it's still 8 weeks.nbsp;

Sorry for the confusion! I was calculating how many work days I get off of doing the 8x7 or 8x5. The first option would get me way more work days off if the 8 weeks included weekend days.

Sorry if I'm still not making sense, it's hard to type exactly what makes sense in my head!

blue_elle · July 2013

cpm1223:
blue_elle:
I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days counting weekends it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days workdays only, it's still 8 weeks.nbsp;
Sorry for the confusion! I was calculating how many work days I get off of doing the 8x7 or 8x5. The first option would get me way more work days off if the 8 weeks included weekend days. Sorry if I'm still not making sense, it's hard to type exactly what makes sense in my head!

So 8 weeks times 7 days = 56 days versus 8 x 5 days = 40 days? But if they were going to give you 8 weeks counting weekends those weekends would count during your leave, so that you still only get 8 weeks total. I don't see an employer giving you the equivalent of full weeks including non-work days, then only apply those days to the work days. Hope that makes sense.

Edited for poor math

rowanthefrog · July 2013

I think its 8, 5-day work weeks, or whatever your standard work week is.

A

blue_elle · July 2013

Double post

cpm1223 · July 2013

blue_elle:
cpm1223:
blue_elle:
I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days counting weekends it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days workdays only, it's still 8 weeks.nbsp;

Sorry for the confusion! I was calculating how many work days I get off of doing the 8x7 or 8x5. The first option would get me way more work days off if the 8 weeks included weekend days.

Sorry if I'm still not making sense, it's hard to type exactly what makes sense in my head!
So 8 weeks times 7 days = 56 days versus 8 x 5 days = 40 days? But if they were going to give you 8 weeks counting weekends those weekends would count during your leave, so that you still only get 8 weeks total. I don't see an employer giving you the equivalent of full weeks including non-work days, then only apply those days to the work days. Hope that makes sense.
 
Edited for poor math  

It totally makes sense! I guess I just needed to get this confusion out of my head and figured you ladies could help me make sense of all of this! Thank you!

hopeful808 · July 2013

blue_elle:
I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days (counting weekends) it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days (workdays only), it's still 8 weeks.

I think she was calculating it as 8X7= 56 days. Which would mean she would have enough days to miss 11 weeks and 1 day assuming she works 5 days a week she would get 2 days each calendar week to extend the actual days of work she is missing. But, to the best of my knowledge the standard is work weeks it doesn't matter if you work 5 days 3 days or 6 days it still would be the same amount of weeks. Unlike vacation time where you use your time only on the days you work mat leave is generally done by calendar weeks. Yes, I know there are exceptions especially if you company allows you to use banked PTO in addition to FMLA time.

Does that make more sense?

iwalktheline · July 2013

rowanthefrog:
I think its 8, 5-day work weeks, or whatever your standard work week is.

A

Thats my assumption too.

cpm1223 · July 2013

hopeful808:
blue_elle:
I'm confused by your calculation, so maybe I'm missing something. If you get 8 weeks of 7 days (counting weekends) it's 8 weeks. If you get 8 weeks of 5 days (workdays only), it's still 8 weeks. 
I think she was calculating it as 8X7= 56 days. Which would mean she would have enough days to miss 11 weeks and 1 day assuming she works 5 days a week she would get 2 days each calendar week to extend the actual days of work she is missing. But, to the best of my knowledge the standard is work weeks it doesn't matter if you work 5 days 3 days or 6 days it still would be the same amount of weeks. Unlike vacation time where you use your time only on the days you work mat leave is generally done by calendar weeks. Yes, I know there are exceptions especially if you company allows you to use banked PTO in addition to FMLA time. 
Does that make more sense? 

Thank you for making sense of what I was trying to say! Calculating by calendar weeks makes sense and seems to be the norm for maternity leave. Just wishful thinking on my part I guess!

MissSusieQ · July 2013

I would assume they mean 8 business weeks. Or 8 weeks of 5 days. When in doubt ask HR!

mrsjenni · July 2013

It's always business days and/or work weeks. If you work on weekends, it would still be 8 weeks. It's the weeks not the days.

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