What is offered for maternity leave at your workplace?

2Swanns · March 2014

What does your employer offer for maternity leave? Just curious because I start a new job soon and they don't offer paid maternity. I think you have to use all of your PTO and then are allowed up to 8 weeks unpaid. I have to get some clarification, but I'm just curious what you're offered.

veetveet · March 2014

I'm in Canada so we get a year off at a reduced rate paid by the government. (With my last baby I made approx $700 every 2 weeks and I was at the maximum) On top of that my employer offers 15 weeks top up.

Jags8 · March 2014

Since I am not full time, any time I take off is unpaid, including maternity leave.

lifeonthehill · March 2014

I am not full time here so I get nada and honestly will probably lose my job entirely over a future pregnancy.

H will continue teaching but wont have to coach a sport for whatever season we end up having the baby which is a perk.

FemShep · March 2014

I've worked at large, medium, and small employers, and have never been offered "maternity leave". At most places, your leave is covered by STD insurance, which pays 50-75% of your salary for 6 weeks for a standard delivery and 8 weeks for a c-section. These numbers, when the insurance kicks in, and whether you're required to use PTO vary by employer and policy. Your benefits may also be capped. FMLA has nothing to do with maternity leave or pay you'll receive; FMLA is a federally mandated program that requires that certain larger employers hold an "equivalent" job for certain workers if the worker takes up to 12 weeks off for a medical issue or to care for a family member. Unfortunately, many people confuse FMLA with maternity leave and also don't understand that FMLA coverage is far from universal.

Wine&Cupcakes · March 2014

Nada. Zilch. Zip.

Any maternity leave will be covered entirely by us and I plan to take the standard crappy 12 weeks. I'm per diem (nurse), which essentially means that I'm not benefitted and I work part-time for two different agencies. Health insurance is through DH and that's it. I looked into STD and that may be an option. I'm also going to hope and pray that the parents I work for (I'm in pedi home health) like me enough to work out my leave, and that my employer can get their act together to hire a temp for me for 12 weeks. If not, oh well, for us, it's time to shit or get off the pot with the kid thing so I'll lose my job over it if I have to.

Twinkie0612 · March 2014

I am actually very lucky. My company offers paid maternity leave (not under STD). We get 50% pay for either 4, 6, 8, or 12 weeks depending on how many years you've been with the company. I've been with the company long enough to qualify for 12 weeks of half pay. The other half of your salary is supplemented with your sick time, sick bank (rolled over sick days), personal time, or accrued vacation. Once you have exhausted your PTO, you can take the rest of your leave unpaid.

I started banking sick days before we ever started TTC and since we are almost to year 3 of TTC, I have been able to bank a lot of sick days (I have been using personal time and vacation time for doctors appointments, so that I can bank my sick days). I should be able to take my entire 12 weeks at 100% pay without using all of my personal time and vacation time.

mrssl3813 · March 2014

I am in Canada too so I get the same 55% or about $800/2 weeks which is the cap. I get that for a year. Then for the first 6 months my employer tops us up to 95% of your regular pay. Its a pretty sweet deal.

Kristinmo · March 2014

Nothing paid. 12 weeks unpaid covered by FMLA. There is the option to take short term disability.

At my old job (where I worked when I had both my kids) it was 8 weeks paid plus I had 5 weeks of vacation so I took 12 weeks paid both times.

smg2302 · March 2014

We get 12 weeks unpaid, but are allowed to use any annual or sick leave to get paid. With approval of our department we are allowed to be out up to 6 months.

tlc35 · March 2014

Wine&Cupcakes said:

Nada. Zilch. Zip.
Any maternity leave will be covered entirely by us and I plan to take the standard crappy 12 weeks. I'm per diem (nurse), which essentially means that I'm not benefitted and I work part-time for two different agencies. Health insurance is through DH and that's it. I looked into STD and that may be an option. I'm also going to hope and pray that the parents I work for (I'm in pedi home health) like me enough to work out my leave, and that my employer can get their act together to hire a temp for me for 12 weeks. If not, oh well, for us, it's time to shit or get off the pot with the kid thing so I'll lose my job over it if I have to.

I'm basically in this position. I work locums through an agency so insurance is through DH and you should see our tax bill. I have no benefits at all. I need to save up as much as possible and then look into a new assignment after a kid.

abb08 · March 2014

The same as some others...no paid leave, must use all my sick and personal leave before unpaid leave starts, can take up to 12 weeks total. One difference is that our STD changed...now it doesn't kick in until after 2 weeks. So I will only have coverage for 4 weeks. I think most STD plans start much sooner...with my son, I got 5 weeks of coverage since it kicked in sooner.

Havana2014 · March 2014

I'm in ireland and by law you are entitled to 26 weeks’ maternity leave (depending on your contract this may be paid by your employer, if not you will receive a payment from the state) and you can, by law, take an additional 16 weeks unpaid maternity leave.

I will be paid for 18 weeks at full pay, then the reduced statutory rate for the remaining 8 weeks, then unpaid for 16 weeks if I choose. During your 26+ 16 weeks off you also accrue your annual leave and public holiday entitlements which in my case will be another 5/6 weeks which I can take, paid, before I return to work.

So by law I can take just under a year off work and will be paid full rate for half of this, reduced rate for 2 months - and unpaid for 4 months if I choose.

Reading the replies I realise how lucky I am!

Pipes134 · March 2014

CrazyMonkeyBear said:

I get 12 weeks through FMLA plus anytime my doctor writes me out of work during my pregnancy. Working until the end of the pregnancy gives the following: The first 5 days require me to either use PTO or take unpaid leave. After that, I get STD at ⅔ pay for 6 weeks or 8 weeks (vaginal birth v. c-section), and then I can either use remaining PTO for the remainder of the time or go unpaid.

Mine is very similar to this.

2Swanns · March 2014

Very helpful responses ladies! Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. I think I can get paid short-term disability...so I need to look into this further.

spalko · April 2014

I work for a very small veterinary clinic (4 total employees) so I get zero "maternity leave" so to speak. My leave would be covered through my Aflac plan which is STD and hospital indemnity. For a vaginal delivery, I would be given 6 weeks paid time off at 80% pay and 8 weeks for a C-Section. The hospital indemnity plan gives me back so much money for how many days are spent in the hospital. I think may agent said the average is $1200 but don't quote me. I will probably take personal time for additional time off but I'd also not want to burn through that in case of sick baby days, etc.

mm529 · April 2014

My situation is a little different... As a grad student I get 8 weeks off (school policy) and have the option of longer if I negotiate that with my research advisor. Mine is super family friendly, but how much time I take will probably depend on where I am with defending my dissertation.

reddeezy · April 2014

Another Canadian here so i qualify for 1 year maternity. The first 16 weeks are topped up by my employer to 75% of my pay but the rest will be at 800.00 every 2 week.... the maximum paid by government here.

ImJessesGirl · April 2014

We only get six weeks of maternity leave. It sucks. I only get 75% of my pay for that 6 weeks.

DebateThis · April 2014

16 weeks at 100% pay, and they added on an additional 3 weeks of disability for me at 80% pay due to my tenure. I was very, very fortunate.

PuppyLove84 · April 2014

I'm a federal employee, and we get no paid maternity leave, which sucks. We're allowed to use our sick leave and then our annual leave, and we get up to 12 weeks unpaid leave due to FMLA. Unfortunately I was a fellow before getting a federal position last year, so my leave started all over again, and I have less than 2 weeks of annual leave and sick leave saved up. Also there is no STD insurance offered to us, and private policies are pretty expensive. So since we're hoping to start TTC next month, if all goes well, I'll be taking most of my maternity leave unpaid. Another reason we've been saving up!

purple_2012 · April 2014

I get however much sick leave I have saved up paid. The rest of my leave would be unpaid.

2Swanns · April 2014

Thank you all for your input. I have reached out to my employer to purchase short term disability, which will allow me 11 weeks at 60% pay. Then I will either go unpaid or then maybe long term disability kicks in? Either way, 11 weeks at 60% is very helpful. I'm so jealous of those international moms who get so much time fully paid!!!

margokendall · April 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:

FMLA is 12 weeks. They cannot limit you to 8.

I manage FMLA as my career. FMLA is 12 weeks however you have to qualify for FMLA. Employees are eligible for leave if they have worked for their employer at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles. Whether an employee has worked the minimum 1,250 hours of service is determined according to FLSA principles for determining compensable hours or work.

Additional states may offer additional leave, but those are only a handful.

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AandDM2014 · April 2014

Yikes! Seeing what is offered at most work places is crazy. At my previous employer I would have only gotten the unpaid FMLA, though I'm sure my boss would have figured out a way to "lay me off" so that he could just hire someone new who would be permanent.

KJKNAJ · April 2014

Nothing. I can have 6wks for a vaginal delivery or 8wks for a csection. Neither of them paid, I have to use vacation and sick time.

Both my DDs were in daycare at 6wks old. Not ideal.

wishiwaspreggo · April 2014

12 weeks will be covered by the zillion hours of PTO and sick leave I've banked over time. I can take up to a year unpaid if I want and still have a job in my salary grade at my company. I'm debating that option. Depends on how I feel and what kind of childcare we can manage to get after maternity leave is over.

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KJKNAJ · April 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:

KJKNAJ said:

Nothing. I can have 6wks for a vaginal delivery or 8wks for a csection. Neither of them paid, I have to use vacation and sick time. Both my DDs were in daycare at 6wks old. Not ideal.

If you are using vacation and sick time, you are being paid for them.

You're right, I worded that incorrectly. I meant that if you don't have vacation or sick for those 6wks, you have to take it unpaid.

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2Swanns · April 2014

OK - here is my outcome. I started at my job on April 14th and "purchased" a short term disability plan. I was told this plan goes into effect on May 1 and I am covered after that date. We won't TTC until June but at least I know I'm covered.

Thanks for all the input, opinions, advice! I appreciate it.

PB&J714 · April 2014

My employer doesn't have a policy strictly for maternity leave but we are able to use our fmla/std. Our std is pretty good from what I can tell. It pays 80% of our salary for 12 weeks and we can supplement accrued sick days (or vacation if there isn't much sick time) to receive full pay. I'm already banking my sick days to save up since we'll start trying in about a year.

Frecklemefree · April 2014

After reading all of these posts I feel very fortunate that I get 4 weeks of leave paid in full. I am then allowed to use my 2 weeks of vacay, 2 weeks of sick time, and stored PTO time on top of that.

atmaloney · May 2014

Jags8 said:

Since I am not full time, any time I take off is unpaid, including maternity leave.

This is my situation, also.

Cassie Harris · May 2014

I work for a large car company and I will get 1 year full pay

CaveWmnInBrit · May 2014

I am an American living in the UK (soon to be UK citizen) and work FT as a teacher:

Ordinary maternity leave of up to 26 weeks which will be paid leave as follows:

· first 4 weeks of absence: full pay inclusive of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP);

· next 2 weeks: 90 per cent of a week’s salary inclusive of SMP;

· next 12 weeks: half pay plus £136.78 SMP (not exceeding full pay);

· next 8 weeks: £136.78 SMP.

Additional maternity leave of up to a further 26 weeks, 13 of which will be paid at the SMP rate of £136.78 per week, with the remaining 13 weeks unpaid.

Not going to lie- the way that maternity works in the UK is a huge reason we have decided to stay until our kids enter school....

Rinnybin · May 2014

In Rhode Island, we get 12 weeks FMLA. 4 weeks can be paid by a new law called TCI (temporary caregivers insurance?) I believe it's around 75% of your pay. Then we get 6-8 weeks temporary disability insurance (TDI).. depending on the type of delivery. Do in total, 10-12 weeks are partially paid.

erinmc1 · May 2014

I'm an adoptive mom, so paid? Nada, outside of my accrued PTO. I get the FMLA-mandated 12 weeks if I want to be poor, tho.

Pepper6 · May 2014

I get nothing. My company doesn't even qualify for FMLA, so technically, I could lose my job if I didn't return after the 3 weeks of vacation I have saved up. Luckily, my boss isn't an ass and my DH makes enough to cover my lost salary over extended leave, so I'll be taking 12 weeks off anyways.