If you don't have paid maternity leave?

MallardDucky · June 2014

How soon are you going back to work?

I just have short term disability payable after the first week at only 70%. Making things tight. So if there are no complications I am trying to be back at work about 2-3 weeks after.

Anyone else?

lynds002 · June 2014

I could be wrong, but I don't think taxes come out of STD, so it should probably be pretty close to what you currently get net.

Familyhugs922 · June 2014

I have a few things going on this time around. I am a teacher, so I get paid through the end of August, then I use up my sick leave, then I have leave w/o pay. I do have STD insurance, though, too, so that will help some but not all. Planning on having a low key christmas, that is for sure!

alphaxi614 · June 2014

I'm in the same boat, my STD only covers 60% of my salary after my first 7 days of leave. They do take federal taxes at 25% and Medicare, SS, all that out as well. So I'm using all my vacation, sick days, etc, to supplement. My company lets me use 2 days of PTO for each week of STD I'm taking, until I'm out of PTO. That way they can still take my insurance and everything out of it, and it should be pretty close what I'm making now.

My PTO will run out after 6 weeks, so if I have a c-section I'l have to take the last two weeks at only 60% salary, so we're prepping for that just in case.

Dealing with STD companies really sucks too. I had to go through 4 different people to file my claim for leave, only to be told they won't actually process it until I go on leave (aka have the baby) and they have my Dr. confirm that I can't work. Also they consider pregnancy a pre-existing, so if I'd been pregnant before doing the buy-up they wouldn't cover it. So if you haven't called your STD insurance company yet I would do that soon.

BlckRoses · June 2014

My company doesn't offer any paid leave, and I only get 2 weeks of STD because our policy has a 30 day elimination period. I've saved up about 6 weeks of PTO, but I'm going to pace it out and get paid at about half for the full 12 weeks. We have money in savings to help close the gap, and we'll also be short a little bit each month instead of a big chunk at the end, so that'll help.

abnelsen22 · June 2014

No paid leave at all. We've saved and made extra payments on our car to help us get through the 12 weeks. I make as much as my husband, so we are just living on half of our income for a while.

smfdjo · June 2014

No paid leave but I have 5 weeks of vacation and Short Term Disability. I could take the full 12 weeks but I am taking some now and negotiated to take 3 weeks in December.

slippintrippn84 · June 2014

With our benefits, you have to use a weeks worth of PTO before your STD kicks in. Now, our company switched to STD back in 2012 and I have a bank of EIB hours from the previous policy. HR told me that I would use the EIB hours before STD. I have just over 12 weeks of EIB built up which is great and all, but you can only use EIB hours while under a doctor's care. Doctor has already said they will sign off for 6 weeks. After that, I'm left to either take no pay or use PTO. So breaking it down, I'm really using 6 weeks of EIB and 3 weeks of PTO, all at full pay, then 3 weeks of no pay.
While it'd be nice to get paid for the whole time, I feel very fortunate to have the benefits that I have for as long as I have.

jmathi0149 · June 2014

No paid leave at all. I am only taking 4 weeks off since when I go back I can take LO with me.

vanillajen · June 2014

I have 12 weeks FMLA and 1 month of short term disability. It doesn't kick in until 20 work days off though, so I'm saving all of my sick and vacation time to put towards those days. I won't have enough to cover all twenty days, but we're trying to set money aside for whatever won't be covered. It definitely sucks, but I'm still taking at least 8 weeks off and we'll do what we can to make things work.

Alaska_Bride · June 2014

No paid leave, but I'm still taking 12 weeks. My husband is the main breadwinner, with my income mostly going to savings.

jenkeale · June 2014

I don't have any paid leave except for whatever PTO I build up. I use so much of it for appts, so that may only be a couple weeks. I have been putting in OT and trying to save most of my paychecks. Money has been tight and we're paying down bills in an attempt to make that time a little easier financially. Hoping it will be enough to make it a full 12 weeks.

kaitm22 · June 2014

I am self-employed so I get a whole lot of nothing. Hubby is also going to take 3 weeks FMLA, so we will be dipping into savings, but we have been planning for this all along. I will be going back to working after 6-8 weeks depending on when baby is born and how we are feeling about our money situation.

dogperson11 · June 2014

I get no paid leave, will only have 3-4 days of vacation time (I'm new at this particular job) and am our only source of income. We saved for this big time before trying to conceive. Unfortunately I was laid off for 13 weeks at the very beginning of my pregnancy, which changes things a bit for us. My new employer is being great about being flexible and giving me time, but I can still only take a small amount due to finances. I'm *hoping* we can afford for me to take a minimum of 8 weeks, but we're still trying to sock away money so we'll see how much we've got when it gets closer. It makes me too sad to look at my spreadsheets too often...

Raclla · June 2014

12 weeks unpaid. I've been saving some of each paycheck since BFP.
Luckily I'll get to work from home some. That'll really help.

JadaBlue · June 2014

I'm allowed to take 6/8 weeks of my sick leave (because I'll be considered "incapacitated" after giving birth), then I'll take 12 weeks of unpaid FMLA leave. I could take vacation time during the FMLA period, but I will have already exhausted it because I'm required to be medically evacuated from my job at 34 weeks (because of longhaul flight rules). I really really wish I could use my sick leave during my medevac prior to the birth. We'll be down 1/2 our income, but thankfully our fixed expenses are low.

Russiandea12 · June 2014

I get 6 weeks of STD, after using 5 days of sick time. I will take 12 weeks FLMA time off. 6 weeks pd % by STD, 4 weeks pd by my saved vacation & sick time. Which leaves me with 2 weeks unpaid.

bkcgraham · June 2014

I get nothing. Very small company - only 8 people so there are no policies in place. I will be taking the entire 6 weeks unpaid. No STD and saving my 5 remaining vacation days for the rest of the year. Do have a bonus in end of June that I will be setting aside and saved a little money also.

herecomesthesun · June 2014

I work for a small entity (~60 employees). We use our PTO first, then STD for 6-8 weeks, depending on the type of birth. I will most likely have up to a month of unpaid leave. I plan on taking at least 10 weeks, but possibly 12, depending on timing.

meggyski · June 2014

I will have about 5.5 weeks of vacation/ sick leave stocked up, which we should be able to stretch out for 9-10 weeks. We have a sick leave donation program, so I'm also hoping to get another 2-3 weeks from that (maybe more, which would be fantastic!).

In total I'm planning on taking 12 weeks then going back to work 4 days a week for up to a year if I can stretch out unpaid FML that long. That should help us save on daycare costs a little.

ebp913 · June 2014

I'm taking the full 12 weeks, majority unpaid.

Allison7 · June 2014

I am PT with no paid leave or PTO. I work at a college and I am due the week before classes start. I hope to come back right after midterms because it is a busy couple of weeks for my department (academic affairs), so that is mid October. I might go in for a day or two during the first two weeks of October depending on how I feel. DH took a job a year and a half ago that would allow me to be a SAHM, but I want to keep my current position. And even though I haven't been there a year, they have been great about me taking off. If something goes wrong and I need more time I can take the whole semester. As for money, we are cutting back a few places and just being a bit more careful.