U.S. Paid Maternity Leave?

painttheair14 · October 2014

Did anyone see this? Basically, it just says that the government realizes the US is way behind in this area. Who knows if anything will come of it, but at least it's a start!

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/paid-maternity-leave_n_5876136.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063

chicki1012 · October 2014

itsmeally said:
In my job, you have to use 40 hours of your PTO, and then you can use short term disability only up to 6 weeks after vaginal birth. In my opinion, maternity leave =/= vacation time and/or disability.

This is how it is for me too

painttheair14 · October 2014

I really hope they also include some sort of Paternity leave.

My husband took 2 days of sick time. And if it were now, I'm doubtful he would even get that. Needless to say, I had a mental breakdown at 3 days pp because I was all alone trying to care for this baby.

TheGreatBeyond · October 2014

I got 12 weeks FMLA, that was it. Due to concerns with my blood pressure my doctor had me leave work at 38 weeks so I had to go back when she was 10 weeks old.

None of it was paid unless I wanted to use my PTO. I chose to save my PTO and use it to work part time for 6 weeks when I returned. So I used 2 PTO days a week allowing me to only work 24 hours but still be a full time employee and keep my health insurance.

I also had to write a check to my work to cover my share of the health insurance that would normally come out of paycheck during the time off.

I'm really only working full time for health insurance. I ran the numbers and we would be ok financially with me working part time until we factored in the expense of adding me to DHs health insurance.

DH was able to take a week off with PTO after she was born and probably could have taken more if it was really needed but I was doing ok. However, if we do a second baby he's going to have to take more time. I just don't see how I can handle recovering from a repeat c-section, taking care of a newborn, AND a toddler.

TheGreatBeyond · October 2014

Health care and health insurance in this country are a mess and need to be fixed. Having health insurance being linked to your employment is such a bad idea. I realized what a problem this can cause when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. She obviously needed health insurance to pay for her treatment so she couldn't quit working or she would lose her health insurance, but she was to sick to work. She eventually ended up not being able to do it anymore and had to quit and buy insurance on her own which was almost $1000 a month.

And I'll step down from my soap box now.....

NenaMarie84 · October 2014

I feel for you ladies south of the border. I really hope change in this department comes ASAP because what you deal with is ridiculous. I know I couldn't do it.

NenaMarie84 · October 2014

itsmeally said:

NenaMarie84 said:

I feel for you ladies south of the border. I really hope change in this department comes ASAP because what you deal with is ridiculous. I know I couldn't do it.

When you said "south of the border" I thought you were talking about Mexico....and then I was super confused until I realized you live in Canada... #dumbamerican

Ops, sorry! I shoulda clarified I'm in Canada.

Roses87 · October 2014

this would be nice. I got 8 weeks off and it sucked. they were only going to give me 6 with having a c section and i fought it and got 2 more.

LabPupLuv · October 2014

6 - 8 weeks is too short. I think it's horrible this is the way it is here. I hope it changes!

KrystalCrockett · October 2014

I work for a super small non-profit. I worked it with my board to get 6 weeks off paid (all the vacation time & sick time I had accrued). I still ended up working during that time and tracked it - at the end of my 6 weeks I still had 2 weeks left paid, but no flexibility to stay out longer at that point.

I know that if I had been able to have more paid time off I could have nursed longer. It took us 5.5 weeks just to get into the swing of things!

No lie, my plan is to start my own non-proft someday to educate women on their options while pregnant and after and lobby for better maternal health options/family leave.

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