Maternity Leave

slcwilliams · January 2015

I know that this is a little early to think about, but my boss now knows that I am pregnant. I know that she mentioned before she thought maternity leave was about 4 weeks. I am a FTM and this seems like a short amount of time? Just curious as to what other companies are giving you guys?

smartiepants0907 · January 2015

My company gives 13 weeks full pay for employees that have been with the company for 5 years+. If you've been with the company less time, there's a scale that reduces the amount of pay based on your level of service.

The state of NJ grants us 12 weeks of leave under FMLA.

sarawalks · January 2015

Family Medical Leave Act is 12 weeks, but the company is not required to pay you. I am required to use all my vacation and PTO but they will hold my position for the 12 weeks should I choose to take all 12 off. I also have short term disability to help with income that I will be using on my leave.

slcwilliams · January 2015

I am in South Carolina and from what I can find, they don't have anything saying that they have to give you a certain amount of time off.

I am also with a very small company.

slcwilliams · January 2015

This is about what I have been finding as well. I am not sure about the STD at my work, but will have to ask about it.

Thanks for the input!

LawnDog1216 · January 2015

Since I know I'm having a c-section this time and I'm in the same position at the same company for 14 years now, my leave will look like this:

1 week off, 100% pay - covered by sick time
3 weeks off, 100% pay - covered by vacation time
8 weeks off, 60% pay - covered by STD

Ladies who will take STD and get 60% of your pay -- my company did NOT take taxes out, so I got a check for 60% of my gross. This was great at the time - and sucked at tax time because we forgot.

mamaZbo · January 2015

I do not have std so I am guaranteed 12 weeks unpaid leave. I have saved up enough vacation and sick that I could take 15 weeks. I will probably take 12.

KLB2T · January 2015

I will get 6 weeks (or longer if a C-section is required) paid maternity leave.

laurasuzanne2006 · January 2015

I have to use my pto and std which will give me about 7 weeks

festtivusforme · January 2015

I'm feeling jealous of most of you ladies!

Oregon doesn't offer STD for labor/delivery. My company only has 15 employees, so they aren't required to follow the FMLA rules, but I can take up to 12 weeks off unpaid.

All of my leave will be paid from a combination of my 10 days vacation, 4 days sick, and then out of pocket. I"m still trying to determine if I can logistically swing more than 6 weeks or not.

CheesyPeas · January 2015

I'll get 6 weeks paid for a vaginal delivery and 8 weeks paid for a c-section, and then I can take another 4 to 6 weeks (for c-section and vaginal delivery, respectively) unpaid under FMLA.

goulja1 · January 2015

I get Short Term which is based on my time with the company. This is my 9th year so I get 18 weeks at 100% pay and several more at 60% pay. I doubt I'll take any at 60%, 18 weeks seems ridiculously generous.

karmar25 · January 2015

My god that's not long at all. we get 6 months in Ireland. I'll get 6 months full pay then the option to take an extra 2 months at half pay.

6-12 weeks is not long at all.

slcwilliams · January 2015

karmar25 said:

My god that's not long at all. we get 6 months in Ireland. I'll get 6 months full pay then the option to take an extra 2 months at half pay. 6-12 weeks is not long at all.

I agree. I feel like the 4 weeks my boss is talking about, I will have hardly recovered!

mgarrett921 · January 2015

I haven't asked yet. Worried HR will tell my boss before I'm ready too. I'm only 8w. But I did look into FMLA. My due date is 1 month before my 1 year anniversary mark. Dang it. But I'm really not worried about them not letting me come back. My predecessor had 2 maternity leaves while she was here. But 6 weeks unpaid scares me. Hope I can get STD or we have some paid time I just don't know about yet.

andrjcarpenter · January 2015

I'll get 4 weeks before delivery and 6 weeks after. Both paid.

It definitely doesn't seem like enough time.

KLB2T · January 2015

karmar25 said:

My god that's not long at all. we get 6 months in Ireland. I'll get 6 months full pay then the option to take an extra 2 months at half pay. 6-12 weeks is not long at all.

Lol, if I took 6 months, I'd probably never go back to work!

6 weeks was plenty long for me. I was kinda itching to go back anyway.

LuluRM · January 2015

quietdownfiish said:
Most places of work in the US will offer FMLA* -- it should be 6 weeks for a vaginal delivery and 8 for a C-section -- varying by state. Most places don't offer paid leave.

I have 6 weeks off at 60% pay (After I use 40 of my own hours) and then 6 weeks of whatever I decide with whatever leave I have. So I can take up to 12 weeks.

I wish I lived in Canada.

*these places are larger companies -- 50 or more people, I think.

This is the same for me, except my 6 weeks of 60% pay starts at birth (or bed rest). And since it is not taxed, it works out to be more like 85-90% of the amount if my weekly take-home. I also don't have to use my own PTO first, I'll save that and put it towards the unpaid time at the end (weeks 7-12).

ebeth_msn · January 2015

4 weeks is inhumane. Isn't 6 weeks the absolute bare minimum for your body to heal following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery?

it looks like I'll get 4 weeks at 60% following a 2 week exclusion period under STD. then an additional 6-10 weeks under FMLA depending on if I qualify for DC FMLA which is 16 weeks. I live in DC, work in MD, and my company's HQ is in VA so I'm not sure which laws apply here.

anyway, I should have enough vacation and sick time to be out for 12 weeks at 60% of my salary but anything beyond that would be unpaid.

CarolinaGirl2014 · January 2015

slcwilliams said:

I am in South Carolina and from what I can find, they don't have anything saying that they have to give you a certain amount of time off.

I am also with a very small company.

I am in SC and also worked for a small company before. When I found out I was pregnant, they also told me I could have 4 weeks and that I could have 2 paid. I agree it is crap but legal in our state. I am now a nanny so I don't get leave anyway. I plan to quit my job when I have LO and start nursing school in Oct. LO will be between 4 and 8 weeks old depending on what the dating U/S says and when I actually go into labor. I agree that it's scary to think of leaving baby when we've barely healed. Could you tell your boss that you strongly feel you need more time and ask for something like 2-4 unpaid weeks? A friend that works for this same small company told them she NEEDED 8 weeks off to come back to work. She is so valued they are making it happen.

dkizz82 · January 2015

I am a teacher. We get no time paid off. We have to take our sick and personal time and then that's it. However, they will hold our position for up to a year.

slcwilliams · January 2015

CarolinaGirl2014 said:

slcwilliams said:

I am in South Carolina and from what I can find, they don't have anything saying that they have to give you a certain amount of time off.

I am also with a very small company.

I am in SC and also worked for a small company before. When I found out I was pregnant, they also told me I could have 4 weeks and that I could have 2 paid. I agree it is crap but legal in our state. I am now a nanny so I don't get leave anyway. I plan to quit my job when I have LO and start nursing school in Oct. LO will be between 4 and 8 weeks old depending on what the dating U/S says and when I actually go into labor. I agree that it's scary to think of leaving baby when we've barely healed. Could you tell your boss that you strongly feel you need more time and ask for something like 2-4 unpaid weeks? A friend that works for this same small company told them she NEEDED 8 weeks off to come back to work. She is so valued they are making it happen.

Yes, I think when the conversation comes up again, I will tell them that is just too short. I can't even see the dr being okay with that. I do have 2 weeks vacation, but will need it.

slcwilliams · January 2015

And I doubt very seriously that it will be paid.

aliska · January 2015

4 weeks is very short, and you may not be cleared by a doctor to go back to work. Most doctors don't clear you for physical activity until 6 weeks for vaginal delivery and 8 weeks for c-section.

My employer is too small to be covered by FMLA, but they have it written in their handbook that they will follow it. I will have 6 weeks of vacation saved up, and I will have 3 weeks of sick days. The remaining 3 weeks will be short term disability at 60% pay.

sgnz · January 2015

New Zealand gets 12 weeks paid leave and they must hold your position for 1 year. Loving the sound of Ireland's deal!

ebeth_msn · January 2015

econmama said:

4 weeks is inhumane. Isn't 6 weeks the absolute bare minimum for your body to heal following an uncomplicated vaginal delivery?
it looks like I'll get 4 weeks at 60% following a 2 week exclusion period under STD. then an additional 6-10 weeks under FMLA depending on if I qualify for DC FMLA which is 16 weeks. I live in DC, work in MD, and my company's HQ is in VA so I'm not sure which laws apply here.
anyway, I should have enough vacation and sick time to be out for 12 weeks at 60% of my salary but anything beyond that would be unpaid.
:-h neighbor. I also live in DC

small world! we're on the hill for now, but MH is trying to push the idea of moving to the burbs. I'm doing my best to hold him off in the meantime

do you know if DC FMLA applies to DC residents or DC employers? I've tried to do some research but I haven't found a satisfactory answer. I *think* they said I get 16 at my HR meeting when I was hired but that was quite some time ago and FML was the furthest thing from my mind at that point.

GypsySoul74 · January 2015

The United States offers the worst maternity leave in the world with the exception of 1 other country (Papua New Guinea).

It's fucking ridiculous.

Sashimi121314 · January 2015

In Canada, we can take up to a year off and receive modest unemployment insurance payments during this time. This benefit can be split with your husband, say you take 9 months and he takes 3.

Employers vary. Mine will top up the payments to my salary for 6 weeks and allow us to tag vacation days to extend the leave. However you have to pay them back if you decide not to return to work.

Does anyone know if it's normal practice to receive a bonus for the time you've worked but if you are on leave during the assessment and payout periods?

mamaloaf · January 2015

karmar25 said:

My god that's not long at all. we get 6 months in Ireland. I'll get 6 months full pay then the option to take an extra 2 months at half pay. 6-12 weeks is not long at all.

I think you're making a sweeping judgment here. I was going out of my mind being off work for 10 weeks and was thrilled to go back. Not everyone desires to be a SAHM or be home for 6 months to a year.

ann_jeremiah · January 2015

This.. I'm trying to decide how much time I want to take off... and possibly when would be a natural transition time to come back!

hsabyan · January 2015

I am allowed 12 weeks off, unpaid (other than what I have left of my PTO).

I had the option to sign up for Short Term Disability at open enrollment- but I wouldn't have been able to get pregnant until after a year of me paying into this... then they would pay a percentage of my salary.

I had a coworker opt for STD and was SO disappointed after getting her check because it was hardly anything compared to what she had paid in.

ambercdc · January 2015

My company offers 8 weeks paid at 100% and I have about ten weeks of pto saved up so will probably take 4 or 5 months off fully paid. Feeling very lucky after reading these responses!

xxkimmy8xx · January 2015

Looks like tech companies in the US are leading the way. https://www.buzzfeed.com/susiearmitage/tech-companies-offer-workers-the-most-paid-parental-leave#.xwz7bMqQV

We get 1 month before and 4 months after paid (and then vacation time on top of that)

WSatisfiedP · January 2015

Any Dr would give you 6 weeks for a delivery and 8 weeks for a c-section.

My company falls under FMLA so I get 12 weeks (unpaid) through that and any sick leave (paid) or vacation (paid) I have. I also have STD to supplement income.

efunk21 · January 2015

Canadian here, fortunately we get 50 weeks paid leave.

nininou19 · January 2015

Here in France we get 7 weeks before the due date and after the birth it's 3 months. So it's quite longer. 4 weeks seems short but I guess it depends on how eager you are to get back to work and your doctor's opinion also.

SummerOH · January 2015

Ugh, parental leave benefits in America make me insane with anger. It's disgusting that such a wealthy country has such dismal treatment of families.

I'm fortunate in that my Department (state government) offers an extra month off over the 12 weeks, so I can take a total of 16 weeks if I want to. The minimum is 6-8 weeks. The first 2 are an unpaid waiting window, which can be supplemented with PTO, then the next 4-6 are paid at 70%. The remainder can be take unpaid or supplemented with accrued PTO.

I took 12 weeks with DS and will do the same this time. Although the 4th month is there, I was really ready to go back at 3 months. I was still a trainwreck at 6 weeks (DS was up every 3 hours until he was 9 months!), but was ready by 12.

Random aside - my sister's friend went back to work at 3 days - 3 days!! Her company didn't have to comply with FMLA and she had no maternity leave. It was so sad.

cpedward · January 2015

We get 12 weeks paid and most women take an an extra month with STD. I'm not sure yet whether I'm going to be staying after the baby and I'd feel pretty awful taking paid leave and not returning. At the same time, a lot of people do it and it's a lot of money to throw away.

karmar25 · January 2015

I just think 6 weeks isn't long enough. I'm not talking about recovery time. For me I want to spend as much time bonding with the baby. Leaving a 6 week old with someone else while I went to work would by incredibly hard

supersam1990 · January 2015

Wow.. Four weeks! That definitely seems a bit short. I live in Canada and we have a full year at a least 80% of pay and then topped off with EI. I know in Quebec they have two years at at least 70%- as soon as you get a bfp you can go on Mat leave!

Best of luck to my American mothers- I pray you get at least 12 weeks!

castlec3 · January 2015

I get two weeks paid 100% where I must use sick leave. Then 4 weeks STD if vaginal; 6 weeks if cesarian. STD is paid at 70%. After that I may use some vacation and personal time. My company falls under FMLA so I can take up to 12 weeks total.

Want a personalized experience?

Maternity Leave

Re: Maternity Leave

Ectopic with right tube removal 3/27/14 | Beta 1 (12/2/14): 44, Beta 2 (12/5/14): 181, Beta 3 (12/9/14): 851, Beta 4 (12/12/14): 3798

Choose Another Board

Search Boards