Employment/maternity leave

chavemann10 · February 2015

I would LOVE to take the full 12wks allowed by FMLA, but reality is, I can only afford to be out the 8wks doc says I have to be. I wish my employer offered Short-term disability and I could take longer...but it sucks and I'll be miserable and they'll deal with me being bitchy about having to be there. I will only get 1 week paid because that's how much comp time/sick time I'll have built up by then. SUCKS!!

Edit:Because I can't spell for ca-ca today!

ceahb · February 2015

Im also in Canada. 12 months.

Great white north.

JellicalParker · February 2015

I won't qualify for fmla yet as I found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks after starting a new job. We have been saving since we found out. Right now I have three months worth of rent and most expenses set aside. I'm hoping to save up enough to cover 6 months worth in case my company decides not to take me back. I'm also planning on taking my leave 4 weeks or less before edd to give me as much time after baby as possible.

chavemann10 · February 2015

ceahb said:

Im also in Canada. 12 months. Great white north.

That's it...I'm moving to Canada! LOL

Unknown · February 2015

This content has been removed.

rosley87 · February 2015

I get a full year of paid leave. Canada has the best maternity leave in the world. Love it.

Hairdesignee6 · February 2015

People take stuff way to personal on here it's unbelievable

debbiem83tinatait1 · February 2015

Wow, so many of you have to go back to work so soon!! I had no idea it was like that for some of you!! I'm so sorry!! I have to say I'm so lucky, I'm uk and work for the NHS so get 6 weeks full pay, and the rest is half pay plus statutory maternity pay for a total of 9 months!! So basically I get half pay for 9 months. Really great full!!!

JemHolo2015 · February 2015

I get 24 weeks - 12 at full pay and 12 at half pay. I'll probably end up taking 20-24.

KLB2T · February 2015

JellicalParker said:

I won't qualify for fmla yet as I found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks after starting a new job. We have been saving since we found out. Right now I have three months worth of rent and most expenses set aside. I'm hoping to save up enough to cover 6 months worth in case my company decides not to take me back. I'm also planning on taking my leave 4 weeks or less before edd to give me as much time after baby as possible.

Why wouldn't you just work until you give birth to give you as much time after baby as possible?

visualcircus · February 2015

At my company we get 6 weeks short term disability, 2 months bonding leave (for both moms and dads). I can also tack on my sabbatical which is a month long, any left over vacation, and go up to a total of 6 months off. After those 6 months.. can spend the next 6 ramping up from part time to full time. I'd probably do all of the above.

JellicalParker · February 2015

KLB2T said:

JellicalParker said:

I won't qualify for fmla yet as I found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks after starting a new job. We have been saving since we found out. Right now I have three months worth of rent and most expenses set aside. I'm hoping to save up enough to cover 6 months worth in case my company decides not to take me back. I'm also planning on taking my leave 4 weeks or less before edd to give me as much time after baby as possible.

Why wouldn't you just work until you give birth to give you as much time after baby as possible?

Quote fail:
Because my job is highly physical. I am literally up and down on the floor, full turtle as I like to say, all day long. I will only be able to do that for so long. If I were still a server, I would be working all the way up to birth. As a photographer, primarily of babies and kids, I have no choice but be on the floor a good portion of the day. Trust me I wish I could.

Aja924 · February 2015

CountingMyBlessings said:
I'm taking 12 weeks. My work will pay for 8 of them and I need to use vacation time for three and go without pay for one.

Side note/question - My Dr. cut my bladder during an emergency c section when I gave birth to DD. A nurse said to me in the hospital while recovering from TWO surgeries that since I was injured during my birth that by law I was entitled to an additional 4 weeks for 16 weeks total. Not sure if this is correct and I did not act on it but
in hind site I should have. Anyone heard of this time extension? It's definitely something to research and keep in mind if something else unfortunate happens with the new baby.

How it works for me is that you wouldn't get extra time as FMLA is only 12 weeks in a rolling 12 month period but you could use your sick leave accruals instead of vacation accruals. If there was no 2nd surgery you could only use 6 weeks sick time if a normal birth or 8 weeks if a c section

mgarrett921 · February 2015

I have no choice but to go back ASAP. I make more money than my husband and my company doesn't have a maternity leave policy. I won't be covered by FMLA because I haven't worked here a year. So I'll have to use whatever vacation and sick time I have built up. Should be about 2 weeks. And then I'll have a week of short term disability. If I want to be gone even six weeks I'll have to go unpaid for 3 of it. Totally sucks.

wvReelrn · February 2015

I took the full 12 weeks of allowed FMLA with my first two babies. I had to use what PTO and sick time I had to get paid but we saved up and really 12 weeks flew by. Luckily my husband will be starting his practice in July, so with this baby I am going to stop working full time when he/she is born and just work PRN afterward. Very excited and grateful to be able to stay home with this little one and my other children. Looking forward to being a SAHM!

saroos3137 · February 2015

I also get 12 weeks, unpaid, and I use whatever sick/vacation time I have to keep a paycheck coming in. With my DS, I only took 8 weeks because that was all I had in sick/vacation. I had a rough time going back, and this time, we decided I'm taking the whole 12 weeks regardless of how much paid time off I have. I should have close to 11 weeks by then. So glad that we're fortunate enough to be able to this.

Edit: spelling.

xcitdmomma · February 2015

God, I just did the math on what I lose if I only use my paid time off and don't try to store up additional comp time.

...yeah, it's a five figure number...

Definitely pulling some long days up ahead!

ReD9152012 · February 2015

FMLA saves my job for 6 weeks. i have to use my sick time and annual time to get paid. I think I may have just enough time saved up to get paid for 5 of the 6 weeks. So, I may be going back at 5 weeks if we don't have everything paid off that we want to pay off before the baby gets here. If my husband made $1000 more a month, I could stay home for good with the baby!! Maybe I should tell him to push for that at his job! LOL!

xcitdmomma · February 2015

ReD9152012 said:

FMLA saves my job for 6 weeks. i have to use my sick time and annual time to get paid. I think I may have just enough time saved up to get paid for 5 of the 6 weeks. So, I may be going back at 5 weeks if we don't have everything paid off that we want to pay off before the baby gets here. If my husband made $1000 more a month, I could stay home for good with the baby!! Maybe I should tell him to push for that at his job! LOL!

FMLA protects your job for 12 weeks, not 6. If you want 12, you can have 12!

brittc013 · February 2015

I'm taking my full 50 + 2 weeks that we can take in Canada. My boss and I are planning on my mat leave beginning about a month before my due date, I don't know if it's a Vancouver area thing but everyone I know in this area starts their leave at about that time. Really excited because my husband found out his work will give him 2weeks full pay off the first two weeks the baby is born!

brittanispears · February 2015

ceahb I wish! My husband has actually been looking for employment in Canada because we both like it there. But that's a big move from California. European have a great maternity plan, as well. Now, if only the United States jumped on that bandwagon...

jesscleveland89 · February 2015

I'll be taking 6 weeks off..unpaid. but then baby gets to come to work with me! So thankful for the family I work for!

heath3er · February 2015

I'm moving to Canada too! I work a contractor as a SLP and am taking 6weeks as long as my vbac works.

We hope longer, but mainly will be after school hours, (most of my caseload =children) I wish I didn't have to go back but we had a lot of expenses the past 18months.

vtgoodspeed · February 2015

8 weeks for me most likely. 10 if I have to have a c-section. I get that 100% paid when I tag on a week of paid parental leave, and I'll add a week of PTO to that.

jpmomof5almost6 · February 2015

I get up to 12 weeks paid at 60% (short term disability) if the doc releases me at 6 or 8 weeks the pay stops, I plan on taking the whole fmla 12 weeks reguardless...

didiw0923 · March 2015

I will be taking my full 12 weeks of FMLA, I was never able to use FMLA with my other children. Also New Jersey has baby bonding I believe you can take additional weeks off with in the first year and your job is protected. Not sure if every state offers it.

cailin85 · March 2015

I'm in Ireland, I get 26 weeks full pay, then I can take my 6 weeks paid holidays and choose another 16 weeks unpaid leave which I plan on taking.... God I feel very lucky listening to all of you in the US!

nettefirstlove · March 2015

Im a ftm i found out 3 weeks ago i was pregnant and df and i been broken up since October were both excited about the baby lucky for me he already has a child, he knows a lot and i have the comfort of knowing i have a hands on type of dad with that said im technically a single mom so as much as i would love to take 12 weeks off to bond with my baby i need to go back to work as soon as my body is healed and my baby is somewhat on a schedule so i can stay independent & financially stable on my own

srmarchesi · March 2015

You are very lucky in Ireland... The US is really behind in this aspect of things and it really sucks because if I was a year or two younger my situation would be so different! Luckily my husband and I decided I will be staying home for awhile... We can make things work if we really want to! Now's the best time!

lafsalot · March 2015

I am blessed, I have the luxury of dictating when I will come back into the office. Part of that comes from being a valued asset for 15 years, part if that is the type of work I do and the company I work for. I have short term disability and 4 weeks of PTO that I can use. My plan at this point if to use 2 - 3 weeks of PTO and the 5 weeks that disability covers and then work from home for 2-3 months before going back into the office. I have room in my office that I can take one of our port-a-cribs in if I wanted to, but I won't do that unless something changes and I need to be in the office.

Working moms have it rough, there is no right amount of time, everything is a give and take for us... We make sacrifices, we work and balance a household, kids, and everything else... Our work is not just full time, we are double duty in everything, especially if we want to do it all, continue on career paths and be great moms.... It's not easy and we should be supportive of all moms and thier circumstances.

As much as I love my daughter, I am not SAHM material, I couldn't do it every day, I can spend time with her and teach her and be there.... But we both benefit from separation and socialization outside our home. I respect moms that can be full time dedicated to their families, it is a different struggle.

No matter, working mom, WAHM, or SAHM, the road is hard, worth it, we just need to be kind to each other.

I love days that I work from home and we play between email and naps... I like being able to get laundry and rin the dish washer while in a conference call, but I also love going into work and engaging with clients on appointments...

jessyluscious77 · March 2015

didiw0923 said:
I will be taking my full 12 weeks of FMLA, I was never able to use FMLA with my other children. Also New Jersey has baby bonding I believe you can take additional weeks off with in the first year and your job is protected. Not sure if every state offers it.

Yes, NJ Family Leave Act entitles both parents 6 weeks each of paid leave to bond with a child within their first year of life (or first year of adoption). This leave is in addition to the temporary disability of 4 weeks before baby is due and 6-8 weeks after delivery that NJ will pay to mom. I'm intending on taking all 18 weeks as I'm scheduled for a repeat c-section so I'm entitled to the 8 weeks after delivery. So, 4 wks before, 8wks after, then 6wks bonding! My DH will then take his 6wks bonding time with baby so we can avoid daycare as long as possible!

abmommy15 · March 2015

I'm in Canada as well so will be taking the full year. It is only 40% pay but my company tops up for 17 weeks which helps. I really feel for all the moms in the US who aren't able to take the time they want.

zkrane · March 2015

I'm in CA too but every where I read that you get 6 weeks of Paid Family Leave, are able to get an additional 10 weeks from State Disability Insurance?

mamaromeo · March 2015

I'll have enough std and pto to cover 6 weeks. The couple weeks of std are at 80% of my wages , and of course pto is 100%. I'll then be taking 2 additional weeks unpaid (been saving since our BFP) for a total of 8 weeks. Wish I could take 12 as FMLA allows but financially it's not possible.

whenweawake · March 2015

I havnt been at my job long enough (only 5 month) to get any of its paid. I'm thinking 6 wk but husband wants me to take off 6 months! If we could afford that I would take it but would probably have to find a new job.

jlo629 · March 2015

My job pays 100% for 6 weeks and then I have 3 weeks of PTO and might take more as unpaid up to the mac of 12 weeks. The thing that stinks is that my hourly pay is rather low since I also get incentive pay based on sales so when I am on leave it means a lot less income and my sales will be low for a few months following as it takes a while to build back up.

The only glimmering hope is that H gets his masters in 2 months so he has started applying for new jobs and his income should at least double and possibly triple so if he gets a new job I will feel so much better! (Time he starts earning big bucks since his schooling had been costing big bucks!!!)

ammc07 · March 2015

With my old job I was covered under state disability for 12 weeks. This time my state doesn't cover anything but my company does a salary continuance for up to 4weeks before and 6-8weeks after and then I use either vaca or sick time if I want to stay out a max of 12 weeks post delivery.

zokorro · March 2015

Wow, some people are just waaay to sensitive.

Anyways, I dont have paid maternity leave but I havent taken vacation in a year and wont take any until the baby is born. I will be staying home for 12 weeks (accumulated vacation time, sick leave and other). Maybe less, maybe more. Depends on how I feel and if baby is sleeping well at night. I tend to go nuts if I spend too much time at home but I also want to be able to enjoy this baby (I had crazy schedules and lots of stress with my first one)

ambercdc · March 2015

I am planning to take 4 months. 2 as paid maternity leave and two as pto. That way I'll go back to work right after Thanksgiving

malamaza · March 2015

With DS I took a year off, first 6 months was paid 100% of my salary and the other 6 I received about 40%. I really appreciated having that first year to dedicate to him but I was also really looking forward to going back to work as well. I think I will do the same this time around...

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