How long is everyone taking for maternity leave?

lush81 · May 2015

I think my boss is hinting that he only wants me gone for about 6 wks... like the other women in the office did.

I would like to take the whole time off allowed (12 wks)

Is that unreasonable?

taralohse · May 2015

No way!!! It is completely YOUR decision!! You are allowed 12 weeks and you have every right to take all 12!

I am taking the full 12 weeks and then only going back part time.

SweetnSassy23 · May 2015

lush81 said:
I think my boss is hinting that he only wants me gone for about 6 wks... like the other women in the office did.
I would like to take the whole time off allowed (12 wks)
Is that unreasonable?

Your boss can't dictate the length of your maternity leave as long as your company has enough people to qualify for FMLA.

I will be taking the full 12 weeks and half of it without pay. We are saving up now as best we can. Do what works for you and your family!

rue:D · May 2015

Nope, you take as long as you want! I'm only taking the 6-8 I'll get for short-term disability, but only because I can't afford not to be paid!

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

I'm taking the full 12. I may do some work from home during that time though but it won't be a priority.

angela_angel · May 2015

We get a year in Canada, and I am so thankful!

lmetters88 · May 2015

Yep legally you get 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Short term disability will pay 6 depending on your personal circumstances (if you are eligible). However, that six weeks may not be paid at 100% of what you typically make. I am only taking six weeks because I haven't been with my employer for a year (was just hired in March) so I am not eligible for FMLA leave. Otherwise I would take the full 12 weeks.

kmack1115 · May 2015

I will only be taking 12 weeks. I want to be home for the holidays, so I will go back to,work the second week of January.

dchiapella · May 2015

I'm planning on using the 6 wk short term disability. My company has a perk where if we meet Q1 in the final quarter of the previous year we all get the holidays off (two weeks) with a good chunk of pay so I'm hoping we'll hit it. That way I could use vacation time where needed in between since I know it will be hard adjusting back to reality with a newborn and sometimes I'm just going to need a day.

aah1013 · May 2015

I'll be taking my 12 weeks of FMLA, then going back for only 12-15hrs/wk. I'm currently working 18-22hrs/wk. I think my husband handling both girls on his own 5 evenings a week will be a bit much, so I'm cutting down to 3 evenings.

MrsN092714 · May 2015

Couldn't be more thankful to get a year paid maternity leave! We are hoping to be pregnant again in that year so if that happens I won't qualify for mat leave with number2. (You need 600 hours) I am very fortunate that my husband has a job that will allow me to stay home for at least another year.

babymazzei · May 2015

Take the 12 weeks! I think the only thing unreasonable about that is that you only get 12 weeks! Another Canadian mom here... I'm not sure how it really works down there but would you be able to take the 12 weeks and then perhaps if you decided to go back sooner, you could? I don't know if that's an option for you but you might feel more comfortable making that decision later.

crbpjb · May 2015

I will get 19 weeks paid. This includes holiday breaks so that is a free two weeks. My job allows me to take all of my sick days (they rollover) so that is why I get so long.

curfam4 · May 2015

I'm in Canada, so I'll be taking the full year.

edavis926 · May 2015

If I take everything offered I can take 24 weeks but only 10 is paid unless I have vacation time. But I'm not planning to come back to work in a full time capacity and my current position is only full time. With that on mind I'll probably look for a part time job at a non profit or something more meaningful to me later next year.

mak1020 · May 2015

I am taking 12 weeks. I have short term disability which I am going to use and it will give me 60% of my paycheck. And hopefully everything will go smoothly .

ELParker814 · May 2015

Between 6-8 weeks... depends on baby... If I do more than that I start losing pay...

bzinni · May 2015

My FMLA is not paid. How do you get short term disability? We have been saving for my maternity leave but it would be nice to get paid for 6 weeks.

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

My short term disability is an optional benefit through my employer that I have paid for since I started 8 years ago. Never used but I am glad I have it now!

nsaid4u · May 2015

I am taking 1 year paid mat leave. (canada)

devonsd315 · May 2015

it's not unreasonable if you qualify for it, it's your legal right! But there are some rules you have to meet like some of the pp's have mentioned. I think it's that your company has to be over 50 employees and you must have worked there for at least a year.

I'm taking at least 12 weeks off and using all my saved leave to get paid as much as possible. I work for the federal government and we are allowed to use all of our leave, and then invoke FMLA and go unpaid for 12 more. So I may be out longer than 12 weeks depending on what hubby and I decide we can afford.

bgriest · May 2015

I am planning on taking 10 but telling them I'm taking 12 I case I'm able to stay out for all 12.

I will get 1 week full pay.
4 weeks short term disability for vaginal birth (6 if it's c-section)
and the other 5 will be unpaid so we are currently saving money so I can afford my bills while not getting paid for 5 weeks.

byr001 · May 2015

I'm a teacher. I have short term disability which will give me 6 weeks. I can add 3 weeks for Christmas and thanksgiving. So I'm planning on 9 weeks. If the baby comes early then I have days saved up to use. So maybe for than 9!

casserole27 · May 2015

Our handbook says we get 6 weeks, none of it is paid.
But since I'm due on the 24th I am going to talk to them about just taking off until the New Year.

I also have the ability to log into my work computer from home so if they'll let me maybe I'll get some hours in occasionally. The Holiday Season is busy for us so I'm sure they'd love the help if I'm up for it. Never done this baby thing before, so me wanting to work from home that soon might be a little more ambitious than I think. Who knows? lol

LaurenBee24 · May 2015

Yesterday was my last day of work, and I'm not going back until she starts kindergarten. I wish I was working longer into my pregnancy, but it just worked out that way. I work for the college, and I never work the summer semester anyway. My SO wants me home now anyway getting things ready for the arrival of our LO in October.

rue:D · May 2015

@bzinni STD is an automatic benefit through my employer. Some offer it as an optional benefit and some don't offer it all, but you can sign up for your own policy although I don't know how much it would cost.

Kristyhana · May 2015

With a normal vaginal delivery I should be able to take off up to 4 weeks prior and 18 weeks after birth. 16 of those weeks will be paid by the state. I'm not sure I will take that long off because timing at my job is pretty awful, so many things going on, but I may use the law to help negotiate working from home for at least that length of time, hopefully longer. I'd like to breastfeed as long as possible but I'm not sure how pumping at work is going to go

ewp1987 · May 2015

I'm in the UK and plan on taking the full year but pay is for 39 weeks. Thankfully I will accrue holidays which should total an extra 5 weeks pay.

cmanz · May 2015

Silly question but (I have no idea because in Canada we get a year)... Who watches baby when you go back? In Canada most centres or home day area will not accept a baby under 12 months

Rikki_5 · May 2015

I'm taking about about 3 years...because I'm quitting!!

mrsdhouse89 · May 2015

I'll be gone from September 26th till the first of January.

rhiannonbaca · May 2015

I am planning on taking 12 weeks. I don't get paid for any of it. we are trying to buy a house so I may go back to work sooner if we are unable to save enough for me to take 12 weeks.

MirandaC1984 · May 2015

cmanz said:
Silly question but (I have no idea because in Canada we get a year)... Who watches baby when you go back? In Canada most centres or home day area will not accept a baby under 12 months

It's not a silly question. In the US many daycares will accept infants but their cost of care is higher than a school age or toddler. Many people depend on family or in-home day cares to watch their babies.

danixbanani24 · May 2015

MirandaC1984 said:

cmanz said:
Silly question but (I have no idea because in Canada we get a year)... Who watches baby when you go back? In Canada most centres or home day area will not accept a baby under 12 months
It's not a silly question. In the US many daycares will accept infants but their cost of care is higher than a school age or toddler. Many people depend on family or in-home day cares to watch their babies.

Yup, I'm hoping my dad who is retired can do two days a week with help from my sister, my MIL offered one day a week, and for the other two days a week we will have to do part-time daycare which is still almost the amount of a mortgage payment but I live in NYC so that's the price I pay...

danixbanani24 · May 2015

My company offers 8 weeks paid (6 weeks STD + 2 wks from company) at 100% pay. I am taking the full 12 weeks though so four weeks will likely be unpaid unless I save all my vacation/sick time which I'm not counting on. My boss thinks I'm coming back after the 8 weeks but I'll be letting her know shortly that I'm taking the full 12.

sdesai1221 · May 2015

16 weeks

lmtflower · May 2015

My company is amazing. Between company-paid maternity leave, PTO and disability I'll be able to take 6 months off! I plan on using that whole time, as a FTM, to really get into my wee one.

leighann1 · May 2015

I'm taking the full 12 weeks of FMLA. I'll get 66% of my pay for the first 6 weeks through short-term disability and then it will be unpaid. I'm also very strongly considering the possibility of taking an extended leave of absence. I teach, so I would take the rest of the school year off and then go back the next fall. HR meeting next week, so crossing my fingers that it gets approved.

I would totally take the full 12 weeks if you qualify for FMLA and can afford it. My boss's response was wonderful. When I told him I was hoping to take an extended leave, his response was "You know yourself and your family, so trust yourself to do what is best." Best boss ever

leighann1 · May 2015

cmanz said:
Silly question but (I have no idea because in Canada we get a year)... Who watches baby when you go back? In Canada most centres or home day area will not accept a baby under 12 months

Most daycares in the States will take infants starting at 6 weeks. It costs more, and they accept fewer infants (caregiver to infant ratio has to be lower), but it's pretty standard.

nianicho777 · May 2015

It depends. If I'm still at my current job I'll take 12-16 weeks unpaid, if I start a new job I'll only be able to take 6 or 8 weeks depending on if it's a vaginal birth or c section.

cgummie · May 2015

Most times I love that I work for a small, family owned company. Except for stuff like this. Because the company is less than 50 people, I do not receive any benefits like short term disability, health insurance, or maternity leave. We looked into short term privately, but it won't pay for maternity leave until after a 10 month waiting period.

We are having a meeting in June to decide who will replace me. Yay.

I've decided not to return to this company, largely because our health insurance premiums are outrageous. Time for a new job when baby arrives.

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