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May 2016 Moms
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Maternity Leave is a JOKE

yogahhyogahh member
in May 2016 Moms
Just met with my HR dept to get an idea on pay and benefits when I am out. Makes me want to cry how bad it is in the US. 1st week no pay unless I want to use PTO. Weeks 2-6 only 70% of my pay. Weeks 6-12...nada. Just when you need money the most, you find out your pay is nothing. I know it is not just my company, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating! I guess I will be saving every penny for the next 8 months so my family and I can eat while I am not getting paid. What a joke. I knew it was going to be bad..just didn't expect it to be that bad. And I work for a large company! Makes me wonder what those working for small businesses are getting?

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Re: Maternity Leave is a JOKE

  • vinerievinerie member
    AMEN. UGH it's the worst. I happen to work somewhere in which I will actually get some decent leave, but WTF U. S. of A.? WE are so behind on this issue it's embarrassing. 
    Me: 38; DH: 41
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  • emma+karenemma+karen member

    Last pregnancy I was so spoiled, my company went above and beyond for maternity benefits.  Now I'm back working in a school, so I'll be using sick days from my due date till the end of the year--thank God for a May due date, because otherwise I'd be screwed and getting nothing once I was out of sick days.

    Maternity leave in this country is a sick, sick joke. 

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  • kbrands7kbrands7 member
    edited September 2015
    I sympathize. I only get pay in weeks 1-6 if I burn sick days for it (I won't have enough to cover 6 weeks anyway this time around). Weeks 6-12 I'm on my own and have to pay out of pocket for my insurance contributions if it's during the school year. Thankfully, with this pregnancy only weeks 1-7 should fall within the regular school year. Then, I'll just opt to cut back/save and not teach summer school like I have the last two years with DS. Returning to work last year with zero sick days until I "earned" more was frustrating. Eta: I should end up with 14 weeks leave this time because of how the school year falls. Likely only 3 will be paid.
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  • yogahhyogahh member
    concreteayngel said:

    At this point, I am not impressed by ANY of the presidential candidates. But I would vote in a heartbeat for whoever wants to make a change. Sad, I have watched 2 republican debates (I am a repub) and not one of the 16 hopefuls has even muttered the words "maternity leave". #IammovingtoCanada

    Not trying to make this a political thing in any way, nor am I trying to be disrespectful, but it will be a cold day in hell before your party does anything to help out women. Or minorities. Or the poor. That being said, I live in a very liberal bubble of the Bay Area, so a republican, and a female republican to boot, is a very rare breed where I come from.

    Hell, I would even entertain a democrat if they brought up the topic. I don't follow the dem party closely, but I haven't heard any noise on that side either? I personally do not appreciate democrats though using my body and my reproduction as a way to get votes (free BC anyone?). Not saying I would vote strictly on this topic, but it would be nice to know that someone out there in political land even has this on their radar!
    ***maybe this should have been saved for UO Thursday ;)

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  • m6aguam6agua member
    My benefits are exactly the same as yours. It's deceiving they say 6 weeks paid by short term disability but they don't tell you the first week is a "waiting" period that you won't get paid. So basically you get 5 weeks. I was reading up on mine also. Normally we get 4 weeks of PTO (you earn 6.16 hours every pay period). I guess I won't be earning any while I'm out. So I won't get the full 4 weeks next year.
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  • kbrands7kbrands7 member
    finnybooboo said:
    So sorry! It's pretty standard that the first week will be unpaid while the benefits are being processed. Last time they paid 80% for 6 or 8 weeks (if c-section) and anything else had to be PTO. Our company just split from the parent and the maternity benefits are unbelievably amazing now. 8 weeks 100% maternity + 8 weeks 100% bonding time. I'm very proud to work for a company who has taken a stand to do this for their employees!
    Pregnancy hormones probably aren't helping any, but I just teared up reading this. That's amazing! I'm so happy for you that your company seems to take family seriously. =D>
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  • yogahhyogahh member
    vinerie said:
    Crap, I can't help myself. I try not to get political around here, but you should know that  Hillary Clinton has made paid leave a campaign issue.

    Something to look into...thanks!! I don't mind a little political banter, as long as its not cutting. Always good to learn something new!

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  • yogahhyogahh member
    OH! And the kicker is...if I waited a month to get KU, weeks 2 and 3 would be paid at 100% because I would be at the company 5 years then. JOKE.

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  • JackieH102JackieH102 member
    I get 12 weeks....all unpaid it's horrible!  I work for a great company too...otherwise my benefits are amazing!  Just not maternity leave...sucks :(
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  • angelrx4angelrx4 member
    It really is a joke.  I work for a Fortune 100 company.  I "bought up" on my STD to get paid 100% for 6 weeks.  They graciously (insert eye roll) announced that as of 9/1 we now get an extra week.  I'll get 7 weeks paid.  The first week is PTO time which I am able to take the week before my due date.  So really, I get 8 weeks paid but only 7 after the baby is born.  I can take additional time using PTO.  I know I should be grateful because not everyone even gets that but really, a multi-billion dollar company and that's all you can do?

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  • emma+karenemma+karen member
    yogahh said:
    concreteayngel said:

    At this point, I am not impressed by ANY of the presidential candidates. But I would vote in a heartbeat for whoever wants to make a change. Sad, I have watched 2 republican debates (I am a repub) and not one of the 16 hopefuls has even muttered the words "maternity leave". #IammovingtoCanada

    Not trying to make this a political thing in any way, nor am I trying to be disrespectful, but it will be a cold day in hell before your party does anything to help out women. Or minorities. Or the poor. That being said, I live in a very liberal bubble of the Bay Area, so a republican, and a female republican to boot, is a very rare breed where I come from.

    Hell, I would even entertain a democrat if they brought up the topic. I don't follow the dem party closely, but I haven't heard any noise on that side either? I personally do not appreciate democrats though using my body and my reproduction as a way to get votes (free BC anyone?). Not saying I would vote strictly on this topic, but it would be nice to know that someone out there in political land even has this on their radar!
    ***maybe this should have been saved for UO Thursday ;)


    Clinton and Bernie are both advocates for better parental leave.


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  • saladflambesaladflambe member
    I work for a small business of 11 people. My company does not pay you anything while you're on maternity leave. The first 2 weeks are automatically PTO whether I like it or not. Then, I can apply for short-term disability. Otherwise, the rest is unpaid. I am also not protected by FMLA or AMA, so they could fire me/replace me if they want.
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  • yogahhyogahh member
    saladflambe said:
    I work for a small business of 11 people. My company does not pay you anything while you're on maternity leave. The first 2 weeks are automatically PTO whether I like it or not. Then, I can apply for short-term disability. Otherwise, the rest is unpaid. I am also not protected by FMLA or AMA, so they could fire me/replace me if they want.
    That's even worse. Why is it ok to fire someone because they want to have a family? Very disturbing!

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  • babycakes8214babycakes8214 member

    I hear you. It really is a joke in the US.

     

    I will need to use vacation time (if I have any) and sick time if I want to get any pay at all. I carry the health insurance, pay into retirement, and have an FSA so basically I will be using time to cover those costs.

     

    Also, I was only planning on taking 8 weeks so that we wouldn't take too much of a financial hit but the work daycare, where my baby will be going, has no opening until September 1st. So I have to take the full 12 weeks and still find alternate care for my baby for a month (give or take a week or two depending on when I give birth). So now I'm losing even more money than I wanted to in the first place. It's so frustrating.  

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  • swflJDswflJD member
    I will get 2 weeks at 100% pay and then 50% after that.  I will have the option to use my PTO after the first 2 weeks before going to 50%. I will also be able to work from home some before and after, so I am hoping I won't have to take off too much time at a reduced pay rate.  It isn't great, but it's something I guess.   
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  • nsouplynnnsouplynn member
    I work for a small company too and I get combined total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave within a 12-month period. Such a bummer. It wouldn't even be worth for me to come back. 
    (Me) 30 & (DH) 32 {Together 11 years - Married 04.17.15}

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  • ShannonSethShannonSeth member
    I get 6 weeks at 60% and I believe two weeks nesting period before my due date at 60%. It's not great but I work for Starbucks. Also if Bernie is campaigning for better maternity leave I love him even more.
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  • caterincaterin member
    Don't want to compare everything to Germany, that's where I'm from. But since my girlfriends back home are also pregnant, of course we talk about it. It's crazy how hard they make it for working mums here. Not only financially, also actually expecting mothers to go back to work that early! Mothers in Germany are entitled to full pay during the six weeks before, and eight weeks after, the birth, known as "mother protection time". The United States, along with Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Liberia and Lesotho are some of the only countries in the world that provide no type of financial support for mothers! I can see third world countries don't have such laws set in place yet, but the States, come on!
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  • laurenmdrn16laurenmdrn16 member
    Maternity leave is unpaid. Awesome.

    At my previous school which was a charter school I got 8wks paid at 60%. But now that I am working at a public school, I guess we are going to have to just figure it out. I am still going to have to pay for my son's daycare because we only get 2wks off so I am not sure where that will come from since MH's 2 salaries just barely keep the mortgage and bills paid. My salary is groceries, daycare, and miscellaneous. Ugh.

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  • caterincaterin member
    Not to mention on top of maternity leave the parental leave.

    Working mothers and fathers have equal entitlements to paid parental leave (Elterngeld) of up to 12 - 14 months, which can taken by one or both parents!
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  • amyfxamyfx member
    Here in Ireland, we get our standard contract hours worth of wages whilst on 6 months maternity, therefore if your part time contract is 20 hours a week, you will recieve 80 hours pay every month from your employer, and if you wish to take longer than 6 months, we are offered 16 weeks unpaid leave. Also we recieve a standard of 280 a week from the government for the duration of our maternity leave to the best of my knowledge.
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  • dsmith211dsmith211 member
    Mine really sucks then. I'm required to exhaust all of my PTO (which does not count as extra time added onto my leave... I still only get the 12 weeks. They just make me use it all and of course when I get back I have 0 days for emergencies). I get paid for any PTO I have at full pay.

    Then for 6-8 weeks I get 60% of my pay, but only bc I've been paying for a short term disability policy otherwise it would be completely unpaid. Anything after that? Completely unpaid. I have a savings plan right now to accommodate the unpaid time by the time baby gets here.

    Also, DH works at the same place as I do. So any time he takes off for baby or during the leave gets deducted from the 12 weeks as well... Sadly that's standard for FMLA and even if he's using his paid time off it doesn't matter. So I get less time. My work literally does the absolute minimum for FMLA, they get away with it bc the majority of the company is past the age of having new children so no one cares. And don't get me started on the room I get to use for pumping when I get back... A changing room used for the gym. But it has a chair, outlets, hot running water, and a lock on the door so it meets all the requirements by law. Too bad it's joined right on the break room. Fun. :-|
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  • mrstmoosemrstmoose member
    I don't get anything paid through my agency and I am not even protected by FMLA (agency is small and doesn't have to adhere to the guidelines). That being said, I have signed up for short term disability and plan on saving so we will have some money during  maternity leave. I will be lucky if I get anything more than 6 weeks off. I'm going to try to "pitch" it as "this is our first baby, I have no idea what I'm doing, can I have 8 weeks" and see what happens. Luckily, my direct supervisor and the executive director love me so I have that in my favor. 
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  • Happygolucky0814Happygolucky0814 member
    edited September 2015
    I know exactly what you mean. I've only been with my company 3 months so according to FMLA, I have to have worked either 1250 hours or been with them a year to get twelve weeks of NON PAID time off. HR said I can apply for short term disability but it doesn't mean I will get approved. Slightly freaking out about it lol!
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  • katykatykatykatykatykaty member
    yogahh said:


    concreteayngel said:

    yogahh said:

    At this point, I am not impressed by ANY of the presidential candidates. But I would vote in a heartbeat for whoever wants to make a change. Sad, I have watched 2 republican debates (I am a repub) and not one of the 16 hopefuls has even muttered the words "maternity leave". #IammovingtoCanada

    Not trying to make this a political thing in any way, nor am I trying to be disrespectful, but it will be a cold day in hell before your party does anything to help out women. Or minorities. Or the poor. That being said, I live in a very liberal bubble of the Bay Area, so a republican, and a female republican to boot, is a very rare breed where I come from.

    Hell, I would even entertain a democrat if they brought up the topic. I don't follow the dem party closely, but I haven't heard any noise on that side either? I personally do not appreciate democrats though using my body and my reproduction as a way to get votes (free BC anyone?). Not saying I would vote strictly on this topic, but it would be nice to know that someone out there in political land even has this on their radar!
    ***maybe this should have been saved for UO Thursday ;)




    Ha, pretty sure democrats aren't trying to buy votes by giving out free birth control. But even if they were, I'd happily take free birth control over being told what I can't do with my body by a bunch of white, mean, religious men.

    Maternity leave is a joke. My due date is 9 days short of my 1 year anniversary with my company, so I will get no paid time off.



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  • skiingstarkskiingstark member
    edited September 2015
    I work for a school district, I have to use my PTO and I have the option of getting STD which only pays 60%. School districts use to be good but after all the budget cuts there is nothing  left :(  The good news for me I will only be missing 4 weeks of school then it is summer.

    I will vote for anyone who will give us what every other industrialized country has, this is just ridiculous. 


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  • slimabasoslimabaso member
    That is really horrible. I live in South Africa and work for the government. I get four months paid maternity leave. I didn't realise it was so bad elsewhere.

    Dads only get 2 to 5 days paternity leave though, which is extremely unfair.
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  • seabeseabe member
    My situation is pretty good, at least by American standards. I get 4 weeks full paid new parent leave, during which all my benefits and perks (PTO accrual, stock vesting, etc) continue. Then I can do whatever I want for the remaining amount of time allowed by FMLA - I can do STD for up to 6 weeks at 2/3 pay, take PTO, take unpaid leave, etc. 

    My husband has to take PTO for whatever time he wants to take off. Which I keep having to remind myself, because at my company the men get 4 weeks new parent leave too! 

    It's so sad how little we get here in the US. My leave would be considered a joke in most other countries, and yet it's on the better side of US standards. :(
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  • That1didntcountThat1didntcount member
    I have to exhaust all my PTO (sick first, then vacation hours), and then can take the rest up to12 weeks off unpaid. Maternity leave is frustrating, so I only took 6 weeks off with my first. I plan on taking at least 8 weeks with this child.
    Baby # 1: BFP 10/26/12: Baby girl born 7/1/13
    Baby #2: BFP 9/2/15: EDD 5/15/16
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  • yogahhyogahh member
    Also, is everyones 401K frozed during leave? Or just me?

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  • kbrands7kbrands7 member
    yogahh said:
    Also, is everyones 401K frozed during leave? Or just me?
    I don't have a 401k since I'm with a public school, but my seniority date and salary scale are both pushed back by the number of weeks of leave I take (regardless of tenure) and my retirement benefits are frozen when I run out of sick days until I get a paycheck again.
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  • aamm04aamm04 member
    I get nothing. Nada. And because we were banking on 3 months at least before medicated cycles and we randomly got pregnant on our own, I will be not be at any new job for a year.

    I feel your pain. I am royally fucked and would absolutely take a few weeks paid over nothing.
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  • yogahhyogahh member
    aamm04 said:

    I get nothing. Nada. And because we were banking on 3 months at least before medicated cycles and we randomly got pregnant on our own, I will be not be at any new job for a year.

    I feel your pain. I am royally fucked and would absolutely take a few weeks paid over nothing.

    Now I feel bad for bitching. Urrrgggg what a freaking joke.



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  • kmd0501kmd0501 member
    I work in a pediatric hospital and it's the same, except we can use our PTO weeks 8-12. We just laugh that we expect the parents of very sick kids to be at the bedside every single day but when it's our turn to give birth, nope...see you in 6-8 weeks when you're broke and hungry. I am the breadwinner for our family but I am so fortunate my DH is hard working and has a few extra part time jobs he can pull from.
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