Maternity Leave

readingteacher89 · August 2019

What is your maternity leave situation/ benefits? Post where you're from for reference!

I am a public school teacher in Alabama. My due date is exactly 12 full weeks until the end of the school year. Hoping Baby doesn't come early, since I'm counting on maxing out unpaid FMLA. Will be required to use all my accrued sick days before using unpaid leave. Not sure what the situation will be if Baby comes a few days early.

jvk2012 · August 2019

I am a teacher in MA.

In my district we use 6-8 weeks of sick time (depending on how dr writes us out) and then can do the remainder up to 12 weeks unpaid under FMLA. However, in our contract we also have the option to remain out for the remainder of the year unpaid and even the following year unpaid.

With DD she was born in June about 2 weeks before school got out so I was out then, all of summer, and then took 12 weeks unpaid FML when school started again and stayed out until almost Thanksgiving. So I was home June-November. FML allows you to take 12 weeks each year and my “year” resets July 1st so my leave in June didn’t count towards the new year’s 12 weeks.

This one, 12 weeks will be up like mid-late May and we go until mid-June. I will most likely stay home unpaid through the end of the year and return in September.

kbrinks2 · August 2019

I’m a teacher in Canada so I will take 12 months off. We get paid 55% of our normal wage (up to a maximum) for the 52 weeks from the government (employment insurance). My work also pays a top up to 95% of my salary for 17 weeks which makes it a lot easier to save up for the year off! We are extremely lucky to have to opportunity to take the full year off.

kjeepers87 · August 2019

Teacher in UT here! I have about 7ish weeks of leave saved up and that is probably all I will use. We just can't afford for me to take time unpaid, sadly. I bring home more money than my husband so we depend on my check. Right now, it looks like I'll run into spring break, so that'll give me an extra week. I'll go back mid-April and school gets out before Memorial Day so we are hoping grandparents can help out so we don't have to worry about daycare until the following August.

It's better than my first kid though. It was my first year of teaching so I couldn't use FMLA and could only afford 4 weeks off, 2 of them unpaid. I had to take a "leave of absence".

leksiL · August 2019

I work for a private corporation in CT, we get four months paid leave and I'm very very grateful.

My last pregnant I worked for a different company, they gave me one free week then I got 7 weeks disability and then I used PTO to get to 11 weeks. It will be nice to have PTO left for the rest of the year this year.

craftywitch · August 2019

I work for a university in Colorado.

I get 30 weeks (just shy of 6 months) of leave. 4 weeks is paid at 100%, 6 weeks is paid at 60% through short term disability, we get 6 weeks PTO annually so I’ll have about that much which I’m required to use at 100%, then the rest of the time is unpaid. I may take the option to work part-time from home the last 3 months of my leave to get some pay and transition back into work, but I don’t have to so it’ll depend how easy/tough this baby is and how badly my team needs the help. I’m planning to be home February-July.

jessieR358 · August 2019

I’m in TN. I get 16 weeks off, all unpaid...boo

ibabyloveb87 · August 2019

I work for a subsidiary of a major bank In NC and they just updated our policy to 16 weeks paid. I haven’t ever gotten a better email! I know I’m super lucky. It used to be a complicated mix of time off/sick time/and short term disability.

malloryfrommn · August 2019

I work for a small business in MN. Maternity leave is 6 weeks paid. I've got another 6 weeks or so of unused vacation. Hoping my boss is okay with me taking 12 weeks off. Unfortunately, since we are a small company it means the other employees will have to pick up the slack while I'm out. Also, I just became a shareholder so I'm a little worried my boss will pressure me into taking less time than more. You know, because more is expected of shareholders than general employees.

babylawyer · August 2019

I'm a government attorney in the South. We do not get maternity leave.... But my bosses are very flexible and are open to my taking off as much time as I need, just with the understanding that it will be unpaid after I run out of sick days in week 3.

I'm really on the fence about whether I will return to work after I have the baby or whether I may take a year or two off of working. I definitely want to work, and after 2 years on the job I finally feel confident as a trial attorney. I just don't know if I want to work through early childhood....

DDRRT1982 · August 2019

@babylawyer my personal opinion... if you can afford to stay home for a while I would take that opportunity. They are only little once and that first time becoming a parent is something special. I wish I could go back and truly enjoy all the firsts with just my oldest all the time. Becoming a parent for the first time is so special, and challenging, that if you don’t have to have the stress of juggling a job too, I wouldn’t. You can always go back to work if you want too, but you might regret not taking that opportunity if you don’t.

DDRRT1982 · August 2019

Maternity leave with my company is embarrassing, but what do you expect out of a hospital in Texas? I use my pto the first week, get paid 60% for five weeks, and the rest will be unpaid. This is my last baby and I am taking my full 12 weeks with FMLA. I have gone back at six weeks with my last three babies and it has sucked. Take the time if you can, ladies. I think I read somewhere that women are more likely to return to work and stay if they had sufficient maternity leave. I am very happy to hear that many companies are revising leave and giving more time.

babybelugaco · August 2019

I'm not 100% what mine covers yet. It sounds like some strange mix of extended illness, short term disability, PTO...listening to the other FTM talk to the only other mom on our team about the leave situation made my head spin and I couldn't make sense of it.

clearlyclara · August 2019

I'm in Canada and we have the option of a year or 18 months mat leave... Although I feel bad mentioning this after hearing what everyone in the states has to go through! My company also tops up my pay for 17 weeks, which is nice. I think this time, I might take the 18 month leave if we can afford it, just to bridge my youngest full we can find a daycare spot for her. It seems like most spots are available in August and September here.

tmk2021 · August 2019

After reading everyone else’s leave benefits, I’m embarrassed to say I get absolutely nothing....

I work for a start up in northern Idaho and because we’re under 50 employees, I’m not guaranteed any time off. I can be gone no later than 8 weeks. I also don’t get any PTO because I’ve been working there under a year (wouldn’t start accumulating 5 days a year until February, when the baby is due 🙄)

I’m a content writer and my job can be done anywhere. So I’m either going to request to become remote/freelance, or I’m going to quit altogether so I can look for a job in Washington (they have great benefits, my husband will have 4-8 weeks PTO for baby) or I’m going to start my own business so I can stay home on a permanent basis.

What has this country come to? So heartbreaking that I even have to worry about this while preparing to bring a child into the world 😕

rikiteacup · August 2019

I don't really know what the policy is. I will find out in a couple weeks.
My company is new but they want to offer great benefits. My start date is 02/25/19. Baby is due 2/22 so I hope it is late so I can have full benefits. We aren't quite 50 employees yet but we should reach that number by the end of the year as we're growing fast. I am listening to these topics very carefully at work

I'll be the first one to test the maternity leave policy.

leksiL · August 2019

@babylawyer everyone has to make their own personal decision regarding returning to work. For the first few months with DD I wanted to stay at home too.

Personally, I'm also a lawyer but in corporate/finance role and (maybe sadly? lol) it is a very defining role for me. I feel like my job helps me be a better mom because the time I get to spend with my LO is quality time as in I make the most of every second. I am fresh and have energy when I play with my daughter. Times where it is just us for hours on end I can get kind of cranky and exhausted. I enjoy having a cup of tea in silence and checking on the news first thing in the morning.

Of course, being a trial lawyer is a different animal. Most of my colleagues are here because they got burnt out from law firm jobs. So another option to consider is finding a cushier job

I'm sure whatever you decide will be the right one for your family.

daffodil_shoe · August 2019

I work in a hospital. I will contact leave management when I’m closer to 20 weeks, but I believe I get 6 weeks paid at 2/3 of my normal wages, and can use PTO for more time after that. The nice thing about my job is that I don’t have to wait til I’ve been there a certain amount of time to earn PTO. I accrue it every paycheck (with a cap of 170 hours). I checked and I currently have about 3.5 weeks of PTO, and I’ve only been there a year. By the time kiddo comes, I should have 170 hours saved.

craftywitch · August 2019

@babylawyer I thought I was attached to my job and defined by my career, but after trying to go back for about 6 weeks, my company did a mass lay-off that included me. I decided not to look for another job until after my son was 1 and LOVED being a SAHM that first year. If we weren't so evenly split with me always being the higher earner, I'd have opted to stay home longer. Point being, wait and see how you feel. I never thought I'd want to give up my career, but if I could I'd give it up in a heartbeat.

jennv0701 · August 2019

I am a stay at home mom, but will return to work hopefully around May. It is beyond time. Most likely in real estate as I have my license.

My husband gets zero paternity leave. It's awful. So he'll take 3 weeks vaca, and then we're planning to get a doula for 3 weeks. I want to be prepared. I have no idea how the recovery of a 3rd c/s will go.

22ksi2 · August 2019

Mines pretty bad too. I’m working in the metro DC. I also work in a hospital and was contracted way out in advance for this job. Unfortunately I haven’t officially started (despite trying hard to push up the start date) and will start 15w pregnant. I won’t qualify for FMLA and not totally clear I will qualify for disability as I was pregnant before starting...worst case I’ll be using my PTO (best I can guess will be about a week by then) and take 7 weeks unpaid...we’ve been aggressively saving knowing this though.

Swiftlet · August 2019

I'm a veterinarian. I'm planning to take 12 weeks (FMLA), boss lady will pay 4 of those weeks. Hubs gets I think 2 weeks paid paternity leave but has a metric ton of sick and vacation days stored up so he'll likely dip in to those.

brookert615 · August 2019

Whatever FMLA doesn't cover on my maternity leave, my job will pay the difference so I get my full salary. I get 12 weeks full pay so I'm very grateful!

eta: I can't spell lol

nhh11 · August 2019

I work for a large global company and last year they redid our parental leave policies so now we get 16 weeks paid and dads or the non-birthing parent gets 8! I feel so lucky to be here. I’m happy to see how progressive our company is. My husband is in consulting and his work hours are terrible but they give 8 weeks paternity leave so he’s trying to stick it out at least through our first pregnancy. We’ll see how sustainable his job is once we have a child, and whether he could stay for a second one!

pigsforpoland · August 2019

Ugh, I am eligible for exactly nothing. I’m the sole regular employee at a small nonprofit in MA, so we’re not covered under FMLA or the current MA family leave provisions. I would be covered under the new MA parental leave but it won’t be in effect by the time I have this baby. This kiddo was a surprise so I didn’t have short term disability set up (and it’s not offered through work anyway), so I’m kind of stuck.

That being said, my volunteer board is amazing and supportive, so I don’t think it will be an issue for me to take what I need for time (unpaid of course!) as long as we can find systems to cover my responsibilities.

robynlynn2000 · August 2019

@pigsforpoland im sorry to hear that. I guess I'm a little more greatful of the fmla i qualify for. And maybe i shouldn't be so jealous of everyone who gets paid leave or more than 12 weeks.

kiwi2628 · August 2019

I’m taking my 12 weeks FMLA. With my last I took 4 1/2 months and it 100% contributed to my PPD. My job keeps me even keel. It makes me a better mom. I didn’t think that going into it- I actually wanted to take 6 months off but for my mental health I had to go back sooner. Being home with a needy potato is not for me.

daffodil_shoe · August 2019

@pigsforpoland I was working at a small nonprofit when pregnant with DS and also qualified for nothing. It was hard, so I feel you.

craftywitch · August 2019

@kiwi2628 LOL needy potato

Great sentiment though! Everyone is going to feel so differently about staying home vs working, and what you're expecting to want isn't always what you end up wanting once you're in it.

woodshuntingmama · August 2019

With my first, I COULD take up to 12 weeks off. But, I could only afford to take 3 weeks off using ALL of my vacation and sick time, so that's what I did. With this one, I just started a new job (oops, timing!) and, while my new boss could have easily fired me, she's been awesome about everything. She has even offered to help me get all of the time off of work that I physically can, and make everything easier! This is all in MN.

daffodil_shoe · August 2019

@woodshuntingmama why are you saying your boss could have easily fired you? It’s against the law to fire a someone for being pregnant.

gerlam5 · August 2019

I’m a public school teacher in Minnesota. I can take up to 12 weeks of FMLA, but I only get paid if I have sick days accrued. I will hopefully have some sick days accrued, but having two other boys, and having had all my sick days used up last year, I’m betting most of my 12 weeks will be unpaid.

rikiteacup · August 2019

@woodshuntingmama your boss couldn't have easily fired you even if she wanted to. It is illegal to fire someone because they are pregnant. This has been the law since 1978.

jessieR358 · August 2019

My husbands company let go of someone the week they got back from maternity leave. I felt sooo awful for the mom.

aleciaraez · August 2019

So many teachers here! Love it!

I’m a teacher in WA. Our state starts a new leave program in 2020 that is 12 weeks with partial pay (I believe about 60-70%). I will use sick and personal days and then the state leave and it should take me to the end of the school year (FX!). It’s a little bit funny since it’s new, so I think our benefits gal is going to be figuring it out with me. I’ll return to work for the next school year at the end of August. I feel very thankful that this baby’s due date gives me a great chunk of time when combine with with summer.

22ksi2 · August 2019

@woodshuntingmama That’s so awesome! I hope it’s how it goes when I finally start my job. For those saying you can’t be fired while pregnant, I definitely know those who were fired for sudden “performance issues”. It’s hard to prove it’s because of pregnancy.

rikiteacup · August 2019

@22ksi2 We didn't say you couldn't get fired, we said it was illegal. Shady employers will still try it but if you sue them, it's not going to look good for them. They would have to have a paper trail of "performance issues" and prove that any sudden performance issue results in a direct firing for all employees without prior warning.
Anyway, there are laws protecting pregnant women in the workplace and it looks like OP wasn't aware of it. For anyone reading this, know that you have some options if it happens.

leksiL · August 2019

@rikiteacup +1 yes.

Berlich · August 2019

Where in MA? I teach first in Watertown.

jvk2012 · August 2019

@Berlich, I think you meant to tag me when you asked where in MA since I’m the only other teacher in MA here. I don’t want to give a specific town but south shore in a town near Gillette Stadium.

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