Question about Maternity leave...

[DMickey28]

I know that there are specifics per company but I am looking for general information. I work for a large company, standard FMLA and STD (Short Term Disability) apply.

How does Maternity leave work? I read some pregnancy boards and some of the girls due around the time I am are planning on leaving work mid-March and stuff. I don't understand how they plan this. I have known very few pregnant women at my jobs and they worked up until the day that their babies were born.

I know that if something happened and I went out on bed rest or something, I would get STD until the baby was born and then for the 6 weeks after for a V. Birth. I am confused, how do women leave work a few weeks before to prepare? Do Drs. routinely take women out of work... ???

What were your experiences?

Thanks!!!

 

[ChrisnSteph]

From what I understand, you're allowed 6 weeks, more if you have a cesarean. I know some people who took time off before the birth, which leaves less time after the baby is born. I worked up until the day I had my all my kids, so I always had 6 weeks at home with them.

 

[poohandwendy]

I know that there are specifics per company but I am looking for general information. I work for a large company, standard FMLA and STD (Short Term Disability) apply.

How does Maternity leave work? I read some pregnancy boards and some of the girls due around the time I am are planning on leaving work mid-March and stuff. I don't understand how they plan this. I have known very few pregnant women at my jobs and they worked up until the day that their babies were born.

I know that if something happened and I went out on bed rest or something, I would get STD until the baby was born and then for the 6 weeks after for a V. Birth. I am confused, how do women leave work a few weeks before to prepare? Do Drs. routinely take women out of work... ???

What were your experiences?

Thanks!!!

I don't have personal experience because I was a SAHM when having babies. (just thinking of some experiences my friends have had) I do know that many companies offer up to 12 weeks paid maternity leave and some women take advantage of that starting at the end of the pregnancy. Others may be ok with losing some money, or have banked personal or vacation time for this purpose.

For the most part, what you are describing probably has nothing to do with their doctors, especially if they know now that they will be leaving in march.

 

[CEDmom]

My company went to a 13 week paid maternity/adoption leave several years ago. Before that it was the standard 6 weeks. Most women under the 6 week leave used maybe a weeks vacation before the leave and then the entire leave after the baby was born. Check with your HR person for what's allowed. Congrats and best wishes on your new baby.

 

[jodifla]

In my company, you worked until your due date or when your doctor sent you out....then the time off clock started running. I came back two weeks early from my leave because I was burning through all my vacation time to stay home for 12 weeks, and it was only February!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

With the FMLA companies are to give 12 weeks maternity leave.
6 weeks would be paid, the other 6 deprnds on companies policy.

 

[mommasita]

We have one year here in our province. We owned our own business and I also worked up to the day I delivered. I had one week off for each child. It kind of worked out well. I do know people who planned it though. The time of year, and what the weather would be like. I am like I only wish I had time off PAID TO BOOT

 

[coolbeans]

I had a c-section and worked till the Friday before my surgery (on a Monday) and I had 8 weeks paid 100%, if it would not have been a c-section it would have been 6 weeks paid 100%. Plus I used some of my vacation time too.

 

[disney4us2002]

If your company is big enough to qualify for the FMLA then you get up to 12 wks off. My sister in law delivered in September. She works for the fed govt. She had to expend all of her leave to be able to borrow from the leave bank. She took two weeks off before the baby and then got 6 wks paid sick leave. Now she's on leave w/o pay because she wanted to take off til February. I think she could've gotten more paid sick with a doctor's note but she had a regular v delivery.

I worked for the state and the FMLA wasn't in place yet. My doctor wrote me a note saying I needed 15 weeks off due to 3rd c-section and mild complications and I wasn't questioned at all.

Are you only taking 6 wks? Wow, that seems quick.

 

[Kimberle]

It totally depends on your company. The company I'm at now, give no paid leave. We have no disability insurance (short or long term). You can take you 12 weeks, but unless you use your vacation and/or sick time, you will not be paid.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Out here I think it's 12 weeks paid, 12 weeks unpaid (up to 6 months leave). My friend took 1 week off before her C-section, and then did the full 6 months off. She planned for it and worked out their finances to be able to do the 3 unpaid months after her 3 paid months off. Not everyone can afford the 3 unpaid months off. I'll have to ask her how that all works.

 

[hornedfrog]

I am currently on maternity leave, so maybe I can help. I work for a Fortune 10 company and I think our policies are pretty standard...

I worked up until about 2 weeks before my scheduled c-section and I took vacation days up until the delivery date. Some women get short-term disability approved for the week or two prior to their delivery if they have a medical reason that keeps them from working (and/or have a compassionate OB who helps them make this happen). I did not get this benefit this time around and was glad to have saved up some vacation time to use so that I could rest up and take care of last-minute preparations! My short-term disability/FMLA began on the day of the c-section. I got 6 weeks of disability payments for the c-section and took all 12 of my FMLA weeks. Since then I have been on a Leave of Absence, but will being going back to work on Tuesday (DD was born on 8/30, so I've been out about 4.5 months). While on a Leave of Absence I have to pay my medical/dental/vision co-pays every month (since they are not coming out of any sort of paycheck). I am guaranteed my same or an equal position when I return to work (I will be returning right to my previous position).

Hope that helps. This is my second baby and I returned to work after 4 months with my first as well (with the same company), so I'm pretty familiar with the process!

 

[PrincessMom2002]

Both times, I worked up to delivery, 6 weeks of maternity leave were only 60% paid through STD but first any sick time had to be used before the disability would kick in. Then if I wanted, I could use vacation or FMLA unpaid after the 6 weeks disability. It really stinks that the benefits aren't better for many women, but I was happy to have any pay at all. If I'd been written off of work prior to delivery (which both times my OB wanted to do because I had preterm labor but I refused because of loss of pay and my babies were doing fine) then I'd have had to use sick or vacation time.

 

[DebbieB]

Legally they have to treat pregnancy and childbirth the same as any other condition. If your doctor says you are unable to work, they have to pay you disability the same as any other illness. So it really comes down to what the company sick leave/disability policy is. If the company does not have sick days or short term disability or not enough paid time to cover the time you need off, then you can go to FMLA, which is unpaid.

 

[llij]

I worked for a non-profit in Washington, DC when I was pregnant and the FMLA in DC was pretty good at the time. I worked up until 34 weeks and then my doctor put me on bedrest for pre-term labor. My FMLA kicked in at that point and since I worked in DC I was granted 16 weeks w/FMLA instead of the standard 12 weeks. FMLA only insured that I had a job once I returned and we had no paid maternity leave with my company. I used all of my sick leave and vacation time during my absence. This was 10 years ago, so I'm sure things have changed.

Congrats on the pregnancy!

 

[DMickey28]

Here is what I know both in general and from my company. We get 13 weeks FMLA. You can use that for appointments before the baby, bed rest or other reasons the doctor takes you out of work and after the baby is born. It's 13 weeks total regardless. After a ******l deliver it's STD for 6 weeks... first week of vacation time, one week of 100% (this is based on your time with the company) and then the rest at 66.6% pay. If the doctor takes me out before hand for minor complications or bed rest then that becomes part of the 13 weeks that my job is protected but the STD would be 6 weeks at 66.6% regardless of how long my doctor took me out before the birth.

I guess what I am confused by if it is general practice that the doctor "writes" you out before for a week or two or more...

 

[summerrluvv]

With the FMLA companies are to give 12 weeks maternity leave.
6 weeks would be paid, the other 6 deprnds on companies policy.

Companies are not required to pay for maternity leave. I'm not sure where you got that information. They are required to give you the time off (12 weeks under FMLA, 6 weeks if you have less than 50 employees). Some employers have disability insurance policies that will cover the leave and some states offer short term disability (6 weeks at 170.00 a week in NY...far cry from a salary!).

 

[summerrluvv]

Here is what I know both in general and from my company. We get 13 weeks FMLA. You can use that for appointments before the baby, bed rest or other reasons the doctor takes you out of work and after the baby is born. It's 13 weeks total regardless. After a ******l deliver it's STD for 6 weeks... first week of vacation time, one week of 100% (this is based on your time with the company) and then the rest at 66.6% pay. If the doctor takes me out before hand for minor complications or bed rest then that becomes part of the 13 weeks that my job is protected but the STD would be 6 weeks at 66.6% regardless of how long my doctor took me out before the birth.

I guess what I am confused by if it is general practice that the doctor "writes" you out before for a week or two or more...

You can ask the doctor to write you out, but you probably won't get paid unless it's medically necessary for you to be out. Many people don't get paid for maternity leave, so they don't care one way or the other.

 

[Va-bear]

It totally depends on your company. The company I'm at now, give no paid leave. We have no disability insurance (short or long term). You can take you 12 weeks, but unless you use your vacation and/or sick time, you will not be paid.

Thats the way it was for us. I work for the State of Va. You can have 12 weeks off, SURE, but NONE of it is paid by them. You either take time w/o pay or save up 12 weeks of your personal leave time.

I worked up until the day each was born - well, except the 2nd was born the day after Xmas, so had that off...

Good luck.

 

[swea_pea1]

Here is what I know both in general and from my company. We get 13 weeks FMLA. You can use that for appointments before the baby, bed rest or other reasons the doctor takes you out of work and after the baby is born. It's 13 weeks total regardless. After a ******l deliver it's STD for 6 weeks... first week of vacation time, one week of 100% (this is based on your time with the company) and then the rest at 66.6% pay. If the doctor takes me out before hand for minor complications or bed rest then that becomes part of the 13 weeks that my job is protected but the STD would be 6 weeks at 66.6% regardless of how long my doctor took me out before the birth.

I guess what I am confused by if it is general practice that the doctor "writes" you out before for a week or two or more...

It is not "general" practice that the doctor signs you out early, but it does happen.

When I was pregnant with DD, I developed pre-eclampsia late in the pregnancy. My doctor insisted that I could no longer work and signed me out of work a full 2 weeks before my due date. My STD started then - as did my FMLA time. FMLA is used in conjunction with either STD, vacation time, or Family Care Time (my company gives 10 days of that per year) because the purpose of FMLA is to protect your job while you are out due to a medical condition, or caring for a child, parent, etc.

After a week, my OB induced me. So at that point, I had used one week of STD and one week of FMLA (since they're used in conjunction). My doctor did not sign me back into work until 6 weeks had passed after my delivery. That means 7 weeks of STD were used and 7 weeks of FMLA.

I then used my 10 days of Family Care Time, and another 10 days of PTO. When all was said and done, I had used 7 weeks STD, 2 weeks Family Care Time, 2 weeks PTO. The total 11 weeks was covered under FMLA so my job was protected.

You will need to check with your STD insurance carrier to see how being signed out prior to delivery will affect your benefits. At my company, we earn fully paid STD by years of service, so I had 13 weeks at my disposable and my whole 7 weeks were paid at 100%. But had I only been there a year or two, my fully paid time would have been decreased and I would instead been paid at only 60%.