Paid Maternity Leave?

amother

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 4:20 pm

My due date is approaching. I have yet to have 'the talk' with my employer about returning to work and/or taking maternity leave (though I did tell them I'm expecting, of course!!).

I'm curious what the normal/average ideal out there is... Did you return to work? Did you get paid during your 6 week maternity leave? Got more? Got less?

I work in a small office... no official rules here... I want to know what I can expect and what I can request.

Thanks!

busydev

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 4:28 pm

I work in a small office of a small school. Less then 50 employees.

I don't have a contract per say, but we made up in writing salary, vacations etc before I took the position.

I had 2 weeks of paid maternity. I took off 6.5 weeks (week 7 I worked part time). I also used up all my remaining sick and vacation days during maternity leave and I had about 2.5 weeks that I was not paid for.

I do not live in NY.

(In this school all the teachers also only get 2 weeks paid- tho you can take off as much time as you need.)

amother

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 4:51 pm

Thanks for your replies so far.

Yes, I'm in NY. Sorry for missing that important tidbit.
And, I work with less than 50 employees. As a matter of fact, in my location, I'm the only one here.

Tova

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 4:56 pm

Unfortunately it does not seem like you will have any paid leave. Even companies over 50 employees for which the FMLA applies, it is not paid leave but rather that you can take up to 12 weeks unpaid and they need to restore you to your former or a comparable position w/ same work arrangement.

I don't officially have paid maternity leave but I have short term medical disability coverage as a benefit through work so get paid a percentage of my salary that way...but only for the medically necessary portion (6 weeks for natural birth, 8 weeks for C-section). In the past I've taken off 12 weeks with the last 6 weeks unpaid (I save up for it throughout my pregnancy).

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 5:01 pm

You say your office has "no official rules." Did you discuss pay and benefits when you started work or at any time since then? Do you get paid vacation or sick time? Do you have any disability coverage (through your work or the state)?

seeker

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 6:57 pm

In such a small office I highly doubt you'll get anything, especially if they'll need to hire a substitute and you won't take work home with you. Paid maternity leave is not standard at all in NY. If you have paid sick/personal days then you can use those.

simchat

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 9:58 pm

Ooops, I answered but do not live in NY so I guess my vote doesn`t count, but I don`t know how to take it off...

Leahh

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 10:35 pm

FMLA applies to the company as whole, not an individual site (unless they list themselves as a separate entity). If there are over 50 employees u r entitled to time off. If not, and you r paid on the books, ur employer should be paying disability ins for u and u will be eligible to wtvr they pay (usually a percentage of ur salary)
I am pretty sure in NYS disability ins is mandatory and birth is a covered benefit.

Tova

Tue, Jun 05 2012, 11:36 pm

Leahh wrote:

Too lazy to look it up, but I believe it's 50 employees w/in a certain mile radius?
Also, it's not just the 50 employees. You have to have been working there a certain number of hours over the past 12 months.