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Maternity leave policy



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amother


 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 10:08 am
What is the maternity leave policy at your office or workplace. How long, paid or unpaid...do you get the same position upon returning to work?

I am getting 6 weeks unpaid leave and I am being demoted since I will now have to care for the baby...or as my boss put it so disdainfully..."breastfeed".

My salary stays the same, they just took me off some projects that I've been working on for years...I'm upset.

But I'm trying to look at the bright side...I will get more time with the baby. No more long hours.
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Pickle Lady




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 10:35 am
US maternity leave is really bad.

I read somewhere that the average amount of time US women take for maternity leave is 4 weeks. Isn't that really sad.
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chocolate moose




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 10:42 am
I hear some only take two weeks, like if they are big professionals.
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cdawnr




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 11:04 am
Every office is different and every job is different.

For me, starting with #1, we agreed that I would take 6 weeks unpaid (disability--they can't pay you and let you get disability at the same time...) and then 6 weeks half pay working from home. With #2, well, I ended up starting back at working (from home) when dd was 2 weeks old because there were just somethings that were being crushed by deadlines...I got disability for 6 wks and then full pay for the second 6 wks I stayed home. This time we are waiting to see what will be...

But this is not the exact policy they use for everyone in the office. I am lucky enough to have a position in which working from home is possible...not everyone does.

OP As for the "demotion"...it sounds to me like you are the one who sees it as a demotion (which is legitamite) but your boss is trying to cover himself in case you don't return (which often happems) or you really can't handle it. Once you have returned to work and swung into a routine with the expressing and all that (and cuaght up on sleep)_ you will probably be able to go to your boss and ask him to let you return to those projects.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 11:04 am
- you announce the preg. when you make the pregnancy declaration to the family departement (at 3 months)
- you have 16 weeks for a normal preg and birth, no twins... you must stop working 3 weeks before due date and you use the 13 remaining weeks how you want. What women do is keep the 13 weeksfor after birth, and ask their doctor to stop them. Most stop in the 7 month, especially if they must drive or take public transportation. Many stop in the 5, 6 months, and were also stopped during the nauseas. The 16 weeks and the doctor stop are paid and you go back to your previous job after. Beware: during the medical stop you have to be home except for 3 hours and can be controlled! It isn't too often though, depends on the firm where u work.

Some women manage to take MUCH more: you need to have worked in the firm more than 1 year. You can have up to 3 YEARS but it's UNPAID (you keep social security though).

- in some countries you have the last 4 months of preg + 1 year after as a minimum, a dream!

Paternity leave: 14 days for us, after birth, unless twins, difficulties... some lucky countries have much more.
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loveit




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 11:10 am
Go to the US Department of Labor website and you will be able to find your state's and the federal minimum requirements for maternity leave (it's called the Family Medical Leave, not specifically maternity) Which ever is better coverage (state or fed) is what you are supposed to adhere to. If your employer chooses to provide anything more (such as longer unpaid leave or disability Pay - about 85% - for 6 weeks) is considered extra but it sounds like your employer is sticking to the goverment requirements and nothing more.

I would check about the legality of reducing your responsibilities, even though you are getting paid the same, there are rules about changing the employees job, such as it must be similar or the same as the previous work. THey are required to keep the same job for you at the same pay or similar job at the same pay, it's illegal not to.

Check out the site, I think it may be labor.gov but I'm not sure, it's an easy search.
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Pickle Lady




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 11:16 am
amother wrote:
What is the maternity leave policy at your office or workplace. How long, paid or unpaid...do you get the same position upon returning to work?

I am getting 6 weeks unpaid leave and I am being demoted since I will now have to care for the baby...or as my boss put it so disdainfully..."breastfeed".

My salary stays the same, they just took me off some projects that I've been working on for years...I'm upset.

But I'm trying to look at the bright side...I will get more time with the baby. No more long hours.


OP are you in the US.

If so its sound right. The company I worked at when I was pregnant with my first was 8 weeks unpaid leave which included anytime I took off before the baby was born. I got state disability but that was like 150 a week or something really small and that lasted only 6 weeks. The only thing is the family leave act and that is that if you have worked there for atleast 12 months and they have atleast 50 employees in the in the company within a 50 mile radius, you can get 12 weeks unpaid and they have to pay thier portion of you health incurance during that time. I am pretty sure that men are also included in this if they want to if thier wife has a baby.

The US has really horrible maternity laws, its really pathetic. This is what women should have fought for when they were so worried about women's rights.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Aug 03 2007, 11:23 am
Pickle Lady wrote:
This is what women should have fought for when they were so worried about women's rights.



Yes
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Marion




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Aug 04 2007, 4:37 pm
In Israel it's (now) 14 weeks, full pay, paid by social security (bituach leumi). If an employer wants to "top it up" for longer, they can, but I've never heard of such a thing. There are women who take longer, unpaid, leaves after formal maternity leave. You can only go out before your due date if your doctor signs off on your forms, but again, most women don't because it cuts into their time with the baby after.

This is separate from preventative leave (shmirat herayon) which is before your due date.
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shalhevet




 
 
    
 

Post Sat, Aug 04 2007, 5:15 pm
You can get leave before you have the baby by getting sick leave and then it doesn't cut into your chufshat leida (maternity leave). I did this at the end of my last few pregnancies - go to your ob/gyn or family doctor and ask for sick leave because you are too tired etc - this comes out of your 30 days a year (cumulative) allowed for sick pay. During my last pregnancy I had really bad contractions every hour or two for about a week (not so great when you're the teacher - just get on with your work while I double up in pain Mad) so I made sure to take it as chufshat machala so as not to lose out on the (then 12) weeks after birth.

That way you can start maternity leave only once you have given birth and have the full 14 weeks.

If you are still very tired/ feel not so great after 14 weeks, again you can get a sick note and is counted as chufshat machala.
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 05 2007, 10:25 pm
In accordance with the FMLA, I got 12 weeks unpaid, and collected disability on the first 6. Of course they tried to pressure me into taking no more than 6 weeks, but I made it clear that I was entitled to more.

I hear a lot of companies think they're above adhering to the FMLA, but you should know if you qualify and what your rights are.
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vicki




 
 
    
 

Post Wed, Aug 15 2007, 6:48 pm
My company distributed an employee handbook after I was visibly pg and had let the CEO and my boss know. (we are a relatively small branch of a larger company.) The handbook mentioned 4 weeks unpaid maternity leave including any time needed before the birth.
I told the CEO that this wasn't physically possible especially since I was having a c-section. In addition, I requested he speak with the company lawyers regarding the Family Medical Leave Act. About a week later he came by and told me I've got 12 - still unpaid - weeks.
They rewrote the handbook and I'm now 2 weeks into my 12. Hurray. With my first, I worked for a large insurance company and had 6 months - some paid. With my next two I worked for a smaller local company and had 8 unpaid weeks, just what state disability covered (for c-sections).
So I am grateful to have 12 weeks this go-around. I am happily bonding with my munchkin.
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613




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Aug 16 2007, 1:26 pm
those of you who collected/collect disablity, did you have disability insurance before you were pregnant? did you get that through your employer or was it private?
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nicole81




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Aug 16 2007, 2:34 pm
it was through the employer.
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Chaya123




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Aug 16 2007, 3:03 pm
We get 6 wks and not a minute more! We're expected to work right up to labor and come back exactly 6 wks postpartum.
Whoever made up this rule of 6 wks, I'd like to have a word with them. Was probably a man.
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sarahd




 
 
    
 

Post Thu, Aug 16 2007, 4:40 pm
Over here you get 14 weeks at 80% pay. If your doctor decides you shouldn't work anymore before you give birth, you get that time off at full pay. Once you announce your pregnancy, you can't be fired or demoted. In addition, your job must be held for you until 14 weeks after birth of your baby.

I think women who work at physically demanding jobs get a couple of months off before giving birth.

We have the worst maternity leave policy in Europe, but compared to America it's a dream. It's also better now than when I had my son. Then I got 8 weeks at full pay and 8 unpaid weeks.
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BinahYeteirah




 
 
    
 

Post Sun, Aug 26 2007, 6:01 am
Here in Australia, we get 14 weeks paid maternity leave, plus up to a year of unpaid leave. I think that the 14 weeks is included in the year, so up to a year after birth off total, 14 weeks being paid.
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