[*Mrs.J.2011*]

not have paid maternity leave!? I was just reading and unfortunately signing our 2009 company handbook and we get 12 weeks unpaid FMLA.. but no paid maternity! Sooo I'm really disappointed right now! Even Chris gets 2 weeks paid paternity leave! grrr..

We're very lucky in the UK, altho Statutory Mat Pay is a lot less than half of my monthly salary... we at least get that! I really feel for you girls who get nothing and/or very little. I can't imagine what it feels like to have to go back to work after only a few weeks

[HopeWishWait]

Well that's a bummer!! I can't say on maternity leave because I'll be a SAHM but if it makes you feel better, Nic doesn't get ANY paternity leave, paid or other wise.

[Frozendesire]

I'm sorry to hear that I can't imagine you ladies that return to work so soon after having your little ones.

Here we get a full year at 55% of our wage, I think they are talking about making it 2 years. With saying that though, some of that time can be done by either parent.

But I get nothing as I'm a SAHM lol. So no change in pay over here. Hubby is taking a week paid vacation to stay at home with us

[CandaceDianne]

Do you have a sick-leave bank? Or vacation time you could save up? For 6-weeks you need 240 hours (40 hour work weeks). We dont have 'paid' maternity leave, but you can file it through your sick leave and vacation time.

I work for the state and only get to use my vacation or sick pay, the rest is unpaid. I bet Napolitano would get paid maternity if she were the childbearing type! Bunch of hooey!

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

My friend is like our HR liason here since our corporate office is out of New Jersey, and she is looking into it to see what she can dig up for me. Another issue is that we are required to use up all of our vacation time by Jan 31st so in other words, because I was just hired in September, this year I will get 10 days of vacation and 3 sick days per year with no carry over!

I did read the handbook before I was hired, but this year they changed so many things.. I might be looking for another job!! We cant afford to live on 1 income while I'm out.. If i get pregnant this year!

and another thing I just read.. we dont get FMLA! How can they do that?!? in order to qualify there must be 50 employees within 75 miles.. there are 9 of us here.. our corporate is in NJ! ***!

[CandaceDianne]

My friend is like our HR liason here since our corporate office is out of New Jersey, and she is looking into it to see what she can dig up for me. Another issue is that we are required to use up all of our vacation time by Jan 31st so in other words, because I was just hired in September, this year I will get 10 days of vacation and 3 sick days per year with no carry over!

I did read the handbook before I was hired, but this year they changed so many things.. I might be looking for another job!! We cant afford to live on 1 income while I'm out.. If i get pregnant this year!

and another thing I just read.. we dont get FMLA! How can they do that?!? in order to qualify there must be 50 employees within 75 miles.. there are 9 of us here.. our corporate is in NJ! ***![/b]

I think that is correct about the FMLA...check out this site:

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

Suddenly I want to move to Canada..

[IamMom]

Does your company offer AFLAC products or short term disability - that's what I used with DS for part of my 12 weeks off - I got paid at least 60% of my pay for the whole sick weeks - I had extended illness vacation saved up from past years also - you could bank it but not for regular days off only for certain qualified longer term things - like maternity. I came back to my regular position and work etc. It was wonderful. I am with a smaller company now with no paid time off really - but I work under incentive pay and can work from home so I kind of set my own pay by how much or how fast I work. I do have std thru Aflac now so I will get part of my pay for 6 weeks through them ( I pay in a tiny bit each pay period for that). I think small companies can pretty much do whatever they want. It's hard for employers to be without employees for so long so I can understand why some aren't accomadating.

Does your company offer AFLAC products or short term disability - that's what I used with DS for part of my 12 weeks off - I got paid at least 60% of my pay for the whole sick weeks - I had extended illness vacation saved up from past years also - you could bank it but not for regular days off only for certain qualified longer term things - like maternity. I came back to my regular position and work etc. It was wonderful. I am with a smaller company now with no paid time off really - but I work under incentive pay and can work from home so I kind of set my own pay by how much or how fast I work. I do have std thru Aflac now so I will get part of my pay for 6 weeks through them ( I pay in a tiny bit each pay period for that). I think small companies can pretty much do whatever they want. It's hard for employers to be without employees for so long so I can understand why some aren't accomadating.

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

We are going to look into the short term stuff.. unfortunately, our company is not small. It is based out of milan italy where there are several thousand employees, then our corporate US office is in NJ where they have several hundred employees.. and then there is my branch.. we have 10...

I'm literally in tears.. this is so sucky!

[Lash]

You can purchase Aflac though individually and they have some plans that would help

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

I never knew that! Off to look..

[Alison81]

I would get 6 weeks paid maternity leave, but I can take up to 12 weeks, but after 6 weeks it's unpaid. I could also take a leave of absence for up to a year if I chose, and still keep my current position. I'd look into aflac too. I have accident insurance through aflac, which is a good thing for where I work, the maternity plan is more. But I really love aflac, very helpful.

[Lash]

I didnt either until Aflac came to our work the other day. Its more expensive but still an option

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

Just looked.. according to the Aflac website, short term can only be done as an employer benefit, not a direct sale.. I did request to have someone contact me tho just in case!

[Adriana's Mommy]

One of my co-workers had AFLAC when she was pregnant, but you have to wait a certain amount of months before your covered for pregnancy. I believe it's 8 months. She got pregnant 5 months into her policy, so she dropped it..

I have to use my sick bank and vacation time for my maternity leave.. We do get FMLA, but no short term disability.. It's all state to state and Idaho is one of those states that doesn't offer short term disability for pregnancy. . Heck, it doesn't even cover gestational diabetes.. Even though diabetes is considered a disability.. We can take 12 weeks of for maternity paid or unpaid.. I'm vary blessed that my place of employment gives us lots of time off and sick time.. I currently have 90 hours saved up since I came back from maternity leave in Jan 08.. I've also use many days of vacation though out 2008. I believe I used 80 hours... I feel vary fortunate..

My advice is to save up money now.. To cover the time your off.. That's what I did with my last pregnancy.. I had 6 weeks of pay and 6 weeks of unpaid vacation..

Also, call your local hospital to see what it will cost for a normal delivery and the price for your baby.. Also contact your OB office and see how much their fee is.. It's something you can save up for too.. You don't want a surprise bill in the mail when your on maternity leave..

[*Mrs.J.2011*]

yeah Chris is more worried than me, and I'm worried! lol but we are saving as much as possible, and now even more so! I'm going to look around and see if there are any other options out there.. and we are still waiting to hear back from HR..

Oh yeah, I did sign up for short term disability. Hmmmm

[Emma&Jack's Momma]

I won't get any paid time off. Fortunately, I work for family so I can take off as much time as I need to - and bring the baby with me when I go back. My sister (I work from their home) has also said she is considering watching both of my kids for me! That would be awesome!