Maternity Leave

[Danielle9608]

First let me preface this with, no I am not pregnant. But DH and I would like to start trying in the next year or so. So with that in mind, I did a little research today on my company's maternity leave policy. I was a bit disappointed to learn that: It only pays you for up to 6 weeks. You can take up to 16 weeks but after the 6 weeks paid period you must use vacation time. I earn 3 weeks a year but can not carry over more the 4 weeks. Also vacation time earned during the leave can not be applied to the leave. So if I wanted to take 12 weeks leave, 6 of it would be paid for by my company. 4 weeks would be used from vacation time (assuming I had enough built up), and then 2 weeks unpaid. Also I can not use any sick time unless I have a note from the doctor saying I can not go back to work after the 6 weeks paid leave.

So now that I have written a novel here, my question is, what is your company's policy? Is this common for most companies - only 6 weeks?

[WebLady]

I believe that the 6 week thing is common.

I also believe there is some general thing where companies have to retain your job and rate of pay, but they don't have to give you the same position.

This happened to my sister; she took 8 weeks (6 weeks paid (and it is not your full pay), 2 weeks vacation), mostly because the local day cares wouldn't take a baby less than 8 weeks old. When she went back to work the put her in another position.

[sweetvenus]

I believe we get 15 weeks, but only the first two are 100% paid. The remaining 13 weeks we get 60% of our pay, and we cannot accrue vacation or personal time. Then I suppose we could use any vacation or personal time we had as well after the 15 weeks, if we needed to, but I'm not really sure of the policy on that.

[June_Bride2008]

I was looking in our employee handbook. Ours is 3 months.

[Danielle9608]

I believe that the 6 week thing is common.

I also believe there is some general thing where companies have to retain your job and rate of pay, but they don't have to give you the same position.

This happened to my sister; she took 8 weeks (6 weeks paid (and it is not your full pay), 2 weeks vacation), mostly because the local day cares wouldn't take a baby less than 8 weeks old. When she went back to work the put her in another position.


Wow! I guess I have it pretty good then.

[Danielle9608]

I was looking in our employee handbook. Ours is 3 months.

Is that 100% paid time?

[brendalin]

[quote=Danielle9608;334827]First let me preface this with, no I am not pregnant. quote]

I saw the title to your thread and thought "AHHHHHHHH!!!!! She is pregnant!!!!!" LMAO!!!!!

I am not sure what my companies policy is, but I should figure that out soon.....

[brendalin]

First let me preface this with, no I am not pregnant. But DH and I would like to start trying in the next year or so.
So i read your title and thought "AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" SHE"S PREGNANT!!!"

Anyway, I am not sure what my companies policy is on this, I will have to look into that when I get home......

[June_Bride2008]

I don't know for sure if it is or not.

[SerendipityCrafts]

In Canada, if the company you work for does not have a maternity leave program, the gov. pays parental and maternity leave paid @ approx. 60% of our salary (based on the last 20 weeks of employment). This is much the same as unemployment benefits except that mothers/fathers are not expected to look for work and their jobs are protected.

What is pregnancy leave?

Under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA), pregnancy leave is a right pregnant employees have to take up to 17 weeks of unpaid time off work. In some cases, the leave may be longer. Employers do not have to pay wages to someone who is on pregnancy leave.

What are maternity benefits?

Maternity benefits are employment insurance payments from the federal Employment Insurance program. Under this program, eligible workers can receive maternity benefit payments during their pregnancy leave. The Ontario Ministry of Labour cannot help an employee to receive these federal benefits.

Pregnancy leave and parental leave under the ESA are different from maternity benefits and parental benefits under the federal Employment Insurance Act. For information about maternity benefits call the nearest Human Resources and Social Development Canada. The telephone number is listed in the blue pages of your telephone book, under "Employment and Unemployment."

What is parental leave?

Under the ESA, parental leave is a right that new parents have to take unpaid time off work when a baby or child is born or first comes into their care. Birth mothers who take pregnancy leave are entitled to up to 35 weeks' parental leave. Birth mothers who don't take pregnancy leave and all other new parents are entitled to up to 37 weeks' parental leave.

What are parental benefits?

Parental benefits are employment insurance payments from the federal Employment Insurance program. Under this program, eligible workers can receive parental benefit payments during their parental leave. The Ontario Ministry of Labour cannot help a worker to receive these federal benefits.

Pregnancy leave and parental leave under the ESA are different from maternity benefits and parental benefits under the federal Employment Insurance Act.

[bichonlvr]

6 weeks is VERY common!!!

I doubt ours is PAID 6 weeks though, I think we have to use our sick days! I have ton so that should be fine....

[Goin2thechapel]

I get NOTHING....LOL...

I don't earn vacation or sick time (no benefits offered) AND, I get no paid maternity. I can take 12 weeks under the FMLA but that full 12 weeks for me is unpaid...Aahhh, to be a state employee...I hate Massachusetts

[flyerso6]

I dont even get 6 paid weeks. I have to use my sick time, i earn 13 days a year, then after that runs out use my vacation time, also earn 13 days a year. For both of those i earn 4 hours every 2 weeks so its not like i get 13 days at the begining on the year. I can take up to 12 weeks under FMLA but its unpaid. In order for me to take 6 weeks off I would have to take 0 time off for a year and like 2 months. In order for me to have 12 paid weeks off I wouldnt be able to have kids for like 6 years from now which is crazy! I wish we had better maturnity leave programs.

[Kirby]

I doubt I would get any at the crappy jobs I'm at right now. However, I don't plan on being at either one when I get pregnant because I want to wait some years.

[Jacklynn]

hmm I actually have no idea how maternity leave would work with my job. I'll have to find that out :)

[Danielle9608]

I get NOTHING....LOL...

I don't earn vacation or sick time (no benefits offered) AND, I get no paid maternity. I can take 12 weeks under the FMLA but that full 12 weeks for me is unpaid...Aahhh, to be a state employee...I hate Massachusetts

WOW Amanda that stinks!! I am sorry, I guess I will stop complaining now.

[SerendipityCrafts]

WOW Amanda that stinks!! I am sorry, I guess I will stop complaining now.

Move to Canada Amanda :) Your Dr. visits and hospital bills are covered, you will receive a monthly baby bonus cheque and oh yes, if you move to Quebec, the provincial gov. pays you to have babies too. When I was having babies they were giving $500 for the first child, $1500 for the second and $7000 for the third. :rofl:

If you contribute towards an education plan before the child is 13, the government also contributes something like 40%.

[Danielle9608]

I want to move to Canada too!

[Goin2thechapel]

OMG...I'm SOOOOO on my way to Canada...Elizabeth, Any houses in your neck of the wooods?

[bichonlvr]

If you move to Canada you are going to have to learn to speak different..EH!!!!

[SerendipityCrafts]

If you move to Canada you are going to have to learn to speak different..EH!!!!

Are you saying we talk funny eh? :)

Amanda ... some lovely homes here .... what price range would you look at? LOL I will start scouting them out? Oh ... do you think you can bring a prisoner down in French too? :rofl:

Danielle - take off! Take off to the Great White North eh! It's a beauty way to go :)

Canuck instruction video - http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ot70G4wSQi0

[rainbowtreat]

When I had my first 2 I worked at a day care. I got to take 6 weeks but they were unpaid. When I had Grady last year I was working at the bank. I had been there for 4 years. I was aloud the 12 weeks only because my company was large enough to cover me. I had to take short term disabilty. This meant that it did not kick in until I was out for 2 weeks. So for those first 2 weeks I had to use my vacation and sick time. Then 4 weeks of disabilty at about 2/3 of my pay. Then I used the rest of my vaca. and sick time. The remainder of my 12 weeks was unpaid. It think like 5 weeks total was unpaid. We had worked things out in the 9 months I was pregnant to be able to do this. We did not plan on my husband losing his job 2 weeks before I was to go back to work, and onnly at part time.

[LovingLife]

I got 6 weeks that I was paid for "short term disabilty".

At my work you get 6 weeks off for a normal birth, and 8 weeks if you have a c-section.

You get paid 75% of you pay if you qualify for FMLA, or 65% if you collect short term disability(not here long enough for fmla)


6 weeks is pretty common

[Danielle9608]

I guess I am pretty lucky to get my full pay for 6 weeks. I am just going to have to save my vacation time and we will have to save up in that 9 months so I can take off some unpaid time. Thanks everyone, glad to know I am not alone.

[BarceloMayaPalaceBride]

I have insurance, PTO and paid sick days but no maternity leave :(

[firespirit]

I get short term disability. The first week is my sick leave, then it's 80% pay for 5 additional weeks for a normal delivery. If it's c-section, I think you can have an additional 2 weeks at 60%. So if we adopt, we get squat.

I earn 10 days of sick leave a year and whatever is left of what I have earned that year gets cut in half on my anniversary date.

I tried to get our union to ask for real maternity leave and paternity leave for our contract negotitations coming up this year, but the union won't even ask, the suggestion was dismissed.


Google offers some kick arse parental leave and adoption assistance and there are some progressive companies out there that do offer paid paternal (or fraternal, whatever you want to call it) leave, mine is just not one of them.

[ally20o7]

I think I should move to Europe. I heard somewhere that some countries have 2 years maternity leave or something. Awesome.

[ktmb34]

We can go on FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act). This means you can be gone for a year, but I don't think you get paid or you get paid very little and your benefits decrease, but you don't lose your job.

[Nekochanpurr]

I'm scared to look at what you'd get at my work. o.o;

[Ninedays9]

I'm scared to look at what you'd get at my work. o.o;

I was looking at my benefits options, and I don't think maternity was listed at all. There were only leaves of absence for up to three weeks, I think. Hopefully I will have a much better (fulltime) job by the time I am pregnant!

[Nekochanpurr]

Haha.. I'm in Michigan, i don't have such high hopes. ^^**

[Jenna5366]

I was going to brag about Canada's awesome maternity leave program, but Elizabeth beat me to it!! A word of advice for all of you "debating" moving here... stay east. You can buy a house here (in Calgary) for $350,000 that would cost you $150,000 in Montreal. Unless things have changed drastically in the last few years.

[FutureKelley]

Where I work, if you become pregnant you have to quit. I think it's because of the chemicals we work with? I'm not totally sure, but I ended up getting promoted to the position I'm in because the girl who was working it got pregnant and had to quit. =/

[SerendipityCrafts]

A word of advice for all of you "debating" moving here... stay east. You can buy a house here (in Calgary) for $350,000 that would cost you $150,000 in Montreal. Unless things have changed drastically in the last few years.

Our house prices have come up a bit. Oh sure, you can still find a nice house "off-island" (an hour - hour & 15 into town) for $150.00 but you would be hard pressed to find a decent one for that price on the island. Condo apartments may still be found for that price. The average is supposed to be $250,000 - $275,000. Anything less than that moves quick! LOL

Now if you want a really good deal on a house - you have to go further east - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI or Newfoundland. :)

[L.J.Aguirre]

hmmm this thread is scaring me. when i go to work tomorrow i will for sure ask. i would probably leave work at about 8 and a half months but who knows if i'll even be at my job by that time since i'm close to finishing my pharmacy tech now. hopefully i'll be at kaiser or something...

[Hope75]

I live in MA and we qualify for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) which means we get 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a child. I also have a short term disability policy which allows us 6 weeks at 80% of our pay, and I can use Earned Time for any remaining time if I have it.

I'm just excited because my baby is due in July so I will get some summer & fall months off!:)

[Goin2thechapel]

I live in MA and we qualify for FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) which means we get 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a child. I also have a short term disability policy which allows us 6 weeks at 80% of our pay, and I can use Earned Time for any remaining time if I have it.

I'm just excited because my baby is due in July so I will get some summer & fall months off!:)
WOW!!!! Another pregnant lady!!!!! Wahooo!!!!! Congrats!

[Hope75]

WOW!!!! Another pregnant lady!!!!! Wahooo!!!!! Congrats!

Thank you! We are excited too. :)