Whats the norm maternity leave from work?????!!!!!!! VENT!!!

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RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:25 pm

Its not like I'm expecting a couple of months. I'm working partially in the office and the rest from home - I connect to my computer at work.

I was overdue with my baby and expected to stop working at least on my due date if not a week b4 but no I've been bothered through email and phone calls until my baby was born. And now since 2 weeks post partum, my boss and colleagues call with issues to take care. Oh of course it started with a half hour introduction of how things are out of control and not getting done since I'm away and He has to come in at night to do my work blah blah blah! and this is with 2 girls sitting in the office full time who I've been training in to do my work for 2 months......(Hope they're not on IMAMother) Of course I couldn't say no. He hasn't asked me to come into the office yet but I've been putting in quite a bit of work from home. and this is with a newborn and toddler home!!

I was kinda expecting a 6-8 wk. complete break! I took 2 full months off after my last baby - didn't have computer at home yet - thank goodness!

Is that way too much to ask for??????????

doodlesmom

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:27 pm

Sounds ridiculous...
Hope youre getting paid for this!!!
Just make sure to not answer their calls all the time....

mimivan

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:32 pm

No way Jose!

when I came home from the hospital..the person I trained to take over during my leave was sending me e-mails incessantly. I forwarded them to my boss and informed them that when I am on leave, I am on leave.

I don't know what kind of rapport you have with your boss, but express the need to have a real maternity leave however you think is the most diplomatic and effective.

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:41 pm

Doodlesmom, FYI I am getting paid. I'm not working for free! That's the problem - I feel like I must do it cuz I'm getting paid for this so called Maternity leave!

bbmom

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:44 pm

I would speak to the boss and insist on full time leave - work from home is work and maternity leave is a FULL break from work.

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:45 pm

mimivan wrote:

I was gonna do that - but he started first venting about the lack of work being done in the office. Couldn't say anything past that!

Also I trained them so it's my responsibility if they are not doing the work right! And I'll have a harder time correcting mistakes once I'm back!

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:46 pm

bbmom wrote:

I would speak to the boss and insist on full time leave - work from home is work and maternity leave is a FULL break from work.

So whats the normal MATERNITY LEAVE that I can request?

flowerpower

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 6:48 pm

Six weeeks is the minimin anyone get's here. Even that is nothing.

Mrs Bissli

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 7:18 pm

Here it's against the law to have new mothers work in the first two weeks after birth.
(Woman is not allowed to work even if she wants to).

In addition we have 26weeks maternity leave where the employer must keep the
job open. You get paid 90% of salary but this is only for the first 6 weeks, then
it drops to a very low amount, like a bit over GBP100/week over the next 30-odd
weeks.

It's your body, your brain, and your baby. Noone else should dictate when
you should come back from maternity leave. If necessary, get a letter from
Dr/OBGYN. It's crazy for anyone to expect the new mother to come back so soon.
You've done your duty by training the other girls.

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 7:32 pm

Thanks for your encouragment. I'll definately put my foot down when I can get him to listen a couple of minutes. I guess I'm too involved in the business - working there quite a while. I take the business' success too personal.

Does it make sense to ask even after I've been working 2 weeks already? Baby will be 4 weeks old on Monday.

bbmom

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 8:19 pm

According to the family and medical leave act a mother is legally allowed to take 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave after the birth of a child. An employer is not legally responsible to give paid maternity leave, but upon return to work the emplyee is entitled to
"equivalent position with equivalent benefits, pay, status, and other terms and conditions of employment"

I don't know how your boss deals with paid vs not paid leave but you are fully entitled to 12 weeks off of work.

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 9:37 pm

Thanks for the info.

Boys"R"Us

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 10:10 pm

Where I live, it used to be 6 months mat leave. Now it is a year!
You should definitely demand at least what's owed to you...

~Debbie

SomebodyElse

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 10:34 pm

bbmom wrote:

Unfortunately, the FMLA only applies to companies over a certain size. For a very small company, I think they can do whatever they want.

If you have short-term disability insurance, you're entitled to 6 weeks after a vag. delivery, and 8 weeks after a C-section. I think anything less is totally unreasonable, and I think your OB would agree.

Regardless, if you're on maternity leave, I would think they should be leaving you alone, except maybe for emergencies. Do they have an official policy?

RightOnTarget

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 10:49 pm

Were talking about a very small business. No official policy. I'm actually the first one who came back to work after a baby. So my boss is not familiar with these laws.

bbmom

Thu, Feb 05 2009, 11:03 pm

You're right about the fmla - I forgot about that because it didn't make a difference to me.

Since you're the first one doing this then it's really up to you - set a specific time (6-8 weeks is normal but you need a set amount, not a range) and tell your boss that you are simply not available before that time is up, and when it is you will be back fully.

chocolate moose

Fri, Feb 06 2009, 10:06 am

But there are set legal rules on disability pay and time off.

sky

Fri, Feb 06 2009, 11:07 am

chocolate moose wrote:

But there are set legal rules on disability pay and time off.

yes, but it depends on the size of the company. I answered a few short questions during my maternity leave. Nothing more. If you put your foot down once it will most likely stop.

amother

Fri, Feb 06 2009, 11:20 am

OK... well, get a load of this. I'm due any day, and I'm getting TWO WEEKS paid maternity leave. They told me graciously that I'm allowed four additional weeks, and they won't fire me or give my job away, but those 4 additional weeks are unpaid. After 6 weeks, I MUST come back.

Oh, and the school can't get me disability from the government. Exploding anger

TWO WEEKS! I don't know anyone who could beat that! And there are other women I work with who have come back to work after the two weeks were up shock

, because they couldn't go another four weeks without a paycheck!

bbmom

Fri, Feb 06 2009, 1:22 pm

It's not so weird - every school that I've worked for has only given 2 weeks of paid leave. After that they hold your job but don't pay - legally a business does not even have to give one day of paid leave.

My school works like this - every teacher gets 5 sick days and 5 simcha days per year (part time/departmental teachers get as many days a week they work - if they work 3 days they get three days). When you have a baby you get 2 weeks paid leave IF you haven't used any days yet. If you've used days they just deduct that from the time - for example I already used two days this year so I will not be getting paid for two full weeks, I will be getting paid for 2 weeks minus 2 days (7 school days).

This is totally legal and was clearly stated in the contract that I signed in the beginning of the year - it's in writing and I signed that I agreed, who am I to go complain now?

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