https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 09:09:11 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344547 Tue, 14 Jan 2014 00:15:18 +0000 indi 1344547@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>6 weeks paid, but we can't really afford to have me take any unpaid over and above that since my income is higher. :-( However, the partners did say "at least 6 weeks" and that's what's in my contract, but I have a feeling they'll be flexible with letting me work my way back during week 7 or maybe even 8, depending on how delivery and LO are. They've also said LO can come in with me, but I have no idea what that actually means in practice, so we'll feel that out in April. </p> <p>Oooh, how I wish I were just a few hours north in Canada sometimes. :-( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344479 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:21:27 +0000 Mamadee 1344479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No pay through work. I had to save for a year to be able to take leave. I got some pay through disability and FMLA but it was less than 50% of my normal wage. I took 11 weeks off but if I hadn't been more prepared, I probably would have only taken 6. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344448 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:07:53 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 1344448@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>60% for 6 weeks STD, then I had 9 days of PTO left in 2013, but I have 20 days for 2014. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344428 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:50:34 +0000 Mamasig 1344428@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>100% pay for 8 weeks, used 2 weeks of vacation, and 2 weeks unpaid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344412 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:42:37 +0000 Beebug 1344412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>93% of regular pay for 12 months. Feeling very lucky reading this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344405 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:39:46 +0000 PurplePeony 1344405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our maternity leave is unpaid but I have almost enough sick and vacation time accrued to cover 12 weeks. I think I'm going to start doing some work from home and maybe going in to the office for a couple hours here and there, though -- I'm sort of bored being home all day so I could use the mental stimulation. So the time I spend working will allow me to save a few hours of PTO/not have to take unpaid time. And if my boss is cool with it, it might mean I can do part-time for a couple weeks rather than just jumping back in full-time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344388 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:29:27 +0000 bookwormmama 1344388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since I work part-time at two different jobs I won't get paid at all. The people I nanny for will need to pay the person who is covering me while I'm gone, so no pay there and I only get paid for the hours I work at my library job. I am only taking 6 weeks off because of this...and my supervisors have made me feel a little guilty about it by telling me "are you sure that's enough?" I would obviously like to do more but that won't be happening unless I need a c-section. Luckily I won't need to send baby to daycare when I go back to nannying, so I feel a lot better about the shorter leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344328 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 22:09:11 +0000 heartonastring 1344328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as @delight: </p> <p>My employer topped up to 95% of my salary for the first 17 weeks, and since then I just get EI, which is $501/week, less some tax.</p> <p>Ver,y, very grateful to have these benefits. It makes me angry the American bees don't get the same :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344260 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:43:55 +0000 yoursilverlining 1344260@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I took 14 weeks total (about 1.5 before LO was born and just over 12 after her birth). 1 week STD "elimination week" paid fully by employer. 6 weeks at 100% pay through STD. 4 weeks 100% pay through banked PTO. The rest was unpaid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344258 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:42:16 +0000 lavender 1344258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>12 weeks, all unpaid for #1 and it'll be the same in as couple of weeks when #2 comes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344250 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:38:19 +0000 blackbird 1344250@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>60% pay for six weeks </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344249 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:38:06 +0000 mlm2934 1344249@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have STD for 60% of pay, but I don't know how many weeks it covers (the max is 11 but I'm thinking less for pregnancy - maybe 6-8?) I will probably have about a week of PTO I'll put with that and the rest unpaid - plan to take 12 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344243 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:35:01 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1344243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Basically all unpaid. I was a second year teacher so I had minimal leave days, I had LO on 6/6, the last day of school. </p> <p>I came back at the beginning of this year "part-time"--working 3 days a week with a sub 2 days a week (those 2 days were all unpaid). But after a month or so, decided to SAH. My principal recently called to ask that I come back. LO is now 7 months and I think I'm more prepared to WOH so I'll be headed back in the next few weeks. </p> <p>I should have signed up for STD and will make sure to do so when I re-sign my contract this week! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344227 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:28:41 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1344227@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had 20ish days of leave that I had to use up. The other weeks were "unpaid leave". I ended up taking 16 weeks total (although our thanksgiving &amp; winter holiday breaks didn't count against me). It "cost" me $9,000 to take my maternity leave. </p> <p>@abbylyn: well, I still got my regular paychecks during my leave. When I returned to work, HR tallied my total days missed, times my daily rate &amp; divided that by the number of paychecks left in the year. Then they docked my checks until it was all "paid back". I'm a teacher (and think @matador84: is too), so I don't know if other places do it this way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344222 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:27:45 +0000 delight 1344222@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in Canada and get paid leave, but have paid into employment insurance since I started working. The amount of money given is based on your salary but there is a maximum you can receive. Its great to get a pay check while on maternity leave and am very thankful for our benefits. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344219 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:27:03 +0000 avivoca 1344219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had to save my PTO for my leave and I stretched it over three pay periods. So I was paid for the first two months and the last month was unpaid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344218 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:26:24 +0000 cascademom 1344218@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was paid for 8 weeks, then unpaid for 4 weeks. I used my PTO to bridge the unpaid time, so I didn't go without pay for the 12 weeks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344206 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:23:25 +0000 yellowbird 1344206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>2 weeks paid vacation time and 7 weeks unpaid. I only took 9 week because I wasn't eligible for fmla and that's what my employer gave me. I will definitely take all 12 next time and hopefully I can get a bit more! I also signed up for short term disability even though we aren't planning for #2 just yet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344201 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:22:20 +0000 abbylyn 1344201@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm confused - I don't understand how it's unpaid AND docked out of your paycheck. Isn't that the same thing? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344189 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 21:19:48 +0000 Smurfette 1344189@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was pain for 6 weeks, then used 3 weeks vacation. The last 3 weeks was unpaid. I then had to pay back what my portion of medical, dental, and vision for the three weeks when I did get a check again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344098 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:59:03 +0000 lilteacherbee 1344098@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>All unpaid...hence why I only took 9 weeks off. Tomorrow is my first day back :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1344072 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:53:15 +0000 bisous 1344072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was partially paid...7 weeks at full pay (including 15 vacation days that I burned); 3 weeks of 70% pay and 2 weeks unpaid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343991 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:32:38 +0000 MrsH 1343991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 12 weeks will be paid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343989 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:31:26 +0000 katsupgirl 1343989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was paid for 3 months and unpaid for 4 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343974 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:28:28 +0000 swedishfish 1343974@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I used 5 sick days at the end of the school year so I got paid for that week. I went back for the first day of school in September so my maternity leave was 5 days of school plus summer vacation. I will use more time with the next LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343972 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:27:53 +0000 mrsbookworm 1343972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I was paid for 2 weeks, then got FMLA for a little while. After that my maternity leave was unpaid. I decided not to go back once my leave was up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343967 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:26:33 +0000 Foodnerd81 1343967@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Part of my time was paid- basically it worked out to 8 weeks paid std (which started before she was born but would have maxed out at six weeks after she was born). Then I used all my vacation days, then it was unpaid. So it came out to about 2.5 months paid and I could have taken a total of 4 months. I did not go back to work and quit after all my paid time was up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-did-your-maternity-leave-work-out#post-1343959 Mon, 13 Jan 2014 20:23:28 +0000 matador84 1343959@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I met with the leave clerk today and it was such a drag! I'm kicking myself for not getting short term disability policy in between kids.</p> <p>I had 40+ days of paid time off with DS, so I had to use my personal leave, but at least I got paid. With DD, I have 8 paid days and then will get my daily rate of pay docked out of my paycheck for every day I'm gone there after...so I won't be getting a paycheck for about 2.5 months! Such a bummer!! </p>