https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 04:51:35 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2606468 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 14:57:26 +0000 Amorini 2606468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@alphagam84: Haha. It's a new one to HB maybe = Best Baby in the World Plan ... where they do everything you want them to. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605924 Thu, 18 Aug 2016 08:57:11 +0000 alphagam84 2605924@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: What's BBWP? I can't keep up with the acronyms! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605719 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 20:28:10 +0000 Amorini 2605719@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dookie32: Thanks for the commiseration and also the reminder that I don't have to stress about it right now! FMLA is gov't mandated mat leave but it falls short, doesn't always apply (which is just dumb!) and doesn't pay a dime. And dads need something, too, so they can stay home longer!</p> <p>@BUNBUN: Oh yeah, STD vs SDI. I was last working in CA (where I would've had FMLA and SDI), so I mixed those up but I think it works about the same -- it would've been 60% pay for 6 weeks (vag) or 8 weeks (cs). If my company gets taken over by the larger firm, we'll get STD but the crazy thing is that I still don't think I would qualify for FMLA (like in the future) because my satellite office is far enough away from other offices. Crazy!</p> <p>@avivoca: I guess I'll just have to see what happens and hope for the BBWP (Best Baby in the World Plan)! I read this blog this morning and picked that up. It's a crapshoot! <a href="https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org/advice/working/babyatwork" rel="nofollow">https://www.berkeleyparentsnetwork.org/advice/working/babyatwork</a></p> <p>@daniellemybelle: Yeah, I have brought up that this leave scenario is contingent upon LO and me being healthy. I don't think he will add anything to that effect beyond what is already drawn up (I can tell he already felt like he did enough) and my gut says he will keep me on as long as possible, if there are complications, though probably unpaid beyond the 8 weeks. The coworker comment was actually not a coworker but just another working mom who I consult for sometimes and vice versa. So her point was just out of concern for me...and possibly trying to make sure I knew that 6 or 8 weeks were too few (yep, got it!).</p> <p>@alphagam84: Oh, that's so nice to hear you were on the BBWP, too!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605414 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 12:10:54 +0000 alphagam84 2605414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would totally have brought my daughter to work with me at that age! She was so chill. I actually kept her home with me one day a week when I would wfh from months 4-6 and it worked out really well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605347 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 10:59:11 +0000 daniellemybelle 2605347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: Thanks for your update! I find it all very interesting and I think it could be really helpful to other moms in similar situations!</p> <p>I think 8 weeks is not ideal but it sounds like you have a good plan in place. I would have a stipulation that your leave may be extended (paid/unpaid) if you or LO have any complications.</p> <p>It's awesome that you can flex your schedule and bring baby with you! My baby was pretty colicky and it would have been hard but at 8 weeks she was taking three 2 hour naps in the swing most days and if I had a swing in the office I probably could have gotten at least a few hours of work in that way! </p> <p>I'm curious about your coworker's comment... was it out of consideration for you? Or does she think you aren't setting a good precedent for others to follow you? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605340 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 10:54:46 +0000 avivoca 2605340@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: For me, I considered older infant (while on leave) after 2 months or so. She was more awake, less content to be put down, and it was just hard to concentrate on anything. Once she was much older (around 6 months), it became nearly impossible for me to work with her there because she wanted someone to play with, so I could only work when she was napping (and she was a crap napper, she only napped for 30 minutes at a time multiple times a day). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605320 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 10:31:04 +0000 MamaCate 2605320@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I've been following your story and was so glad to see your update. I wanted to let you know that I ended up taking my baby back with me for the first week while I waited for a daycare spot to open. It was a little complicated and I had a very chill baby but it all worked out. He was 12 weeks at the time so a little bigger than yours will be. I would recommend baby wearing so that you have two hands free to type or talk on the phone while you move around a baby that little will probably be fairly oblivious so you can talk on the phone or do things with people and we are the baby and nurse the baby without too much trouble. Since it's only for the month I think you'll be able to make it work. And then when your parents to start watching the baby you'll appreciate being able to just focus on work when you were at work and hopefully just focus on the baby when you were at home. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605217 Wed, 17 Aug 2016 07:39:18 +0000 BUNBUN 2605217@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I have short-term disability that gives me 6 weeks at 60% pay for a vaginal birth (8 weeks for cesarean) . I think SDI is state disability insurance for California? I live in Texas, fyi. My employer just happens to offer fairly decent STD insurance. We are a smaller non-profit, so I appreciate that they offer it at all! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605127 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 22:24:32 +0000 dookie32 2605127@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: It's all hard to navigate but try to not stress about it before you need to :). You really do need to just focus on recovering and soaking up those 1st few weeks with your teeny one. </p> <p>Your boss' comment about time to "hang out with your baby" is so infuriating! Unfortunately I've found that even if they do have kids, most male bosses/managers are never really going to get it. The exact reason we need to have government mandated maternity leave in this country! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605104 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 21:36:29 +0000 Amorini 2605104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dookie32: Thanks for your thoughts on this! I know -- just on Friday another working mom friend said in a very concerned tone, "Please do not go back before 12 weeks." :bummed: It looks like that is not in the cards. Yes, working at home could work if necessary. I also have space/privacy to setup a temporary nursery in a spare office... I'll have my sister brainstorm with me it since she knows my office and has had little babies. I know somehow -- between flexing hours, backup care, working part-time and digging deep -- this will have to work. All of that assumes we're in a reasonable good health which one can't take for granted... And I know it will kinda suck and it also might make me bitter, anxious and depressed...PPD/A is my biggest fear with all of this. DH will also move mountains for us so my agnostic self-talk right now is to "Have faith!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605095 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 21:22:06 +0000 Amorini 2605095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@avivoca: Glad to hear that you are getting 12 weeks and some paid through SDI! What age do you consider an older infant, like 3-4+ months? I'm such a newbie! I guess so much of this is going to depend on what kind of baby he or she turns out to be! And, yes, it's possible for me to flex my hours to a certain degree during the baby month...I do that even now with no one looking over my shoulder!</p> <p>@josina: Ugh, I can't believe that your boss tried to reneg on the issue! It's kind of a big deal! I'm glad that you (and I) got it in writing. Yes, fingers crossed this baby likes to chill and, even then, I'm prepared for crazy times. </p> <p>@BUNBUN: Yes, could have been better but could be so much worse. I even think I could work from home some if I wanted during December, but I stand a chance of being more productive in the office (faster server, bigger computers). We'll see! As you say, at least there are options and some flexibility. Do you get 6 months SDI? I've only ever heard of 6 weeks SDI. DH and I just had the convo that Christmas with family is probably out of the question now as we both will be totally tapped out of vacation (and good graces) by that time. For me, I expect business development and client contacts to be slow in December which for me would be okay.. I'm hoping that its project work (head down and no meetings).... We will definitely have to compare notes in December!</p> <p>@raspberries: Thanks for the encouragement (basically that a happy office baby MIGHT work out) and please cross your fingers for me!</p> <p>@catlady: And thank you for the dose of reality that I might not have a happy office baby. Flexing hours around a sleeping baby might help some and I had the same thought as you of having a backup plan sitter/helper! Even if I do have a happy office baby, I think I'd be smart to have a backup solution!!</p> <p>@birdofafeather: Yes, thank you for the perspective! It's really all a big question mark until we see what this baby needs (not to mention what this mamma needs). And I will definitely be trying to find some part-time help in December.</p> <p>I so appreciate your encouragement!! What I didn't say earlier was that I cried for most of the day yesterday after having this conversation. By the time today's email arrived, I bounced back obviously but, as generous and well-meaning as my boss/the president is, I really felt that sadness of how devalued motherhood/fatherhood and parent/child bonding is in the US. I mean, really. I felt like I had to advocate (ETA: justify, I mean) for more time. At one point, he said "I can justify the leave if you are recovering from childbirth but not if you just want to hang out at home with your baby." Those words hurt because what new mom is having a vacation at that point on leave? Who ever came up with 6-8 weeks isn't addressing a "whole" person or society in that equation. It just hits me in a soft spot to think that he (and by extension a few other directors -- all male with kids well past college age) think "babies just sleep at that age." Even if mine does, he doesn't realize that he is basically asking me move mountains (speaking of me personally) to have new mom and baby routines in place to be able to think about my job again in only 8 weeks PP. So... in the end, I know I am fortunate but advocating for a family friendlier work environment is probably my new normal. As a start, I feel good to have gently pushed back some and created some flexibility in case this LO does not "just sleep" ... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2605091 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 21:18:08 +0000 dookie32 2605091@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I know it isn't ideal but 8 weeks fully paid sounds like a pretty good deal considering the circumstances. I had that with my old company (STD paid 60% and they covered the rest) and I thought that was pretty standard until I met with the HR people at my current company. My leave with this baby will be STD coverage only so I get 100% pay for 1 week and then the rest is at 80% (3 weeks) and then 70% (4 weeks). I was not happy when I found that out! </p> <p>I totally agree that you probably won't feel ready to go back after 8 weeks. I remember my other girlfriends telling me that before I had my son and it was true. I took 10 weeks because I couldn't take unpaid weeks and I wish I would have taken 2 more. I will say though that there would have been no chance I would have been able to work with my son with me in an office as an infant. Working from home with him would have been pretty difficult but I can't even imagine how I would have brought all of the baby stuff I needed with me. Do you have to go to the office or would you have the option to work from home? If it would have to be at the office I would definitely start looking into some options of a sitter or even drop-in day care. Even if your baby is the chillest ever (here's hoping :)) it would probably still be a logistical nightmare. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2604942 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 16:20:31 +0000 birdofafeather 2604942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i agree with @catlady: i could have done the working from the office with DD1, who was sleepy and laid back, but not with DD2 who took a lot more to get to sleep and was unhappy when awake from months 2-4 (even though she was pretty easy too!). i would definitely look into options for a mother's helper for part time help during December. Maybe a college student home for break?</p> <p>ETA: the paid leave is incredible! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2604930 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 16:04:00 +0000 catlady 2604930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm glad it has mostly worked out for you, especially the paid leave! I will be a debbie downer and say that I could not work when my LO was 8 weeks old (I actually was asked by my office to try to do some part-time work remotely at that point, and attempted it, and failed...but my job was not hanging on that). If you absolutely have to make that work, it might make sense to try to find some back-up care just in case, like a nanny or even a mother's helper who could come and keep your baby company for some parts of the day while you get things done. I have a friend who basically got no maternity leave at all and she made it work by cobbling together care in this way until he was 3 months, at which point he started at daycare. You might get lucky though and get an easy baby! Just thought I'd add that in there though so you can try to be prepared if you need to. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2604923 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:55:02 +0000 raspberries 2604923@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sounds like you negotiated a pretty decent deal for yourself! I just wanted to chime in and say that I think I would have been able to work with my 2 month old in the office with me - he was a pretty laid back baby and would be content to be propped up in boppy or under his play gym when he wasn't sleeping. Fingers crossed your LO is the same way! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2604919 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:51:16 +0000 BUNBUN 2604919@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I'm so glad to read your update and learn that you can get some fully-paid leave plus a flexible schedule!<br /> I agree that it isn't the dream situation, and I would imagine that working with a 2 month old for a month will be incredibly challenging, but at least they gave you the option?<br /> I will have 6 months STD at reduced pay and have managed to save enough sick/vacation time to take an additional 6 weeks off (just barely). Luckily my job is fairly flexible with allowing me to come back reduced time, but I'm not sure how that will work either, since we will really need my full paycheck. Since I'm due 10/11, I'm worried that I will have to go back to work the week before Christmas when it's practically impossible to reach any of my contacts anyway! I'm contemplating working 8 hours/week from home for the last few weeks of my sick time to start catching up on email and the projects that I will have to jump back on in January, both in an effort to be better equipped when I do go back and also to bank some more time to spend Christmas with family. I'm worried about how "doable" that will be with a 2 month old. I'll be cheering you on from about 2 weeks behind, most likely! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy/page/2#post-2604912 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:43:17 +0000 josina 2604912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: Thats great that you're getting 6 weeks fully paid and the extra 2 weeks vacation time to use. And even better that you have it in writing (the email).<br /> My boss had verbally told me 6 weeks paid (and thank god I confirmed in an email) because once I was on leave he tried denying that and not paying me!</p> <p>Hoping you have an easy baby that will make work easy for you. ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2604904 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:26:44 +0000 avivoca 2604904@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I'm really glad that you will be getting some form of paid leave! I'm receiving STD this time around and while it is not full pay, it is something. </p> <p>I've never tried to work with a newborn (I am taking 12 weeks unpaid except for my STD), but working with an older infant is very tough for me. I'm not able to fully concentrate on what I'm doing and babies in general do not always nap consistently. That being said, since it is just you, you may be able to make it work, especially if you can flex your time and work odd hours. My superiors absolutely will not allow me to bring my child to work and they are not willing to allow me to go part-time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2604902 Tue, 16 Aug 2016 15:22:10 +0000 Amorini 2604902@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>UPDATE!</p> <p>I can't believe I started this thread 5 months ago and I finally got the details of my leave worked out at 33w3d! It's interesting to see the post I wrote even 4 months ago (two posts up) because of how things are aligning.</p> <p>So there are several parts to this story... </p> <p>#1 The Reveal / Initial Conversation: At 20 weeks, I had a private conversation with the president and then announced to wider staff group. All went well. I waited until I could make a trip to the main office so I could have these conversations in person. The president said he would "cover me" (full salary) while I was out like he did the *one* other woman who had a baby while at the company (I'm only the second in 17 years!). I thought, "AMAZING! This is going so much better than I thought!" The only part he left out was how long he would "cover me." When I asked, he said he would look that up to make sure it was fair with what he had paid the other woman. Given the typical leave time offered in companies I've been with in the past, etc, I figured it was somewhere in the 10-12 weeks department. Hooray! I almost wrote you all an update, but I wanted to get the details worked out...</p> <p>#2 The Follow-up Conversations: Several times since then (between 20w and say 31w pregnant), he restated his initial commitment to pay me during leave. Still too good to be true, right?! I trust and trusted him even though I didn't have details and nothing in writing. In fact, our company is in the process of being bought by a larger company so he re-stated his commitment to cover my salary while I was out and make that a stipulation if we are to get taken over either before or after the baby arrives. I asked him several times to clarify how long the leave time would be and he said he still had to look that up. Meanwhile, we have been working out how jobs get assigned to other staff while I'm out. The president wants to be the one to mastermind that, so that whole question of "who is going to do your job while you're out?" hasn't really fallen to me alone to answer.</p> <p>#3 Getting Real: At 32w pregnant, the other directors I work with remotely and share project responsibilities are naturally starting to get antsy about making sure all of the ducks are in a row when the baby arrives. In the works are a lot of spreadsheets and cross-training with staff who will cover me, etc. In the midst of that, one director (non-owner) asked me if I knew how long I would be out. I said 'No, I'm still waiting to hear back from the president. I have asked several times.' He said, "I think the president intends for you to have a six week leave." I was pretty shocked since it's so far below the standard of other similar (although bigger) companies I have worked for. I also realized that I need to politely demand a firm answer to the "how long?" question. </p> <p>&lt;&lt; Pause for editorial reflection &gt;&gt;<br /> When someone offers you something amazing like fully paid leave, it's hard to drill down on them "well, how much of this wonderfully rare and unheard-of thing are you giving me?"</p> <p>#4 Answers: Yesterday at 33w2d I finally said that I needed to firm up my understanding of my leave. He gave the dreaded answer of 6 to 8 weeks. Enough for me to checkout and recover, medically-speaking. Still very generous that he would pay full salary, but it was still not easy for me to hear. Gulp, it was so hard to but I had to tell him that I was thinking more in the 10-12 week range and that I couldn't be sure that I would be mentally (let alone emotionally) ready to return to 100% full-time at 6 to 8 weeks. (I know lots of women do it. I just know ME and what 99% of the working women who know me very well say. No judgement please.) I made VERY clear that I appreciated the paid leave and that it was way more than most employers would offer but I just needed to make sure that I was setting myself up for success upon return. I offered that the 8-12 week period could be transitional time for me, unpaid or partially paid. He said the baby could come to work (office is just me!) and slowly we began to work out these final terms that just came to me via email:</p> <p>--6 weeks paid<br /> --2 weeks vacation/sick<br /> --option to return either full-time right away or part-time (up to 29 hrs) for awhile* </p> <p>*If I don't return to full-time (guessing he would accept a few weeks of part-time), he will have to fill my position with someone else which is understandable. I intend to return full-time and want my job!</p> <p>My due date is October 1. I'm hoping LO arrives not a day sooner so leave could be through Thanksgiving. The big unknown is how bringing baby to the office would actually work out for about a month (December) ... My parents can come Jan - March to baby sit before LO goes to daycare, but not earlier because they are hosting Christmas for our big family. My sister, who has two LOs, recently visited my office and thinks it would work out fine, but (deep breath) it's hard for this FTM to know! Might be time to start a new thread about how bringing a newborn (potentially full-time) to my solitary office could actually work. Like my sister said, it could be like working at home except without the dogs and housework staring me down.</p> <p>Anyway, long story short, not a walk in the park and still some unknowns but getting paid leave is pretty amazing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2512945 Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:25:07 +0000 agold 2512945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: Thanks for the update! I understand waiting until you are comfortable at a certain point to talk about maternity leave with your work. It was one thing for me to say "I'm pregnant" and its a whole different thing to talk abut the logistics of my leave. It's so great to hear about how you are now thinking that your work situation will be able to nicely accommodate your leave. And its amazing that your parents will be babysitting in your home. Its all sounding great! Keep us posted, please! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2512324 Thu, 31 Mar 2016 21:24:37 +0000 Amorini 2512324@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: @Mrs. Carrot: Hey, thanks for bumping this. I literally think everyday about this issue and what I wrote here and all of the advice and insights so far. I haven't felt 100% confident in the pregnancy (everything's been great -- just post-IVF anxiety) but now I'm almost 14 weeks and will get back the NIPT results anyday so I will feel more comfortable discussing this with work. So, it's getting real and addressing the work situation is right around the corner.</p> <p>Another facet since I wrote this is that work is picking up. My first two months in this new role (Jan and Feb) were so slow, but spring has sprung. While I am dragging my feet a bit to announce, I'm gaining more confidence that a.) they really like me and b.) some of the juicy proposals I have out are going to turn into something that will kind of seal the deal in terms of my future with them. I also am learning more of the staff dynamics and how remote staff could mostly fill in the gaps while I'm out.</p> <p>I also had a good visit with my parents and they will definitely babysit in our home until LO is at least 6 months. Hard to explain why but that helps me feel better about the idea of starting back part-time sooner than 12 weeks. I could now see part-time/work-from-home during 8-12 weeks then phasing back into the office the next month.</p> <p>In thinking through how the business will be covered, I do think it's possible to be on-call and cover emergencies for a period, acting as liaison for remote staff who could deal with details. The toughest part for everyone will be at least 8 weeks of radio silence (my current thinking), but even then I think setting in place some systems and making sure clients are tended to will allow everyone to get by. The biggest hit will be a slow-down in business development, but I am lining up some good connections now and planting seeds that won't just disappear with a couple down months.</p> <p>So the update is that I'm still working on it and coming up with a plan as I get new info. I probably will continue to sit on it for a few more weeks or even another month, but I'm constantly reassessing so that could change as the weeks pass (and my bump grows). I am pretty good at knowing the limits of acceptability and reading the room on these types of work things. I will definitely update again with how it went / goes! </p> <p>And thanks again for all of the replies even though I haven't responded individually. (I had a response with a comment to each of you and it totally vanished! :shocked: ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2509701 Tue, 29 Mar 2016 14:20:54 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2509701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would back up a few other commenters to say that you're going to be in the strongest position if you go in with prepared answers to bottom line questions on the business. Who will cover the office (or what arrangements need to be made and have you thought those through, to cover the office)? Who will cover your work, how, for how long, what potential issues does that present, etc.? If you're responsible for business development, who's going to bring in the money you may not be able to in that time? I think you might find yourself surprised about your boss's response - people tend to be much more human and empathetic than we give them credit for - but you're right that the business is a first priority so make sure to think through and address all the potential business implications of your leave and how they will be handled. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2509681 Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:57:10 +0000 agold 2509681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Amorini: I'd love to hear your update! I really hope everything worked out great for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2492315 Fri, 11 Mar 2016 15:31:53 +0000 Amorini 2492315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi all! I had a big long response half-drafted and it disappeared! I am still thinking about all of this. I will try to rewrite my reply soon!. :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2487041 Tue, 08 Mar 2016 06:26:01 +0000 ElbieKay 2487041@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I joined my company in late 2011, there were 40 employees.</p> <p>When I announced my pregnancy to them two years later (fall 2013 / due Feb 2014) we were maybe... 80 employees?</p> <p>At the time we worked out a one-off deal. I had 12 weeks off. 4 were covered by SDI (which I pay for out of pocket through our benefits provider), the company paid for 2; I paid for two by agreeing to a lower bonus for that year; 4 were unpaid.</p> <p>Now we have a more generous official policy which I authored and pushed through last summer because we had our second pregnant employee. If I take maternity leave again, I will get 12 weeks covered at 75%. That is incremental to my SDI though.</p> <p>I think I am pregnant again -- I just POAS two days ago -- and am worried that I will be due right as comp discussions are started for 2016. (Plus maternity leave in the winter, yuck!). I guess we'll see how things play out for #2.</p> <p>I agree with pp advice to be transparent about how you plan to address the business issues. Imagine you owned the company. What would your priorities be? What would you expect an employee to do in your shoes? That should inform your proposal and how you present it to your boss. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2486688 Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:42:59 +0000 MrsBeluga 2486688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: for sure! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2486687 Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:42:29 +0000 agold 2486687@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBeluga: You are amazing. I am absolutely going to send you questions in a bit because I don't want to high jack this thread more than I already have! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2486681 Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:37:09 +0000 MrsBeluga 2486681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@agold: Wonderful! Yay for another CA bee! Once you are set up for SDI the state will auto enroll you into PFL. They will mail you a form every two weeks where you can write in if you worked or not and then mail back (they give you about 3-4 days to turn around), then they do their calculations and auto fund your account. For both SDI and PFL, they will create a bank account for you (last time they used Bank of America), they will send you a debit card, and then they just fund the account for you (you can transfer online to your own account or head to B of A to cash out -no wire/transfer fees that way). The first deposit takes about a month to get, but after that it's every two weeks. They make it so so easy! </p> <p>Also for SDI, I went two weeks late last time and I ended up getting paid for 6 weeks before birth (so the 4 weeks you will read about online is just the usual but can be extended), and it's 6 weeks after or 8 if you end up needing a c section.</p> <p>Also, for SDI you will apply online and create an online account (2 months or so before August), your doctor will send in a form confirming your due date, and then the state will use payroll records submitted by your employer to do the weekly pay calculation for you. They will send you their calculation and it's easy to recalculate, and also nice that they do it for you too! Once you have your baby the doctor will send notice to the state, and that's how they know when to transfer you (either the 6 or 8 week mark) from SDI to PFL.</p> <p>Feel free to send me an CA questions I learned a ton last time around! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2486679 Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:36:08 +0000 Shantuck 2486679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have short term disability coverage through your employer? That is often how employers cover paid maternity leave (at least in part - mine paid 60% and my employer paid the remaining 40% during my leave) for employees who take a maternity leave. It might be nice to know what you are entitled to through your benefits before you have the conversation. I would also put yourself out there with the female coworker to gather intelligence. I'd probably have that conversation the day/week prior to you are ready to announce just in case she spills the beans prematurely, though I'd definitely ask her not to say anything. If you are going to enter into a negotiation, you should go in knowing what others got even if the circumstances are different.</p> <p>ETA: I think you might be looking at this from more of "how do I keep my job waiting for me" lens than a "how do I keep them paying me while I'm out" lens but it probably makes sense to do all of this diligence so you are ready to walk into a negotiation with a sense of what you should get. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/negotiating-maternity-leave-in-high-level-position-small-us-company-no-fmla-or-clear-policy#post-2486669 Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:27:52 +0000 agold 2486669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBeluga: Thanks for all of this information! I am in California too and need to start looking into the state-assisted paid leave. I knew about the 6 weeks state disability. I've also been paying into a supplemental short-term disability insurance plan that will get me to almost something like 95% of pay for the times that supplemental insurance kicks in. I didn't really understand the paid family leave. I would like to take that too and use it all up at one time for an additional 6 weeks. That would be amazing. I would love to just peace out from work for a long time like that and not have my work pay me and then feel fully justified to ignore any and all work. I can't really afford to go any time without any pay, though. So it will all be interesting. Thanks for telling me about this! </p>