If you asked for more time off beyond what FMLA allows for job protection, would your workplace allow you to take it and return to your same job?
If you asked for more time off beyond what FMLA allows for job protection, would your workplace allow you to take it and return to your same job?
hostess / wonderful watermelon / 39513 posts
My job wasn't protected by FMLA but I had 12 weeks for baby 1 and 17 for baby 2.
grapefruit / 4554 posts
Yes, but maternity leave is all unpaid so I really can't afford to take more than 12 weeks off.
pomegranate / 3580 posts
Yes, my job is giving me 16 weeks but I don't qualify for FMLA so it's a combo of short term disability, vacation paid at FT and a few weeks at PT pay.
wonderful pomelo / 30692 posts
I've HEARD that my company allows it (I know a girl that took 15 weeks off), but I didn't know how you went about getting more time off and I was told that taking more time would result in my job NOT being protected under FMLA, so I was too nervous to even try it!
watermelon / 14467 posts
No. My job does not qualify for FMLA and Iw as very lucky to get 12 weeks.
wonderful kiwi / 23653 posts
I work for a small private company, so probably (if I have a good reason). But I probably will continue to be unpaid of have to use my days.
cantaloupe / 6086 posts
I was able to take 4 months (mostly unpaid). it was a small employer that didn't technically have to follow FMLA but they were very flexible. it was also the off-season for my job by then, i.e. not as busy. I think that made a difference.
grapefruit / 4400 posts
They would have before, but we just had a huge re-org and I don't think my new management would allow it. Luckily, I live in CA so I have FMLA and CFL so I can take more than 12 weeks.
pomegranate / 3438 posts
I was able to take 16 weeks off. I'm hoping to either take the same or slightly more with the next one.
pomelo / 5258 posts
I'm in California so I had 18 weeks after delivery. Normally I think my company would have allowed me longer leave without pay if I requested it. However, my boss was on leave the same time so there was pressure to get me back ASAP. Half of my department was out.
HR kept telling me I wasn't eligible for the leave I took but they couldn't seem to prove me wrong.
pomegranate / 3921 posts
I'm not pregnant yet, but have been thinking a lot about this lately. We are protected by FMLA, and our 12-week benefits/pay are great. I work for a nonprofit, and honestly, depending on the time of year I have the baby, they'll probably have to hire someone to take over some of my job responsibilities when I'm out. So, in that case, I think they'd be flexible with more than 12 weeks, but anything over that would definitely be unpaid.
honeydew / 7667 posts
My job wasn't protected by FMLA. I don't think it would go over well and would never ask - it would put too much burden on my coworkers.
kiwi / 687 posts
Yes, HR technically allows 6mos. All is unpaid, and all benefits (like health insurance) are discontinued after the 12 weeks of FMLA. My department is putting loads of pressure on me to come back in 6-12wks but I say f*ck 'em. Our plan is to find a way to afford 6mos (and alternate health insurance, etc).
GOLD / pomegranate / 3688 posts
Yes - in my office, taking more than 12 weeks is pretty normal if you can afford it (most people have to take a lot of unpaid leave to be out that long because we don't have a STD policy). It's between you and your supervisor to negotiate a leave amount. I asked for 16, thinking we could negotiate to 14, but it was approved with no problems (I ended up taking about 18 weeks because DD was early and I had already set a date for my return).
It ended up being a little long, honestly. I was not ready to go back at 12 weeks, but I was definitely ready by 16. I think next time I will plan to go back after 15 or 16 weeks.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
Yes! It wasn't all paid, but I took 6 months mat leave. I also got to keep my benefits, I just had to reimburse my employer for the monthly premiums.
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
I have no idea cause I used all my vacation and still had to take 3 weeks paid. Most people here take 6 weeks.
bananas / 9118 posts
Yes, I took 16 weeks off and used my PTO for the last month. I didn't return to the same job by choice though (I could have though) because I only returned part-time.
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
Yes, my manager was incredibly supportive during my maternity leave.
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
I had FMLA and that is all we are allowed to take (unpaid besides what we have for PTO which is max 3 weeks + 1 free week they give as a gift.) I think the only except would be medical issues with child. I was supposed to go back on Christmas Eve and my boss said I could wait until back the day after Christmas (ha so generous I know)
grapefruit / 4187 posts
My manager would have to approve it as unpaid personal leave. So far the other moms who have extended past the 12 weeks were not turned down. It is so unaffordable for our family though since i make a lot of $ and we get our health insurance through my employer, i would have to pay 100% of the premium if i went more than 4 weeks unpaid.
kiwi / 548 posts
I work in a very family friendly environment. With my first I took 6 months off and had full pay with benefits (I had worked at my company for 5+ years and all our vacation, sick and comp time rolls over). With my second, I took 6 months off at 75% pay with full benefits and then returned part time with benefits. I feel very fortunate!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
I'm not sure. I'd like to think so. I know that we can accrue as much PTO as we would like based on how much we work, so most pregnant women work as much OT as the company allows in order to take a longer leave. I'm not sure how long you can be out and have your job secured though. Most of the ladies I know are only generally out for the standard 6 weeks.
nectarine / 2280 posts
My job is pretty lax about leave. It's not unusual for people to be out for 8 months (most of it unpaid depending on how much vacation time you have). Technically my union says we can take 4 years. Not paid.
pineapple / 12566 posts
When I had DS, I had 16 weeks paid and could take up to one year unpaid if I wanted to. I extended to 5 months after the mat leave period, but decided to quit before it was time to go back.
nectarine / 2031 posts
I have the 12 week fmla then I have up to 20 days summer leave and 20 days winter leave and 4 wks of vacation and sick. 40 of those days were non paid and I had my insurance the whole time. They paid for it
nectarine / 2631 posts
Yup- I took off 4 months- then went back. (although I was doing a bit of work at home mostly the whole time- so I was allowed to take a bit more time off)
papaya / 10343 posts
I think I could take quite a while off (unpaid) if I wanted to as long as I was willing to be sort of on-call for questions and emergency situations (I work from home anyways so I'd be able to do that).
nectarine / 2973 posts
Nope! I got 10 weeks off but I would have liked to have more. I was only suppose to get 8 weeks but fibbed a little on my return date and my manager never double checked... It's not like They were paying me for those two extra weeks! I don't regret it
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