© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
Hi all - I'm in a bit of sticky situation.
I just found out I'm pregnant yesterday and am expecting a job offer in the next 24-48 hours. The company I'd be joining offers 16 weeks of paid maternity leave for mothers who have been at the company for at least 1 year. We know that FMLA covers 12 weeks of unpaid leave for mothers who have been a the company for at least 1 year. So, given that I'd be giving birth before one year, I'm concerned that not only will I be entitled to no maternity leave whatsoever (paid or unpaid) but I could be in jeopardy of the company not holding my position for me. So my questions are:
- Would I need to take disability in order to pull together some sort of maternity leave for myself?
- Am I crazy to even take this job? I don't like my current position but I am comfortable and would be entitled to 12 weeks of paid leave here.
Husband thinks job happiness is critical and is encouraging me to take the job if I get the offer. He is confident we can figure out the maternity leave piece of things and make it work - and thinks that in NYC it's highly unlikely that a big, female-friendly company would not hold my position.
What do you think? Super anxious about this! I suppose if I do get an offer I need to ask at that point for more details on the mat leave policy (without giving away that I'm pregnant) so that I can figure out if *perhaps* they do offer some leave to women who have been at the company for less than one year.
This would be a great position and really advance my career so the timing is a real bummer.
Thanks for your insight!
Anonymous
04/28/17 at 2:40AM UTC
I am curious to know how this worked out for you. I am in the same predicament as you. Did you decide to take this new job or stay with your previous company? Did the company confirm with you that they would make an exception for you when the time comes, despite your less than one year stint with them?
Would like to hear updates regarding your experience...
Anonymous
12/09/16 at 2:29AM UTC
Regarding the requirement for large employers to offer FMLA - an HR or legal professional should correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe an employee is only automatically eligible for FMLA after being at the company for one year prior to going on leave. So I understand the dilemma here! I would advise calculating the financial impact of unpaid leave on your family and if it's doable, go for it and ask about benefits and how they support families (remembering that FMLA is also used for situations other than pregnancy, such as caring for a sick spouse, parent, or child). I agree that it's worth a shot to bank on a female friendly company holding the job for you.
Anonymous
11/20/16 at 11:38PM UTC
I thought all large companies over a certain size had to offer 12 weeks unpaid FMLA? I also thought it was irrespective of length of time worked at the company, but could be wrong. Check the FMLA provisions out - it's federal law, should not vary by employer.
Anonymous
08/08/16 at 9:48PM UTC
That's great! Good luck and don't forget that when the time comes, you can always try to negotiate for mat leave (something I wish I had done b/c even if they say no, it's not a hard-and-fast rule as so many people assume)
Anonymous
08/08/16 at 4:01PM UTC
Thank you so much for your insight. I got an offer today and asked about mat leave policies. Seems like my friend who works there who told me they provide 16 weeks paid was misinformed. They simply offer 4 weeks paid on top of FMLA (with the usual 6 weeks of disability for vaginal birth / 8 weeks for c-section, and the ability to use vacation to add onto the mat leave). Sounds fairly typical of large corporations. The HR person did say they have been flexible in honoring FMLA for employees who have been at the company for under one year--so that sounded very promising.
Anonymous
08/08/16 at 3:29PM UTC
If your new employer really does offer 16 weeks paid leave for moms who have been there one year, my guess is that there is a high likelihood they will make an exception for you b/c they are on the spectrum of employers that are generous about paid leave. Of course there is no guarantee but it seems to be in the "spirit" of the rule (esp since you literally just found out you were pregnant). IMO, short-term disability is def an option if you'er really worreid about pay for your leave and you are not crazy to take a job you like more than your current one (I tend to agree with your husband but i'm a work-gives-life-meaning-kind of gal). I think your idea of asking about benefits / maternity leave policy is a good one and I would even consider going a step further and possibly share the news if you'er comfortable...whether that's at month 3 or whatever point you want. I also think you can just ask about it as a new starter without any of those assumptions, b/c it's becoming more acceptable for women to ask those quetsions about policies. Good luck!
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.