State of Texas

"Your success depends on which agency or department you work for."

"Maternity leave working for the State of Texas IS NOT PAID LEAVE. Some agencies will offer you 6 weeks paid if you have not hoarded leave before becoming pregnant. God forbid you have a complicated pregnancy. They can and will count your FMLA leave starting with appointments and sick leave for any complications, which eats into your protected leave. They will fire you after the 12 weeks is up, regardless of whether your leave was eaten up for appointments or illness days pre-delivery. YOU CAN BE FIRED EVEN IF YOU HAVE LEAVE ON THE BOOKS. 12 weeks is the protected leave. That is it. They'd rather pay out the leave and get rid of you for taking 2 weeks of bed rest for a medical condition and your 12 weeks postpartum. Some agencies have a "generous" LWOP policy post FMLA of 90 days. You are required to pay for your insurance on LWOP. No joke. They don't cover your insurance premiums while you are employed but on leave. Well, they cover YOU but not your dependents. Really not helpful. I went into leave without pay for both pregnancies to cover the 12 weeks. I had to then pay $400 in insurance coverage while I had no paycheck. On to non-motherhood issues: There is blatant discrimination against women, particularly if you do not fit into the preconceived notion of what an appropriately feminine woman is supposed to be. This means to be not ugly but not desirable. Good luck meeting those qualifications. I know numerous professional women who have experienced employment discrimination with regard to promotions and the paltry bonuses offered. It does not matter how hard you work. Do not delude yourself. The man will get the promotion over you. Unless he's liberal/pro-women's issues. Then he suffers with you. I say all this knowing full well that most women in my profession have few other options than state employment."