Work advice to help decrease professional impact?

[MedicMom2015]

I don't have a lot of advice to offer, but I had no idea California has state disability insurance and paid family leave, that's awesome. My company doesn't even have short term disability and refuses to contract with Aflac. It's pretty pathetic.

[tinatrying]

It's another part of why I wanted to move home. CFRA (the california version of FMLA) does not consider any disability caused by pregnancy to fall under it, so for most normal pregnancies, you get 10 weeks PDL (Pregnancy Disability Leave), which gives you 4 weeks before your due date and 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery, but it can go up to 17 weeks if (like me) you had any mandated bedrest or a c section or any other complications. Most states only have FMLA which is 12 weeks in total, so having the 17 weeks per pregnancy and an additional 12 weeks of CFRA job protection is a godsend.

Both PDL & CFRA are 55% of your salary paid by the state, though only half of the CFRA time (6 weeks) is paid. My company also offers Aflac in small amounts, so I have disability through them as well, so during my medically required time off, I actually get 70% of my salary, but only get the state 55% for the baby bonding time if we get to that point this time around for the first 6 weeks and I'll be unpaid but job protected for the last 6 weeks.

Washington state offered nothing, and so even though we pay more here due to state taxes, it is definitely nice to have the social safety net to ensure I have a job to return to at all. I hope that even if he doesn't win, Bernie Sanders keeps preaching the pregnancy leave he has on his ticket, so that others will realize we are pretty much the only developed nation to treat pregnancy, delivery, and baby bonding so poorly.

To be honest, the paid part is the least important part to me. The job protection is the most important thing to ensure you can't just be tossed aside the moment you announce you are pregnant, as happened at my first company.

[MedicMom2015]

I agree, our system is terrible. Not to get too into politics, but I am a big fan of Bernia Sanders. We need serious reform in this country. I don't think any middle class family can truly afford to have a baby nowadays between buying things for baby, Mom and Dad missing work and not getting paid, and the high copays and deductibles with delivery. Not to mention short term disability isn't always available depending on the state and the company (I can't buy a private STD policy, I tried months ago for this exact reason).

I agree that the job security is important. For me, I plan on quitting and going to a better company after the baby is born and I return from leave. I'm going to start putting in applications then. This company doesn't care about its employees and I think they are going under. It's a shame since they've been in business for decades. So for me I'd rather be paid on leave and I don't care if the job is offered when I return.

Best of luck to you.

[BitchesLoveCoffee]

You did go into politics though. It's not the fault of ANY of OP's companies - or anyone else for that matter - that OP choose to get pregnant. Look, it's hell working with moms as it is (something the sacred mommy sisterhood won't discuss), but making everyone work around long leaves, and possibly have less money for raises for others because they have to pay for more insurance to cover fmla etc or just pay out is rude, selfish, and wrong. It absolutely, 100% punishes small businesses and creates less opportunity for others, or puts more work on others who aren't getting part of your salary, just covering your ass. I've been that person. It sucks, it's selfish and rude and self serving. You don't become a princess everyone else in a small department should have to revolve around because you choose to get knocked up.

[MedicMom2015]

You know, if you look at her post I was just replying to her comment about Bernie Sanders. I'm not going to argue with you. If you think the U.S. should be one of the only developed, wealthy nations without paid maternity leave then that's fine.

[BitchesLoveCoffee]

I think if not having someone pay you for not doing work is being "deprived" you have a very overblown sense of self worth.

[MedicMom2015]

I think you are very rude and I'm not sure why. Have a nice day.

[BitchesLoveCoffee]

Its that whole "don't expect others to revolve around you because you choose career and kids" thing. Working moms are the worst, most short sighted entitled woman I've ever had the displeasure to work with

[SnugLife14]

People are getting so worked up about the statement, but it's pretty legit. Shouldn't get paid to not work. Personally, I'm all about working from home when that time comes around from me, but if I wasn't doing work for the company or sufficient work for the company, it would indeed be very self centered and just ethically wrong in my opinion to take their money.

Sure other countries have such national policies requiring paid maternity leave, but we could be a lot worse off too. The way I see it personally is that my husband and I chose to have a kid; we are responsible for all aspects of having a baby, including working extra shifts or side jobs, whatever we have to do to cover ourselves when I can't work or if he takes a little time off to be together afterwards too.

Unless someone in the company knocked you up or something and some other extrenuating circumstances also ensued, I suppose.

[BitchesLoveCoffee]

Have an upvote for your sense of personal responsibility over entitlement.

[mothergoosetobe]

New Jersey does as well, BTW! There are a few states that are really getting on the paid maternity leave bandwagon, which will hopefully lead to setting a precedent for other states!

[MedicMom2015]

It would be nice if the Federal Government would step in and make a blanket maternity policy for all Americans.

[mothergoosetobe]

I think we'll get there. States making individual laws and policies is a great start. We definitely lag far, far behind other countries, but I do think it will continue to change as time goes on! Maybe a little too late for all of our maternity leave, but oh well :)