Maternity leave standardized across DOD

[meltoine]

At 12 weeks. So Army is getting an increase of 6 weeks, but Navy, Marines, and Air Force are seeing a cut of 6 weeks

www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/01/28/maternity-leave-dod-ash-carter-12-weeks-announcement-force-of-the-future/79465178/

[amaristella]

Being in the top tiers of American Employers is a pretty low standard to begin with.

[Aquatica]

I kind of wish they would have just upped the Army maternity leave to meet what the other 3 branches provide.

At the October AFAP conference at Ft Bragg, one topic brought up is to increase paternity leave from 10 to 21 days. I'm interested to see how this issue works out too.

Link: m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1021458507896502&id=108335732542122

"Army Family Action Plan Conferences occur across the service. Here are the issues developed at the Fort Bragg AFAP conference in October 2015:
-
Benefits & Entitlements:
-
Title: Paternity Leave Extension for Married Active Duty Soldiers. Scope: Married Soldiers are currently given 10 days of non-chargeable paternity leave after the birth of their child. This is not sufficient time for Soldiers to adjust to new Family dynamics, allow time to bond with the new child or care for additional children in the household. Additional time will increase Soldier morale and further promote Family resilience and stability. Recommendation: Increase non-chargeable paternity leave for married active duty Soldiers to 21 days."

[meltoine]

Jan 29, 2016 16:48:25 GMT -5 Aquatica said:

I kind of wish they would have just upped the Army maternity leave to meet what the other 3 branches provide.

At the October AFAP conference at Ft Bragg, one topic brought up is to increase paternity leave from 10 to 21 days. I'm interested to see how this issue works out too.

Link: m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1021458507896502&id=108335732542122

"Army Family Action Plan Conferences occur across the service. Here are the issues developed at the Fort Bragg AFAP conference in October 2015:
-
Benefits & Entitlements:
-
Title: Paternity Leave Extension for Married Active Duty Soldiers. Scope: Married Soldiers are currently given 10 days of non-chargeable paternity leave after the birth of their child. This is not sufficient time for Soldiers to adjust to new Family dynamics, allow time to bond with the new child or care for additional children in the household. Additional time will increase Soldier morale and further promote Family resilience and stability. Recommendation: Increase non-chargeable paternity leave for married active duty Soldiers to 21 days."

I think they upped it to 14 days. 

[kpol]

Jan 29, 2016 16:48:25 GMT -5 Aquatica said:

I kind of wish they would have just upped the Army maternity leave to meet what the other 3 branches provide.

At the October AFAP conference at Ft Bragg, one topic brought up is to increase paternity leave from 10 to 21 days. I'm interested to see how this issue works out too.

Link: m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1021458507896502&id=108335732542122

"Army Family Action Plan Conferences occur across the service. Here are the issues developed at the Fort Bragg AFAP conference in October 2015:
-
Benefits & Entitlements:
-
Title: Paternity Leave Extension for Married Active Duty Soldiers. Scope: Married Soldiers are currently given 10 days of non-chargeable paternity leave after the birth of their child. This is not sufficient time for Soldiers to adjust to new Family dynamics, allow time to bond with the new child or care for additional children in the household. Additional time will increase Soldier morale and further promote Family resilience and stability. Recommendation: Increase non-chargeable paternity leave for married active duty Soldiers to 21 days."

This is where I'm at. It makes the most sense, but I guess, as with most things in the military, making sense isn't top priority.

[VillainV]

The Air Force's ML wasn't cut -- it was 6 weeks before, and is now 12 weeks. That was SECAF's goal going in.

[meltoine]

Feb 4, 2016 23:03:14 GMT -5 VillainV said:

The Air Force's ML wasn't cut -- it was 6 weeks before, and is now 12 weeks. That was SECAF's goal going in.

It wasn't official, but SECAF had announced plans to introduce 18 weeks. 

www.military.com/daily-news/2015/12/10/air-force-to-triple-maternity-leave-18-weeks-top-civilian-says.html

[VillainV]

Feb 4, 2016 23:26:56 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Feb 4, 2016 23:03:14 GMT -5 VillainV said:

The Air Force's ML wasn't cut -- it was 6 weeks before, and is now 12 weeks. That was SECAF's goal going in.

It wasn't official, but SECAF had announced plans to introduce 18 weeks. 

www.military.com/daily-news/2015/12/10/air-force-to-triple-maternity-leave-18-weeks-top-civilian-says.html

I hadn't heard that.

I really wonder how my service plans to address a 12-week ML fitting into our annual performance reporting cycle. We have to submit inputs so far in advance, this basically gives a woman who delivers in her reporting cycle 5-6 months unaccounted for in a 12-month cycle. I hope they will extend those reports for women who take ML during their reporting cycle.

[VillainV]

Got this in my email today....cut and paste from a letter from SECAF Deborah James (bold emphasis is mine):

Airmen of the United States Air Force:

By order of the Secretary of Defense and according to Directive-type Memorandum (DTM) 16-002, “DoD-Wide Changes to Maternity Leave,” I approve a change to Air Force policy authorizing an additional six (6) weeks of Maternity Leave for Air Force Active Duty Airmen as well as Reserve and Guard Airmen on active duty orders (pursuant to AFI 36-2619, Military Personnel Appropriation (MPA) Man-Day Program and AFI 36-2254, Volume 1, Reserve Personnel Participation) who give birth, effective 5 February 2016.

This leave is non-chargeable and the 12-week period must be taken continuously. For those who are already on maternity leave effective 5 February 2016, they will be granted a 6-week extension. Additionally, Airmen who extended their current 42-day maternity leave and are currently on ordinary leave may convert the chargeable ordinary leave to the new non-chargeable Maternity Leave. In the case of dual-military couples, Maternity Leave may not be transferred to create any kind of shared benefit, and in all cases, unused Maternity Leave will be forfeited if not used.

Commanders will grant Maternity Leave in all cases where Airmen are eligible. Furthermore, no Airmen shall be disadvantaged in her career, including limitations to assignments, evaluations, or selection for PME because she has taken Maternity Leave.

This memorandum is effective until superseded by an update to AFI 36-3003, Military Leave Program. This decision is pursuant to authority under 10 U.S.C. §704 and Directive-type Memorandum (DTM) 16-002, “DoD-Wide Changes to Maternity Leave.”

The Secretary of Defense also announced the intention to make changes in Parental and Adoption leave; because these changes require updated legislation to implement, they cannot be put into place at this time.



Deborah Lee James
Secretary of the Air Force


___________________________

I'm kind of bummed that it has to be taken all at once.  I can see some benefit in taking some immediately after the birth, and some to be used for half-days or short weeks to ease the member back into working full-time.   Also, I'd love to see new fathers get more than two weeks of paternity leave.