S/O Does your employer offer a Maternity Leave?

[MadamePresident]

STD counts as unpaid, since its part of insurance.

[ssmjlm]

Fed Govt-maternity leave is whatever sick leave and annual leave you have accrued. You can take FMLA unpaid up to 12 weeks.

I believe some union memberships allow for the purchase of STD.

[SJ]

SS- I have no idea!

We haven't had the situation come up in the last 7 years. My last assistant was pregnant and boss was planning to give her 3 months paid ML, but she told us before she left that she was going to stop working to SAH. We were grateful for this information, and I think boss gave her a small bonus on the way out.

So there is no official policy or precedent.

[jenny1223]

Part paid, based on time employed, you get up to 4 weeks paid but can take up to 3 months off and can supplement with banked PTO.

[aspentosh]

No paid maternity leave. I used up my vacation/sick leave and took STD.

[h]

Yes, 12 weeks paid. We can arrange for additional unpaid leave at the discretion of the firm--I took my 12 week of paid leave, then 6 additional weeks of unpaid leave with my last child and will probably do this same thing with this baby. I am in big law--it is industry standard to offer at least 12 weeks paid maternity leave.

[Deleted]

We received STD and could use our accrued PTO for any other time. Completely unpaid time was anything after STD benefits ended up to the 12 week FMLA limit.

[rosetyler]

MatErnity leave.

We get STD, which is 100% of pay for up to 8 weeks. How long that's given depends on how long one is "disabled" from work (I believe normally 6 weeks for VB, 8 for CS?). One could then take FMLA for the remainder of the 12 weeks allowed by law, and it would either be unpaid or could use saved vacation.

[Deleted]

PS...I think a lot of people are going to answer this wrong because you should put STD in the poll question.

[everam01]

We have 12 weeks unpaid, but are allowed to use vacation/sick leave during that time if we have built it up.

[Deleted]

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

[fbf2006]

The most paid leave we have at my company is 6 weeks (for those here more than 5 years). Between 3 and 5 years is 4 weeks paid, between 1 and 3 years is 2 weeks paid and less than 1 year is nothing. I'll be here for 5 years in April, which is when I'm due. I have a feeling I'm going to be stuck with the 4 weeks paid leave, not 6 weeks.
I can request more than 12 weeks off though, it'll all just be unpaid. I also have to use PTO for the first 5 days off. I'll use some of my other PTO time for maybe 3 weeks (i have 25 days PTO plus an additional 7 i'm carrying forward from this year), so I"ll probably end up with 8 weeks paid.

[Deleted]

MatErnity leave.

I get 14 weeks of reduced pay from the state (8 STD for c/s, 6 for paid family leave), and on top of that, I get 2 weeks of full pay from my employer for every year I've been there. Next year I am entitled to 6 weeks of full pay.

[limey]

Ours offers 12 weeks under STD and we get 4 weeks of vacation annually.

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2012 13:07:45 GMT -5 v said:

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

Don't they have to let anyone who's bee there more than 1 year (so those in Year 2) have a total of 12 weeks under FMLA? The 4 paid/4 unpaid policy looks like it conflicts.


Feds get no paid ML. I might join the union just to buy STD insurance before I get pregnant. But this is a huge step up from my last job, where getting pregnant pretty much would get you fired.

[kadams767]

12 weeks paid. We also have the option to purchase additional STD concurrently with that leave, and take an additional 4 weeks unpaid.

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2012 13:15:25 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

Dec 5, 2012 13:07:45 GMT -5 v said:

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

Don't they have to let anyone who's bee there more than 1 year (so those in Year 2) have a total of 12 weeks under FMLA? The 4 paid/4 unpaid policy looks like it conflicts.


Feds get no paid ML. I might join the union just to buy STD insurance before I get pregnant. But this is a huge step up from my last job, where getting pregnant pretty much would get you fired.

No idea (I'm unlikely to breed so I have never looked into it really) but that's what our US attorney manual says.

[egishere]

STD - 6 or 8 weeks 100% of your pay, then you can use vacation and sick time after that and up to 12 additional weeks unpaid for "family bonding time".

[Deleted]

Federal employee, so no paid maternity leave per se. Just what I accrue through annual and sick leave. STD is available through the union.

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2012 13:07:45 GMT -5 v said:

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

How large is the firm? If its as large as I think it is, years 2-5 are in violation of FMLA.

ETA- just year 2, I misread it.

[bronxgirl]

While on my maternity leave I have the option of using my accrued sick time for up to 6 weeks, the remainder of my accrued vacation/ personal time, and since I purchased a STD policy I can use that for the remaining weeks.

[anna7602]

I work for myself now, so no. However, with DD, I did get 8 weeks paid maternity leave and almost 16 weeks off total.

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2012 13:17:59 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Dec 5, 2012 13:07:45 GMT -5 v said:

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

How large is the firm? If its as large as I think it is, years 2-5 are in violation of FMLA.

Probably about 75-100 lawyers in the US (and whatever staff goes along with that); more than 1000 worldwide.

[hannamaren]

Even Canadians have options.
Some of us have unpaid by work but paid by government
Others are lucky and get top up by their employers, up to 80-90% for 6-8 mths!

[kershnic]

Dec 5, 2012 13:17:59 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Dec 5, 2012 13:07:45 GMT -5 v said:

My firm's structure:

Year 1 of employment: 0 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 2 of employment: 4 weeks of paid leave; 4 weeks of unpaid
Year 3 of employment: 6 weeks of paid leave; 6 weeks of unpaid
Year 4 of employment: 8 weeks of paid leave; 8 weeks of unpaid
Year 5 of employment: 10 weeks of paid leave; 10 weeks of unpaid
Year 6 and onward of employment: 12 weeks of paid leave; 12 weeks of unpaid

This is for lawyers -- staff gets less. Also, we've only had a US presence for 5 years, so nobody is at the 6+ point (rules are different in our non-US offices)

How large is the firm? If its as large as I think it is, years 2-5 are in violation of FMLA.

Only year 2 is in violation of FMLA.

[Deleted]

Nothing...I get no benefits whatsoever so no surprise. In fact I am pretty sure they can fire me. I plan on taking at least 2-3 months off (unpaid of course). They can me, oh well.

[froggy76]

No.

My job was protected for 12 weeks (unpaid) through FMLA. I received 5 weeks paid through STD and used PTO for most of my leave so that I only had to take 1 week unpaid.

[kershnic]

I can use accrued sick and vacation time and unpaid leave for the rest up to 13 weeks. If all were to go well I'll have 10 weeks paid and 3 weeks unpaid, because I've been diligent about saving sick and vacation time. NY STD is only $170/week, but I would receive that for the 6 weeks vaginal/8weeks csection, but if I'm being paidtime for those first weeks then my employer gets my $170. I also pay in to a voluntary STD that pays like 40% of my salary. I have that so we don't go broke if I have a long bed rest, but I hope it'll pay a little.

[Susie]

6 week leave, STD covers less than half pay for 5 of the 6 weeks, regardless of c-section vs. vaginal birth. (No 8 weeks for c-section.) Unpaid (and discouraged) after 6 weeks.

Attorneys don't get PTO to use for any of the rest of a leave, although staff at our firm does.

Most of the women, especially the attorneys, are pretty disgruntled about it. But we're a minority, and there aren't any women partners.

[cjeanette]

I can take like 26 weeks unpaid. I have STD and can use all my PTO time.