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12-04-2012 at 9:53 AM
amcourt09
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How supportive is your job?

I'm just wondering how supportive everyone's place of employment has been throughout your pregnancy? How supportive they are of you taking maternity leave?
12-04-2012 at 10:07 AM
CocoR04
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My company doesn't give us paid maternity leave, but makes it easy to take the full 12 FMLA weeks off without worry.  My boss/department are very understanding about pregnancy sick days and appointments. 

What they are not supportive of is my request to work 3/4 time or part-time after baby.  Some co-workers have been given lower hours recently after having babies, but I was denied.  I'm not saying it should be all of us or nothing, but I just wish there was a better way to get more flexible hours as a new mom.


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12-04-2012 at 10:13 AM
SummerOH
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Very supportive.  Their flexibility with my schedule has allowed me to stockpile as much time as possible, so I'll be able to take 12 weeks off paid - 70% for 6 weeks and 100% for another 6.  They don't care how many hours I work each day as long as I have 40 each week.  That's really helped on days I've felt awful and needed some extra rest.
 
My boss also is fine with me taking 12 weeks.  I know I'm legally entitled to it, but it makes it a lot easier when you don't have guilt or passive aggressiveness put on you.  They even threw me a huge surprise baby shower!  I've had horrible jobs before, so having one I really enjoy is awesome.

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12-04-2012 at 10:14 AM
Smiley-198...
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My job is pretty supportive, I've been coming in late (30 mins) for the past few weeks just because I find it a lot harder to get going in the mornings and I have a long drive and my boss doesn't mind at all.  They also let me leave for my doctors appts no problem and don't dock me any pay or time for them.

For Maternity leave I am in Canada so legally I get 1 year off paid (55%) by the gov't... so my work doesn't really have a say in it.  I am actually not coming back afterwards anyway so they know when I leave on mat leave I'm gone for good.


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12-04-2012 at 10:22 AM
happy_un-b...
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Its tough...  My VP was very supportive, but he has been away from the office with family issues of his own.  My direct boss in the meantime was assigned to me in August, and I'm not a fan of his.  Not supportive really at all.  I was sick in November (the entire month) and my doctor has ordered me off work for the remainder of my pregnancy.  I'm sure my direct boss and the stresses from him were contributing factors.

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12-04-2012 at 10:48 AM
CherylAnn7...
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My company, department and my direct supervisor have been supportive, especially because my supervisor is a mom and a mom runs our department.  They have always been good about doctor or dental appointments in general, as long as I get my work done and get my 40 hours in.  But, I will say that in my experience, what a company says and what they actually do can be two different things...

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12-04-2012 at 10:57 AM
Ace6050
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Considering I work at a small start-up, they've been great! I've had a painful pregnancy, and they've allowed me to work at home on days I need to put my feet up (like today). They also don't care if I have to leave early/arrive late for doctor's appointments either. I know some places would make you clock PTO against those appointments, which just sounds ridiculous and like major micromanagement to me. I think the fact that our CEO and number of execs have young children increases their level of understanding.

I get 4 weeks paid and 4 unpaid, but can stretch my leave out to 12 weeks by using PTO and working from home. It's not as great as some of my friends who work for bigger companies/corporations (one got 6 months!), but it's better than nothing.

I think it has more to do with how busy (or not busy) the company is right now, but my boss was the one to suggest my working part-time on my return. I didn't put it out there! So I'm glad to have the option as well and will decide after baby's here and we have more of a routine set and a better understanding of our new finances. 

In any case, your company shouldn't be "supportive of maternity leave". It's your right!! How they structure it is subjective, but you deserve leave no matter what. If you look at the rest of the world, the U.S.' standard of 3 months is awful relative to mothers in Europe. Some get a year off...PAID!

  


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12-04-2012 at 11:01 AM
northhills...
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Considering my boss is a woman and does not have children of her own, I'm very fortunate to have her as my superviser. I have the ability to work remote when needed (dr. appts., kids' school schedules, illnesses, etc.).

We've briefly discussed a change in my schedule when I'm back from leave (12 weeks, 100% pay - I work for a large, international company with strong benefits), but I think she wants to see how things play out over the 12 weeks, as we are already short-handed. The preferred options I gave her were to work 4, 10-hr days (with two of those days being remote), or to continue working 5 days, with 3 of those remote (and, of course, with childcare for all days I work). My remote days would be flexible, though, based on deadlines.

The "four 10's" is an option that is offered by the company, so it's not something out of the ordinary and, considering my team's work has evolved to include international projects, it could work out to our benefit as I could log in some evenigns to take projects out of different time zones.

I know that I'm very lucky, so I will do whatever I can to make it work!


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12-04-2012 at 11:02 AM
mistressco...
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Very supportive!  Fortunately everyone is really excited, and most of management is older women who have families and remember what it was like trying to balance a career and a family.  In fact, I told my boss during my interview that I was pregnant (only like a month along) because of the vibe I got from her and I was totally right.  She immediately congratulated me and told me what a blessing kids were, and then proceeded to tell me how they had 9 nurses out on maternity leave at that time and that at any given time there were usually between 3-9 people pregnant in our department alone!  :)  Guess that's one of the joys of working in such a HUGE place!  :) Because of this they are also very good about breastfeeding/pumping and making sure that people get their pump breaks.  It's been amazing to see and I just thank my lucky stars I found this place!  :)  

I still have to do all the physical parts of my job though-there is no way around that.  If people are available to help they absolutely do, but sometimes we are just too busy and it's not realistic for me to get someone to do things for me just because I'm pregnant.  Like last night I had a 400 lb woman that couldn't lift or move any part of her body so I was the one lifting her arms, legs, adjusting her bed (which took both hands and me pushing the bed with all my weight/might).  It would have been nice to have someone else do all that but we were just too busy and there was no one else.  But that would happen in any nursing job.... 


 
12-04-2012 at 11:06 AM
Heartstrin...
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Very.  My manager has no problem with my taking time as needed.  I get 4 weeks 100% paid maternity leave (only about 3 weeks shy of getting 6 weeks, but oh well), then I will have STD for 6 weeks and the rest unpaid. 

I think my manager is silently panicking, though.  I work in a satellite office and it's just him, me and two others.  We have agents that float in and out and he really relies on me to do a lot of the day-to-day stuff.  I'm trying to put together a binder for whoever works my desk while I'm out, so hopefully they'll run in to very few snags.


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12-04-2012 at 11:11 AM
imnoemilyd...
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Very supportive - and I am grateful for that.

 
12-04-2012 at 11:19 AM
Kie310
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Very. I am in and out of here all the time for weekly OB appts (since 33 weeks). NSTs 2 times a week (since 32 weeks). I'm getting u/s every 4 weeks (since 9 weeks) I have been in and out of the office for these appointments with no issues or needing to use my own time.

As for Mat. leave 60% for 6 weeks (8 if my doc will write me out) and I will have my 12 weeks of FMLA as well (the last 6 or 4 weeks will be unpaid)

But I can't complain!


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12-04-2012 at 11:48 AM
Ladynikon
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my boss was VERY supportive.  When I told her I was pregnant with twins she let me work from home fulltime.  When I told her I needed some flex time to be able to rest when needed as long as I put my hours in. she was all for it.  I keep a very open line of communication with my boss at all times.  I feel that it builds trust.

 It can backfire mind you if you have an *** boss like my previous one though.  She thought since her pregnancy was "perfect" that no one elses pregnancy could have complications.  She couldn't do anything about it because my job was protected.  LUCKILY it was.. because she moved another girl who got pregnant out of the department using loop holes. 


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12-04-2012 at 12:10 PM
genepoolpe...
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I am so jealous of you ladies. My direct supervisor has always been fantastic with me (cause I'm an awesome worker) and I can take time for my doctors appointments as long as I make up the time. The guys who run the company, and the HR dept, not so much.

However, my maternity leave is non-existent. I get short-term disability only after I take my PTO (vacation and personal/sick days). So I get 3 weeks paid (2 vacation weeks & 3 sick/2 personal, which exhausts my PTO for the rest of the year) and then I can collect disability for up to 5 weeks (ST disability in NY pays $170 per week). Since the company is a certain size they legally have to hold my position for up to 12 weeks.

I want to come back to work part time after the baby, but I'm afraid to mention anything because I think they'll just find some way to get rid of me.


                
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12-04-2012 at 12:30 PM
hellojenny...
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Very supportive. I only work part time but the hours I work (early early mornings) were making me worried that if something were to happen within my pregnancy, I didn't want to be responsible for not showing up to work and I worked alone for the first 3-4 hours of my shift. My manager was very flexible with changing my schedule. I'll be taking PDL since I don't qualify for FMLA and he's very helpful with the paperwork, etc. As long as I keep in contact with them about when I'll be coming back or if I need extra time, everything should go according to plan.
12-04-2012 at 12:57 PM
a13049
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Super Duper supportive!!!! My boss was so happy for me, knowing my medical history, she cried happy tears for me. I'm a PE teacher, and I was very stressed about having weekly OB appointments since 14 weeks, but my boss and other staff members have stepped in to cover my class so I don't have to take a half day.  I am on pelvic rest, and I'm supposed to be off my feet, so my principal sent me her fancy chair.  Our superintendant was doing walk throughs and saw me on my feet and came in a gave me a friendly lecture on taking care of me and my baby and the next time he comes in I better be resting. 

 

As for maternity leave, DH and I get 12 weeks total, because we work for the same district. The district took care of all of the paper work.  Its upaid, but we can use our sick leave to cover.  I am taking 6 weeks and then DH will take sixs weeks, so we don't loose out on the paychecks.  Plus, DH is very much wanting to have a big role in taking care of our LO and I love that about him.  My DD is 11 weeks from the end of the school year so when out FMLA is up we get three months off for summer. Our FMLA has been modified by benefits to say, if I were to go two weeks early or less, then the school district will cover that leave and our pay will not be taken away.  It helps us, and our school district likes to avoid to many changes at the end of the school year.   Its been really easy for the both of us. 


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12-04-2012 at 1:40 PM
mroy82
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My boss is VERY supportive. I didnt think that he would be when i told him i was expecting , but he lets me do whatever i need to do at any time. I cut back my hours to 1/2 days because i've been so uncomfortable , and hes cool with that. He even said to talk as much time off as i need and is re-hiring the girl that i replaced ( on good terms) for my leave. He even said i can bring the baby to work with me if i want to  etc.

Feeling pretty lucky!


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12-04-2012 at 3:52 PM
MexiCali
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My boss knows he has no say in it and our company is super supportive.

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12-04-2012 at 6:00 PM
newly_naug...
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They have been great. They let me have any time off when I have an appointment (although I do try to book after work), they let me start my leave early and are willing to take me back part time if I choose. They don't pay any leave, but are very supportive of me taking the full year off.

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12-04-2012 at 8:48 PM
Eags
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Not supportive.  My boss was angry that I was pg when I told her and made my job miserable until the last month or so.  I'll be taking 6 weeks of unpaid leave and then returning to my position.

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12-04-2012 at 9:25 PM
Kingston54
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I am a teacher and we have a union so it's not an issue.  I am using my sick/personal time first and then taking most of the rest of the school year off under FMLA.  With our contract we are allowed to take up to a year.  I haven't gotten a hard time at all.

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12-04-2012 at 9:39 PM
PeonyPumps
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Mine is very supportive as far as a job in the US goes.  I am able to take 12 weeks of maternity leave.  After I returned from having DS, I was able to pump- no questions asked- for a half hour three times per day without having to add time onto my day or forfeit eating lunch separately from those times.  I pumped until DS was a little over a year old at work, at which point he then dropped to only morning and night nursing and took bottles of expressed milk from my sizeable freezer stash during the day.  

I'm not returning to my job part-time after this maternity leave- only PRN, but they have been extremely flexible and gracious about when I need to be done with work and the transitions to my leave coverage.  I initially wasn't planning on returning to the job at all, but they offered me PRN hours to be more flexible with my schedule and desires to be home more with my two babies and I agreed. 


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12-05-2012 at 8:37 AM
TMWarren85
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Mine has been really supportive, this is my 2nd baby and I worked here when I was pregnant with my first so they know I'm coming back after and what to expect from me. I get 8 weeks at 100%, and then can take the remaining 4 at 60%, use vacation or sick time, or take it unpaid- all my decision. I plan on taking the full 12 weeks at this point, when I was home with DD I was ready for adult interaction and cam back and worked part time for two weeks at 11 weeks so I could get used to the morning daycare routine and they didn't have an issue. Everyone is really excited for us, but a little concerned about staffing/work load since I have a coworker due 8 weeks after me so they will be fine with one of us out, but for the month-ish that we will overlap they are a bit stressed but don't hold that over either of us.

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12-05-2012 at 9:14 AM
emd886
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Very supportive! Whatever time I need off for appointments is fine. They said I can come back full/part time whenever I want after the baby is born.

The time off for appointments, I use my sick time. I don't get paid maternity leave. I dont use insurance through my work, it is through my husbands. If I had the insurance through my office, I would have paid maternity.

But I don't plan on going back so its a moot point for me


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