Maternity Leave.

Ok, so I know this has been talked about a MILLION times, but I am curious how maternity leave works for each person on this board. Where do you live, what is your companies policy, paid or unpaid,& duration? This sparked my interest through another post I read, so I decided to start a new post to ask instead of hijacking someone else's post. This doesn't apply to me, I am not currently pregnant. But I am SUPER curious for feedback. Thanks all! Hope everyone is well!

[LauraB78]

**Bump!**

[smjmekg]

I have never ending maternity leave! Lol, I'm a stay at home mom. Not to rub it in anyone's face, I'd actually like to be working, but with my nearby future plans, and having another baby due in Dec, it's not going to work unless I have a from home job.

[mami1323]

Well it all depends on your company.  State disability which most companies follow, can vary of course depending on the state you live in.  I live in NY, and my company only gives me 6 weeks.  Since we have less than 50 employees they don't have Family Medical Leave Act.  So I couldn't extend my maternity leave.  However, they did let me take more time but it was unpaid leave.  Which is what FMLA is technically.  They didn't have to give me extra time but they asked when I would like to return, I told them when and they gave it to me.  Unfortunately due to my extreme swelling, I left work a month earlier than expected and so I extended my time out so I could spend more time with the baby.  All companies have their own policies.  Some are really kind to their employees.  I know in Canada some companies give 1 year of maternity leave paid at 100%.  I only got paid 60% for those 6 weeks.  

[LauraB78]

Before my son was born, this was my company policy: 12 weeks FMLA leave honored. NO pay, and you were required to use all available vacation & sick pay. My job was only guaranteed to me if I returned to work after my 12 weeks, 1 day past my alloted FMLA leave would have been grounds for termination, or filling an abandoned position. My company also did not pay into any type of disability for employees, had I known that when I started my job, I would have self payed for a disability plan so I could have collected something.. I ended up leaving my job when I was 38 weeks pregnant and did not return. I am currently a SAHM desperately trying to find a decent job. I live in the US, and more specifically, I live in MA..

[mami1323]

That's awful, it really is.  I feel like US companies and even the state laws do not protect women who are pregnant.  To return to work after such a short period of time is disgusting.  I cried my eyes out because my son was only 2 months old.  

[LosingMyMindInGA]

I've only worked with 2 of my pregnancies. But I'll tell you how it was with those.

The first I worked up until the day I had her.  I was actually supposed to go back to work after my appt that day but I ended up needing an emergency c-section.  It was unpaid leave ( I worked for a small office) and I only took a month.  My job was supposed to be temporary until I gave birth but my boss asked me to come back

With the 2nd I worked full time.  I was going to work until I went into labor but was so miserable and knew I was going to be induced on my due date I started my leave 5 days ahead of time. It was also unpaid (worked for a family owned/small construction company).  I took a full month of leave then went back part time for two weeks, but was able to take my son with me until he turned 6 weeks and could start daycare.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

OH and the first one I lived in Virginia, second one in Georgia

[LauraB78]

I agree that the US maternity leave isn't great & definitely leaves room for a lot of reform, BUT I find that when push comes to shove, having babies is a decision, and SHOULD be a financial decision as well. It is NOT an employers responsibility or choice for women to pop out child(ren). BUT I am torn, I feel like women should have some sort of paid leave, but I guess in Canada, they get a YEAR off PAID and that seems excessive to me. I would HATE to be an employer in Canada.. That's FOR SURE! =)

[Limonada]

I'm in Canada and we get a year off here, paid through employment insurance benefits.  It's a far cry from my regular salary, but it's certainly enough to live on, combined with DH's income.

I really cherish this time to be with my little boy, see him achieve all of those first milestones.  My little guy is 5.5 months old and I'll be back to work in February 2011.  When I was on maternity leave the last time, I was actually raring to get back to work at the end of the year and I suspect the same will be true this time - I really enjoy my career and can't imagine being a SAHM full-time - but that's just me.  I truly admire SAHM's because I know through my small taste of it, being on mat leave, that it's hard, hard work!!

I really hope that things change for your girls in the US with regards to maternity leave and benefits:  I can't imagine returning to work after just a few short weeks!!

[jschoch8]

i live in NJ and the fmla is for 26 weeks. My company pays for 13 weeks, so i will not be getting paid for the other 13 weeks (taking the whole 26). I am also taking off the 4 weeks before her birth, using my short term disability benefits. the short term disability and the 13 weeks paid are my full salary.

[bluegenie2003]

I would kill to have a whole year to be able to stay home with Braeden. I"m lucky in that I'm a teacher, and the timing worked so that when my maternity leave ended (unpaid) summer had started, so I'm able to stay home with him until he's 16 weeks. However, that's coming up quick, in just 4 weeks, and I'm already dreading going back and leaving him. I love my job, but he's my world right now, and I can't imagine leaving him for 8 hours a day :-(

[Steph_b]

I work in New Hampshire and I get 12 weeks off with FMLA.  6 week are paid at 80% salery.  the rest of the time I can either use my earned time, or use unpaid time off.  I also have the option of going back part time to extend my leave.  I am taking the first 8 weeks off, and then going back 20 hours a week for the next 8 weeks instead of taking 12 weeks completely off.  

[LauraB78]

What are your taxes like? What % of your income is paid to your goverment? It MUST be 50%...AT LEAST..

[LauraB78]

The income you are going to recieve.. Is that through a state or employer paid disability program? Because FMLA is unpaid, at least in MA

[Limonada]

We pay pretty high taxes compared to you guys, I think.  But then again, we have universal health care here, too, and we don't pay out of pocket  for doctors' visits, etc......

[Spiket77]

I work for myself. It's a little tricky for me because I have to keep my clients happy. I work out my home office and can be mobile too. I'm finishing up a lot of projects two weeks before my due date and not starting any new till 6 weeks after my due date.

I know some women with office jobs work from home for a while. That might be something to look into. Also, another popular and more recent trend is giving new Mom's Flex Schedules. They work 1/2 days in the office and 1/2 form home.

Wow, Canada hooks up Mothers!

[msteri]

I live in Florida.  The company I work for offers unpaid medical leave for 12 weeks with at least a 30-day notice.

[msteri]

Oh, yeah, I forgot...I was without pay for 6 weeks, but I made an arrangement with my boss and got approved by HR to work from home for the last 6 weeks at 100% pay.  It's not the norm though.

[LauraB78]

Your taxes must be insane!! I would NEVER want to hand over that much money OR control to my government.. I know you all have universal health care. I am not a fan of that idea either, but that's a whole other topic.. Do you know what % of your income is taxed? For example.. If you grossed $600/week, how much would you take home in Canada (approx)?

[Spiket77]

Actually they only pay from $300-$900 a year for health coverage. If you make less than $20,000 then you are exempt from the insurance tax. They pay less income tax than US citizens.

[LauraB78]

How would that be possible with free health care for everyone and apparently tons of paid leave for each child born? So, are you saying Canadians are basically totally reliant on their government to pick up all these tabs, and if so, it is hidden is some kind of tax somewhere, or else all of these programs would have failed., The government gets it $$ somewhere.. They may pay less income tax, but some tax of theirs MUST be incredibly higher.

[bhenneker]

I'm from Canada too and here also we get about $500 a month per child in lower income families i believe under $45000 a year (i might be wrong) to answer your other question if I were to make $600 take home would be around $400-$500 depending on the job. Also all our living expences are alot higher then the US. To feed a family of 5 cost about $300 a week (with mostly no name products)   And the free health care is great....:)

[Limonada]

It depends on your income.  If you make more, then you're taxed at a higher rate.  About 30% in my case, I think.  We get a child tax benefit, $100 per child up until the age of 6, plus, like bhenneker mentioned, there is another credit available to lower income families with young children.

Our governments choose to put their focus - and money - on different things, that's all.  Our military is not nearly as large or "developed" (for lack of a better word) as the US' for example.

[Limonada]

The $100 I mentioned is per month, per child....

[mumuvtwogrlz]

I lose $100 next month b/c my oldest will be 6 yo lol
I love living in Canada!
Never have I EVER had a complaint!

[kylesMom09]

I live in Illinois and I have 12 weeks FMLA, but I have to carry disability insurance to have any kind of pay coming in while on maternity leave and that only lasts the normal 6 weeks.  While company never came out to say it, but if I were to not go back the day after 12 weeks to the day I would most likely be let go.  I just wish there were other options b/c 6 or even 12 weeks just doesn't seem like enough time.  I was on bedrest for 5 weeks with my first so I only got to take 6 weeks after she was born and it just killed me to go back to work!

[Cassandrajane]

Anywhere in the world, you are entitled to start your Maternity leave 15 weeks before your baby is due, and you are entitled the minimum of 52 weeks extra maternity leave.
They can pay you maternity pay, if you plan to go back you pay it back, if you don't go back I dont think you can pay it back... But if you pay the money back, you can claim it back through the Governement. Well thats how it works in England...
You can go bck sooner than the 52 weeks is over and you can stay longer and leave the day before your baby is born, as long a you're comfortable! You can't take your maternity leave before 15 weeks before your baby is due without a Doc's note to say you NEED to leave sooner...


:)


x

[Clysta]

I wouldn't say it works that way everywhere in the world, because the US doesn't. We get 12 weeks unpaid under FMLA if your company has it. (smaller ones with a certain number of employes don't have to) some people can get paid, but if I remember, they don't have to.

[Cassandrajane]

Ohh...
I know you DONT get paid leave if you didnt get pregnant whilst working at the company!
Sorry.

x

[LauraB78]

That is definitely NOT how it works in the US.. I am just starting this post to find out how it works in other countries. So, you are in England.. What is your tax rate?

And taking home $400-500 out of $600 (as my for example) isn't a far cry from the US.. I just don't understand how your government can afford it..

[Spiket77]

I think one reason other countries can afford it is they have lower overhead for medical costs. For instance 30% of every dollar for medical expenses in the US is for overhead. Only 1% per dollar in Canada goes to over head. They have lower overhead because they don't have the amount of paperwork, CEO salaries, profits, etc. to pay for. We spend a lot of money determining who and what are covered in the US. It's kind of sad we waste so much money. I think we all agree it's a broken system.

[waitn838]

i wont need maternity leave with this preg but with my son i saved up all my vacation and paid time so i was paid for the first 2 weeks of not working.....everything depends on your work policy and the company...my company did not pay me but he was born around income tax return so that helped...regardless i returned to work 4 weeks later after having him with my docs permission....usually you are taking out of 6 weeks and most companies do not pay when you are on maternity but by law (FMLA) they have to hold your exact position for you to return to

[elisha123]

this is long and has nothing to do with MAT leave but for the person who asked about the tax rates here in canada this is what i could find ! sorry its long  LOL



Canada total tax and non-tax revenue for every level of government equals about 38.4% of GDP,[2] compared to the U.S. rate of 28.2%.[1]

A significant portion of this tax differential is due to spending differences between the two countries. While the US is running deficits of about 4% of GDP,[3] Canada has consistently posted a budget surplus of around 1% of GDP.[4] Considered in a revenue-neutral context, the differential is much smaller - Canada's total governmental spending was about 36% of GDP[5] vs. 31% in the US.[3] In addition, caution must be used when comparing taxes across countries, due to the different services each offers. Whereas the Canadian healthcare system is 70% government-funded, the US system is just under 50% government-funded (mostly via Medicare and Medicaid); adding the additional healthcare-spending burden to the above figures to obtain comparable numbers (+3% for Canada, +7% for the US) gives adjusted expenditures of 38–39% of GDP for each of the two nations.

The taxes are applied the same as well. Canada's income tax system is more heavily biased against the highest income earners, thus while Canada's income tax rate is higher on average, the bottom fifty percent of the population is roughly taxed the same on income as in the United States. However, Canada has a national goods and services tax of 5% on most purchases, while the U.S. federal government does not, increasing the tax burden on Canadian low-income earners due to the regressive nature of a sales tax. Canadian GST does not tax food and other essentials and a GST rebate for low-income earners mitigates regressiveness.[6]

In addition to the 5% GST levied on most purchases, some Canadians also pay a provincial sales tax at a rate that varies by province and can be as high as 10%. In Ontario, for example, where the provincial sales tax (PST) is 8%, consumers must pay a total of 13% sales tax on top of the purchase price. There are some purchases which are PST exempt, such as children's clothing. In the U.S., most states impose a sales tax, and cities and counties are often permitted to levy taxes as well, which can exceed 10% on purchases.

Canada has no inheritance tax while the United States still does, although many conservatives and economic liberals are pushing to have it abolished.

[edit] Government Spending
Government spending at all levels (federal, state/provincial and local) has traditionally been higher in Canada than the United States. In Canada, government spending as a percentage of GDP peaked at 53% in 1992. Since 1992 spending has steadily declined in Canada to just below 40 percent in 2008[7].

Spending in the United States fluctuated narrowly around 34-38 percent of GDP over the same period[8]. However, starting in 2008 US spending has turned sharply upwards to reach an estimated 42.7% of GDP in 2009[9] from 39% in 2008. Spending is expected to reach 45% of GDP in 2011[10], and stabilize at that level.

[edit] Social programs
For its higher taxes Canada has a larger system of social programs than the United States. This includes having a national broadcaster in the CBC, a largely government-funded health care system, and having all major universities receive partial government funding. The United States, however, does have most of its major universities subsidized by state government. The US also has two national public broadcasters which receive partial government funding, PBS (television) and NPR (radio).

The greatest difference in social programs is in health care. Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. Government spends as much on health care, 7% of GDP, as the Canadian government does,[11] and total healthcare spending is much higher - 14.6% of GDP in the US vs. 10% in Canada.[12] Canadians, however, receive comparable care to those Americans who receive treatment, and result measures, such as life expectancy and infant mortality are better in Canada. The Canadian health care system is said by some also to be attractive to employers, as in Canada health care is mostly paid through employee income taxes, while in the United States most companies choose to extend health benefits to full-time employees. Many employers in Canada do offer employees some additional medical coverage, for non-necessary treatments, and for pharmaceuticals which are not universally-covered the government-paid health insurance system. The most common complaint regarding the Canadian system are the long lines and waiting periods that have appeared for minor and non-life threatening procedures over the last 15 years, since the introduction of widespread cuts to public funding. Separately, a number of medical tests and screenings are not covered (or due to increasing costs, are no longer covered) by the Canadian health system, forcing patients to pay for these services out of their own pockets. For these reasons, some relatively wealthy Canadians undergo treatment at private healthcare facilities at their own expense, either in Canada, in India, or in other nations[13] to avoid waiting for medical treatment, joining "medical tourists" from many nations, including the US.[13] Despite these sporadic problems, Canada's healthcare performance is generally on par with, or better than, the US.[citation needed] Further healthcare coverage is universal for Canadians.

[LauraB78]

Thank you for posting this. What was your source? I would be interested in researching more. Thanks again.

[jade_and_janessas_mommy]

I want to move to Canada!

At least my maternity leave is paid (my dad donates me leave to use under FMLA).  I work for the state government and that's the way they do it I guess.  I can have up to 12 weeks paid if I have the leave to cover it.  6 to 12 weeks for maternity leave is just not enough!  This country needs some major reforms IMO!!

[Shayne1989]

yeah i want to move to canada too!  If i was still working where i was before DH and I got married before i got prego i would of gotten 12 weeks unpaid and that was it. For couples that depend on both sides of the income to make ends meet how in the world do they think you can take 12 weeks off with no pay?! woot go canada. the free health care by itself would help dh and i alot. i have the goverments medicaid so i dont pay for anything, but try finding a decent doc and somewhere within an hour is impossible. thank goodness we are moving to wisconsin. i cannot STAND illinos corrupt goverment. DH and I once considered moving to canada but i heard getting citzenship is really difficult.

[Steph_b]

My pay will be through my employer for the FLMA.  I get 6 week paid 80% of my salery by my employer and the rest of the time I will use earned time.

[elisha123]

en.wikipedia.org/.../Comparison_of_Canadian_and_American_economies
This is where i got the info from.

as for mat leave for me i have 1 year off paid! and you could always go back sooner if you feel that 1 year is to much but i havent known anyone to want to go back that soon and i really feel for the women that have to go back to work after only 6-12 short weeks..i dont know how i would handle that!

[cherylsangel]

I live in Ontario, Canada and all you need to be eligible in Ontario is that you must be working for your employer at least 13 weeks before your due date, I know it is different in other provinces. We get 52 weeks paid, and I believe you get 60% of your your normal pay, plus our child benefits that you get monthly.

[LauraB78]

Wow.. I guess the long of the short of it is in the USA, we cannot afford to have this available, we already have an overburdened welfare system, and I personally would never be that comfortable relying on the US government to take care of MY family. It's not their responsibility.. Plus, as someone mentioned, the USA spends a HUGE amount of tax dollars on our military, which is a necessity.. Pro-creating is a choice, and honestly, A LOT of women having children shouldn't.. Point blank.. Our country is overpopulated anyway and I guess my personal opinion stands as it isnt the governments job to take care of people. We are the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and people flock here to "earn a better life." NOT to have one handed to them.. Anyway, thanks for all the feedback. VERY interesting.