working 45-55 hours til the babies get here

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

ok so I check with my HR about their policy on me taking time off because my body is so ready to quit......well my OB said whatever I wanted they would write me a note.......soooo I first wanted to check with HR to see what they could help with......well they said I could go on temp disability and the insurance would pay 60% of my wages and the company would pick up the other 40%......ok so that sounds good but the catch is the time I'm on disability still is counting off my 12 weeks FMLA and I have no maternity leave just my FMLA so if I don't have my babies say til 37+ weeks that mean I only have 1-2 weeks left off after my babies are here.......so I asked about just less hours and they said well that would be ok but if my boss wants he can fire me b/c if he can't accomidate me on part time then he will have to hire someone else and they really don't think he'll be able to accomidate me....soooo this mean I'm stuck working 45-55 hours a week til my babies get here........ahh I just want to rest.     I'm so tired.

[popeyesgirl06]

I checked into my own leave at work and it does not go against FMLA. Here is an excerpt of the law.....
The President signed into law H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2008 (NDAA). Among other things, section 585 of the NDAA amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) to permit a "spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin" to take up to 26 workweeks of leave to care for a "member of the Armed Forces, including a member of the National Guard or Reserves, who is undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy, is otherwise in outpatient status, or is otherwise on the temporary disability retired list, for a serious injury or illness." Additional information and a copy of Title I of the FMLA, as amended, are available on the website. (January 28, 2008)
Compliance Assistance —
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Special Rules for Returning Reservists under USERRA
Synopsis of Law
Covered employers must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:

for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;
for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;
to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or
to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Under the questions and answers portion here is what the bad news is...........

Q: Can the employer count leave taken due to pregnancy complications against the 12 weeks of FMLA leave for the birth and care of my child?

Yes. An eligible employee is entitled to a total of 12 weeks of FMLA leave in a 12-month period. If the employee has to use some of that leave for another reason, including a difficult pregnancy, it may be counted as part of the 12-week FMLA leave entitlement.

Q: Can the employer count time on maternity leave or pregnancy disability as FMLA leave?

Yes. Pregnancy disability leave or maternity leave for the birth of a child would be considered qualifying FMLA leave for a serious health condition and may be counted in the 12 weeks of leave so long as the employer properly notifies the employee in writing of the designation.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/

Sorry....I guess it depends on employer policy.

[Lezzart]

Here our medicare covers any type of surgery (as long as it's not esthetics) and anything else except the yearly checkup, our cost is $50 for a physical. The goverment gives you 15 weeks of sick leave, then you get close to 3 months maternity leave, then 6 months parental (daddy OR mommy can take it) If you're lucky to work for a good company then you get + - 80% coverage on dental, optometrist, medication...etc. Some provinces do charge a monthly fee for health care but not all of them. We have options and I can request a second opinion at any time free of charge!

But hey we are not perfect here either...but at least we got the medicare right... for now.

[carpediemforlife]

Brown Eye....I would check into that....cause I think the girls are right.  

Lezzart - it is nice that you get a year off....but socialized healthcare kind of scares me a bit personally. I like having options and stronger patient rights. And while we have MANY issues with healthcare in this country I dont ever see the USA in a situation to cater to a new mother outside of an individual basis.  I can say that several companies such as my DH has maternity leave for FATHERS that is 3 wks and its paid. The US govt will never step in for the better of the common man and protect a job for a year...they are too busy chasing barrels of oil....but it sure would be nice.

[melimeli]

FMLA is for family leave not leave for you.. your babies aren't born yet.. it is designed to take care of a family member

[melimeli]

it shouldn't... check the law

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

yeah I have disability but they said my time on disability would count off my FMLA time too....

[peekawho]

I agree with Sheila.  I'm not sure that disability prior to birth counts off against your 12 weeks post delivery.

With twins, you can almost bet you'll be off work very soon.  

[shesherm]

Brandi,
you may want ot double check on the FMLA...my time being out before Saraya was here DIDN"T count against my FMLA.  Do you have disability?  that should cover you till you have the babies.  Good luck
((Sheila))

[maybebaby29]

hahaha love it and agree. Most European countries also take a year off, full pay, no fear for job loss. In the US we were lucky that Clinton signed the FMLA law. Before that, we were all screwed. It's not perfect, but we take what we can get. For me, short term, plus FLMA, plus my vacation time = 3 months but that's IF I didn't take any vacation. If I used my vacation during the year, then I would have to deal with 2 months paid and 1 month unpaid. Seeing my vacation renews Jan 1. I'm so lucky that I get a new cycle. Unfortuantely that means that I use up all my vacation/sick time paid by March 09.

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

LOL heck I'm moving to Canada LOL  at my work we don't get any maternity leave we can just use our FMLA so that's 12 weeks unpaid

[Lezzart]

I've been reading posts from all of you women out there in the USA...I find it just unbeleivable and in-human for you ladies to have to go back to work so soon after giving birth, twins or just one child. I know most of you can easily do it, physically that is, but still...  you need time to rest and to enjoy them and even build a routine. It's stress upon stress on top of stress. Here in Canada we have a full year after the birth of a child, your boss has to take you back after, and he/she has to deal with it. That's it. I'm not saying that we all take a full year, I went back after the baby was 4 months old, but that was my own choice...I got to make that choice! If I lived in the US, you would hear from me on a regular base in the news, I would be this annoying woman protesting and buging the hell out of that goverment...to ridiculus.

[Brown Eyed Gurl]

I hope it works out to I'm not coming back to work 1-2 weeks after my babies are born I'm not coming back til they are at least 8 weeks old.....they will just have to fire me I guess.   I've been here 4 years almost

[desp]

i was worried about the same thing happening to me. i haven't been at my job for a year yet so i don't even qualify for fmla. i was lucky in that they worked with me instead of letting me go. i have 2 months off and then go back part time for the third month. i was worried that if anything happened and i ended up on bed rest i would be in the same boat as you with only getting to spend a few weeks home with my baby. luckily, i ended up being able to work until the day before my son was born. i hope things work out for you. my husband would say that everything has a way of working out in the end. good luck!!