After chatting with a friend ...

[blamebrampton]

The following poll will be very helpful in sorting some ideas. If you are in paid work and have a minute or two spare, it would be lovely to hear from you![Poll #1401151][Poll #1401151]

Comments

[rickey-a.livejournal.com]

I stopped working 2 years ago, but answered for where I left off. In the US maternity leave varies depending on state. Most are Unpaid, but must hold your position or equivalent until your return. I think only something like 6 states have some sort of pay for maternity leave.

In California we have SDI (a small state disability insurance) that we and our employers pay into. They use that to give you partial pay on maternity leave up to 8wks for vaginal birth and 10wks for c-section. (you can also take up to 4 weeks before the birth on medical leave if rec'd by a Dr. Most Dr's will happily rec you 2-3 weeks ahead even if you have no med issues like hypertension etc. that would really necessitate work leave) After that you can take FMLA- Family medical leave act - Unpaid leave (up to another 12 wks? not sure something like that) and that can be maternity or paternity. But they have to give you your job or equivalent back to you.

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Wow ... working past 8 months is almost unheard of in the places I have worked (UK, Aus and NZ), so that is quite a different culture. Usually people disappear around the 6-7 month mark and go home to tidy and sleep (since they'll not be doing that again for a while ;-)

That sounds as though you are only guaranteed to have your job held for about 6 months, is that right?

[rickey-a.livejournal.com]

yes, roughly if you put all your medical, maternity, and FMLA all together it works to be about 6 months. (all unpaid w/the couple of exceptions that I noted)

The United States has notoriously horrible maternity leave compared w/other modern countries. Most women are expected to/have to work into the 9th month. I know women who worked up until days before they delivered and then often need to be back to work in 2 months. I took 4 months (16-17 wks) post birth with my first child, but only 10 weeks with my second because I already had a full time Nanny.