The topic of maternity leave came up in the staff lounge the other day. We have several new moms on staff and a couple of pregnancies. No new moms were in the room at the time but the others were saying that they were pretty sure all of them took off at least 6 weeks and that the county offered six weeks paid maternity leave. I told them I had already contacted someone in personnel and was told that was not the case; that employees could only use sick leave which at this point, being that I am new to the district, have currently only accrued 2 days (which will become 12 days in the fall). They kept insisting that I was mistaken, that there is maternity leave, and I should check into it again. Our union representative was in the room at the time and she said she would look into it for me. Turns out their IS maternity leave for new moms! Six or eight weeks!
We have a "sick leave bank" to which I belong. This can be used if you are sick and have used all your days sick days. You access days from the bank and that way you can still be paid. This is what new moms can use since pregnancy is considered an illness. "According to the medical profession, a woman is considered temporarily medically disabled for 6 weeks for a regular birth and 8 weeks for a c-section." Of course if they heal from the delivery in one week they don't have to provide any proof (i.e. doctor's note) that they are still recuperating. No. They can just stay home with the new baby and bond for the next five to seven weeks.
So there you have it. If I were having a biological child I could use six or eight weeks from the sick leave bank but as an adoptive parent I get squat.
Boo.
5 comments:
That's what happened to me too. It really stinks doesn't it.
yup we adoptive parents get discriminated against. In my school district you get 70% of your salary for the first two weeks (adoptive parents get nothing) and for the next 15 weeks you get topped up to 80% of your salary (adoptive parents get no top up).. Maternity leave is a year for birth moms and only 35 weeks of parental leave for adoption... I really think the fact that they differentiate is just plain wrong.. our babies need us home just as much as any other baby!
Perhaps we can organize an internet campaign of getting more maternity leave? I really think it's discrimination based on a complete lack of knowledge and no one ever pushing for it. The idea has been - how do mother's physically recover - not how long does a baby/child need it's mother.
I'm fortunate. I work for a small company. when i started I went and spoke to our CFO (who is a woman.) She immediately said I needed the same three months as a mom who's just given birth. But this was because a couple of her friends had adopted and she knew what they had been through.
perhaps a letter writing campaign with the written experiences of adopted parents would help?
I'll think about how I might do it. Then everyone could print a small brochure out and present it to Human Resources or send it in to our congresspeople.
i think that's a great idea, kristine. i think we are all just accepting it and no one is standing up. let's think about this more. i would definitely be interested in doing a letter writing campaign. let's put our heads together and see what we can start.
I'm in the federal system and we all get the same across the board (bio or adoptive). It's all unpaid, up to 3 months. Sucks. But it's fair at least.
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