Expecting and I just found out I don't qualify for short term disability. America is not pro-life/pro-birth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ no one finds out they are pregnant at their doctors appointment. It sounds like you knew you were pregnant, signed up for a short-term disability, delayed your doctors appointment a few weeks and are trying to get sympathy for attempting to game the system. You knew your company did not offer short-term disability. And you got pregnant knowing this and thought you could just sign up before it came to light. I mean it stinks for sure but I also understand the insurance company’s point of view

8 weeks. I took a pregnancy test on 11/1, but because they go off missed period (October 25) or time of conception (October 10-11), I don't qualify/

You clearly know nothing about prenatal care. They won't even see you until you're at least 8 weeks to confirm if you're pregnant, so no, I didn't hold off until then. I'm due July 4th, so both my missed period AND conception were a few days to a few weeks before open enrollment.

There was no way for me to know I was going to be pregnant around the time of open enrollment. Unless open enrollment had been in September, there was no way for me to qualify for short-term disability.

You didn't understand there could be consequences of pregnancy in both protected and unprotected intercourse?! You knew the dates for open enrollment enrollment and a smart woman would have abstained from intercourse during that time period so she would be eligible for open enrollment.

Ahh the old smart woman trope. How many times are you going to respond to this post putting OP down?

[Anonymous]

It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number of people out here fighting for the rights of employers to shit all over moms has me despairing that things will ever change. You all sound like Pick Me’s for capitalism.

OP this sucks and is super gross, but try not to let it overshadow your joy. Congratulations!

Can two things be true? Can we fight for better benefits and also plan appropriately for the benefits we currently have?

I didn’t opt into short term disability because my policy had a 10 month waiting period for pregnancy. I then calculated how much it would pay out vs. how much I would have to pay in and realized by two years it wouldn’t cost more than it would pay out.

I also knew how to cover my maternity leave so I saved leave to cover it. I signed up for benefits that I researched and made sure worked for me. At the same time I am also a loud advocate for increasing the amount of paid leave my organization offers.

I also choose to work at a lower paying job because it has better benefits. I chose to stay at a job I didn’t like because it had better benefits.

+1 I made the mistake of signing up for STD knowing we wanted to have a kid. Couple years of fertility struggles and by the time I gave birth the payout was less than what I paid in.

Better to just put away some money every month rather than sign up for these policies.

An STD plan doesn't work financially if people can sign up when they know they are trying to get pregnant.

I fully support employers giving paid leave to new parents. STD is not that - it is an insurance product.

But the STD wasn’t just for childbirth - had you had an accident or some other condition that took you out of work, it presumably would’ve covered you. Insurance is not a 1-for-1 on paying into system versus claims making you whole. I would rather pay into a system that I don’t need rather than not paying and then needing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Why? Being a parent and having a pregnancy is a choice. You have annual/sick leave. Save it for a few years like the rest of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Why? Being a parent and having a pregnancy is a choice. You have annual/sick leave. Save it for a few years like the rest of us.

We subsidize lots of choices in America.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Why? Being a parent and having a pregnancy is a choice. You have annual/sick leave. Save it for a few years like the rest of us.

My employer doesn’t roll over annual and sick leave. How do you suppose I “save it up”? Plus my employer can deny requests for annual leave at its discretion, and I only get 7 sick days per year. Last time I checked, you can’t recover from childbirth in 7 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:is it either STD *or* maternity leave? Will you not be eligible for ML at all as a contractor? I'm having a truly hard time understanding.

While I understand that some people impeccably plan expanding their families, other people just "turn up pregnant." When the time comes, they have maternity leave or create something from leave / unpaid/ whatever.

Has no contractor at your company ever been pregnant? Is there anyone you can ask about their experience? I hope you get it all sorted.

I WFH on a specific assignment for a large company, so I have no colleagues to consult with, however, I’m trying to work with my HR now. My contract was only supposed to be 3 months but now it’s going on two years.

When I enrolled/started in July 2024 I wasn’t even dating my fiance, we had just been friends for many years. Given my age (34 at the time I first enrolled), the short duration of my contract, single with 0 prospects, and no desire for a relationship because of grief I didn’t even
think getting pregnant was a possibility… Heck I didn’t even see the point in enrolling period because I thought I wouldn’t be there long

Gee, did you ever think that if he were your husband, instead of your fiance, that you would be covered under his insurance! Choices have consequences!

Just loud and wrong.

You don’t get STD just because you’re married.

& the married/mot married shaming is old and boring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The number of people out here fighting for the rights of employers to shit all over moms has me despairing that things will ever change. You all sound like Pick Me’s for capitalism.

OP this sucks and is super gross, but try not to let it overshadow your joy. Congratulations!

Can two things be true? Can we fight for better benefits and also plan appropriately for the benefits we currently have?

I didn’t opt into short term disability because my policy had a 10 month waiting period for pregnancy. I then calculated how much it would pay out vs. how much I would have to pay in and realized by two years it wouldn’t cost more than it would pay out.

I also knew how to cover my maternity leave so I saved leave to cover it. I signed up for benefits that I researched and made sure worked for me. At the same time I am also a loud advocate for increasing the amount of paid leave my organization offers.

I also choose to work at a lower paying job because it has better benefits. I chose to stay at a job I didn’t like because it had better benefits.

+1 I made the mistake of signing up for STD knowing we wanted to have a kid. Couple years of fertility struggles and by the time I gave birth the payout was less than what I paid in.

Better to just put away some money every month rather than sign up for these policies.

An STD plan doesn't work financially if people can sign up when they know they are trying to get pregnant.

I fully support employers giving paid leave to new parents. STD is not that - it is an insurance product.

But the STD wasn’t just for childbirth - had you had an accident or some other condition that took you out of work, it presumably would’ve covered you. Insurance is not a 1-for-1 on paying into system versus claims making you whole. I would rather pay into a system that I don’t need rather than not paying and then needing it.

When I was paying into it, the premiums not particularly cheap, and the payout wasn't very large. I have much more than that in my emergency fund.

Maybe the premiums are as high as they are because the only people who sign up for it are the people who know they will need it at some point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Countries that have extended maternity leave and benefits also have exponentially high taxes on personal income. To achieve the same in the US the tax would have to be incremental tax increases over a long period of time. Highest tax rate for high earners now is 37%. It would take decades to increase taxes on the Uber rich and it simply is not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Countries that have extended maternity leave and benefits also have exponentially high taxes on personal income. To achieve the same in the US the tax would have to be incremental tax increases over a long period of time. Highest tax rate for high earners now is 37%. It would take decades to increase taxes on the Uber rich and it simply is not going to happen.

DP there are currently several states with paid family leave systems in place, some of which have existed for decades

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Countries that have extended maternity leave and benefits also have exponentially high taxes on personal income. To achieve the same in the US the tax would have to be incremental tax increases over a long period of time. Highest tax rate for high earners now is 37%. It would take decades to increase taxes on the Uber rich and it simply is not going to happen.

Or we dont get into ME wars every chance we get... or the Pentagon passes an audit! Or the tax code is changed. There's so many opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Countries that have extended maternity leave and benefits also have exponentially high taxes on personal income. To achieve the same in the US the tax would have to be incremental tax increases over a long period of time. Highest tax rate for high earners now is 37%. It would take decades to increase taxes on the Uber rich and it simply is not going to happen.

Every country except Papua New Guinea and some tiny oceanic countries offer better maternity leave than the US. I guess those other 192 countries are all crazy socialists!!!

For countries with paid leave for mothers, the average number of weeks is 29. 119 countries give at least 12 weeks of paid leave to moms.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Why? Being a parent and having a pregnancy is a choice. You have annual/sick leave. Save it for a few years like the rest of us.

Exactly! You don’t see men going around choosing to get pregnant and expecting leave because they’re RESPONSIBLE. Duh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Why? Being a parent and having a pregnancy is a choice. You have annual/sick leave. Save it for a few years like the rest of us.

Exactly! You don’t see men going around choosing to get pregnant and expecting leave because they’re RESPONSIBLE. Duh!

………………?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is an enormous policy gap that harms women, children, families, and the economy. We should have universal paid leave.

Countries that have extended maternity leave and benefits also have exponentially high taxes on personal income. To achieve the same in the US the tax would have to be incremental tax increases over a long period of time. Highest tax rate for high earners now is 37%. It would take decades to increase taxes on the Uber rich and it simply is not going to happen.

Taxes run at around 50% for everyone, including low wage earners to cover this stuff.