Employee Asking for Mat Leave Extension for 2nd Time

[Anonymous]

She’s not coming back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, she could be experiencing a serious mental health crisis. I had a colleague who extended her maternity leave and ended up committing suicide. Tread very carefully in your conversations with her and lean on HR for guidance.

Agree with this 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She’s not coming back.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her leave could become an ADA issue. I’m pretty well versed in this, but not my area of practice. ADA can be used in certain circumstances to extend job protections offered through FMLA. It’s not indefinite but it can extend for awhile.

What it turns on is that it can’t be indefinite. So a doctor has to specify that return to work is medically anticipated by a set date.

IME as a manager you have to stay on top of it and press your HR to end the leave and issue termination. A lot will depend on your company’s culture.

Thanks. Helpful context.

[Anonymous]

I experienced this as in I requested extra and then extra time. My supervisor, a phenomenal leader and woman, granted it no questions asked. She also offered me part time phased in to see how things would work out and told me to take as much time as I needed. Hearing that gave me the courage to leave and hire a nanny and then put baby in daycare when baby was older. I had severe anxiety and took the birth of my first hard (was also a csection birth). I came back part time for three weeks and slowly increased the time. I felt better and more comfortable. I adore my supervisor and mentor. I am still working and have gotten promotions but that was just a kind thing to do and I’ll always be thankful and think about it.

[Anonymous]

5 days in the office is tough and people have gotten used to hybrid and remote jobs. I feel sorry for parents RTO 5 days - it’s not a family friendly policy and usually unnecessary especially if hybrid or remote was done during covid. Maybe offer part time as part as the transition back to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would try to relax the RTO. That's a PITA for everyone and proven to not increase and even reduce productivity.

Then they need to relax it for others as well. Lots of people would have less stress and anxiety if they didn’t have to work in person 5 days a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:5 days in the office is tough and people have gotten used to hybrid and remote jobs. I feel sorry for parents RTO 5 days - it’s not a family friendly policy and usually unnecessary especially if hybrid or remote was done during covid. Maybe offer part time as part as the transition back to work.

Humans are perfectly capable of working in an office/outside the home. Don’t sell women and moms short. I mean, by your logic, teaching or being a doctor is not a doable profession for a parent. Do you really believe that?

[Anonymous]

She’s not coming back.

And you know that.

[Anonymous]

Leave it with HR at this point. I needed extended maternity leave due to my baby being ill. I had to take the extra time as LWOP and had to start paying for my insurance out of pocket, which was without the employer discount. They held my position open, which I was thankful for. I assume this is how your company will head towards (LWOP) unless she gets a drs note and ends up on disability. There's not much you can do besides point her to speak with HR as to the extended leave policy. I did stay very loyal to my company with their handling of my needs.

[Anonymous]

You got DEIed. Everyone deserves an equal chance to be VP, even if they don’t work.

Who has been VPing during her leave?

[Anonymous]

This VP’s job is being done by a contractor, and has a manager who has a manager? Is this a bank where every salesperson is a “VP”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Support your teammate and grant it. It will reward you later.

It’s already been granted. I’m asking about what HR will do or advise me to do if she continues to request leave after she finishes with her 8 months of leave. I assume there is some point, probably around 10-12 months, when HR will say ‘ok, we either need this person back in the role or we need to let them go.’ I haven’t heard back from HR, which is why I’m asking here.

FMLA guarantees 12 weeks of job protection. After that it’s up to the company do decide if the job actually needs doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, this is what you get for demanding RTO. She'd probably be more ok with coming back if she could work from home, at least hybrid. 5 days in the office is much more intimidating to go back to when you are a new mom. There ya go. Have fun covering for her or replacing her.

It is practically impossible to work from home with a newborn. I mean, seriously. Anyone who has had a newborn knows this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would try to relax the RTO. That's a PITA for everyone and proven to not increase and even reduce productivity.

A person with a baby at home is not hoing to be even 1/4 productivity of someone working in the office.