maternity leave for new fed (State Dep't) employee?

[Anonymous]

I am leaving my private sector job for the State Department in the next month or so (waiting for security clearance) and DH and I want to try for #2 ASAP. I am wondering whether eligibility for maternity leave at State is dependent on length of employment - in other words, do I need to work there for an entire year (or some other time period) in order to become eligible? And does it matter that, if all goes according to schedule, I probably won't have accumulated much or any sick/annual leave by the time the baby comes?

[Anonymous]

There is no such thing as maternity leave in the government. As a fed, you accrue 4 hours of sick leave per pay period--so roughly one day per month. For the first 3 years of federal service, you accrue vacation leave at the same rate. So, at the end of one year, you will have accrued 26 days of leave total--and that assumes you take no vacation days and never get sick or go to the doctor. You can get leave without pay and under FMLA, your job will be held for a certain number of weeks. I was a fed 7 years and when my child was born and I used every bit of my leave to have 12 weeks off. I had taken vacations and sick leave over the years but nothing out of the ordinary. So that should give you an idea-it took 7 years to accrue 12 weeks of sick leave and vacation leave. Most private companies and law firms have better leave than the government notwithstanding the pervasive view that government benefits are so great.

[Anonymous]

There are some similar recent threads on this-- don't know if they will come up with a search.

Basically you aren't entitled to very much. There is no paid maternity leave for anyone in the federal government. You can probably take up to 12 weeks unpaid (technically you might not be entitled to it as a new employee, but personally I have not heard of a supervisor denying leave on that basis). It's possible your office would let you take a little more leave without pay, or a temporary parttime schedule, but getting approval for a parttime schedule may be harder in the current (sequester) environment.

You may also be able to take advance sick leave, but that is up to your supervisor/HR usually, and you may want to save it (note that you can use your sick leave when needed to care for you child, as well as yourself).

[Anonymous]

Above poster is correct - except that it only took me 3.5 years to save up 12 weeks (I don't get sick a lot).

Also, depending on your agency, you can get one year advanced sick/vacation leave as well. I work for Navy (civilian) but it required XO approval.

FMLA is available up to 12 weeks, but each agency seems to interpret differently. Talk to supervisor HR when you are ready, they will get you filled in.

[Anonymous]

What PP doesn't mention is that most agencies allow for LWOP (Leave without Pay) as well, so while you may not get pay for the entirety of the time off, you can certainly take more time.

I would check out your agency's intranet site (once you start off course) and see what their policy is. It may also depend a great deal on your boss. My boss was willing with my last pregnancy, and with this one as well, to approve my taking leave longer than the 12 weeks required by FMLA. I know some components of DoD are not so flexible, however.

[Anonymous]

The "good news" is that with the sequester I think my agency is being more liberal about granting leave without pay....

I have also heard that some agencies will give maternity leave from the leave bank, but mine (and I think most) reserve it for serious illnesses.

[Anonymous]

Also keep in mind that you need to be employed for 1 year to qualify for FMLA. (Not saying that you need to be working a year before you get pregnant, but you do need to have a year in when you start leave.) Some Agencies aren't sticklers for making you take the leave under FMLA, some are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also keep in mind that you need to be employed for 1 year to qualify for FMLA. (Not saying that you need to be working a year before you get pregnant, but you do need to have a year in when you start leave.) Some Agencies aren't sticklers for making you take the leave under FMLA, some are.

This. I would be wary of trying to go on leave before you were there at least a year.

[jindc]

+1 to being sure you have that year in. A lot of HR people seem to not really be up on the issues around 'maternity leave' (here [DOD civilian side], they definitely aren't) so you really want to be sure you can use FMLA if you need it.

It took me about 3 1/2 years to have the max leave. I've been a fed for 7.5 years and now have like 5 months of sick and annual leave and I carry over the 240hour max every year. I never really take vacation (a day here, a day there), didn't have a honeymoon, I don't take sick days too often, and have been saving it specifically in case I ever need maternity or other family problem leave.
However, once you have your 240 in the bank, it's pretty liberating and you feel OK taking a day off here and there.

plus, with the furloughs I actually intend to use my day off for all my OB appointments when I can so I don't have to take more time off. Silver lining!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also keep in mind that you need to be employed for 1 year to qualify for FMLA. (Not saying that you need to be working a year before you get pregnant, but you do need to have a year in when you start leave.) Some Agencies aren't sticklers for making you take the leave under FMLA, some are.

This. I would be wary of trying to go on leave before you were there at least a year.

My baby came 20 hours before my one year cutoff. What a PITA (but so cute!)

[Anonymous]

I'm a State employee. Here are some things you should know:

-You're not technically eligible for FMLA until you've been a fed for a year. Now, I've always seen accommodations be made for newer employees, but it's not necessarily going to be what you want (a friend was only granted six weeks off total for instance -- all of course unpaid)
-As others have said there's no paid maternity leave with the federal government. You can combine accrued sick and annual leave (which you won't have much of) and also take a loan from your future leave. We wary of this though -- there's nothing worse than having a new baby at home and desperately needing a break but not being able to take one because you're so in debt with leave. I'd do LWOP (leave without pay) if finances allow.
-With State you CAN apply for leave donations for maternity leave. However, you have the best luck getting donations from friends and colleagues, and as a new employee you won't know enough people to be able to count on getting much donated leave time -- although you will likely get at least some from anonymous donors.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

PPs are right that there is no federal maternity leave, and that you will be dependent on your accumulated leave (won't be much unless you have past federal employment) and FMLA LWOP, which takes a year to trigger, but newsflash: pregnancy is 10 months long. Provided you are not pregnant on the day you start work, it will likely be a year before you have to worry, even if you have no fertility problems and start trying immediately.

[Anonymous]

Look into short term disability through private insurance companies (e.g., MetLife, Nationwide, etc.). You can set up a play, pay into it before you get pregnant and have a benefit that will cover some % or loss of income for medical reasons (pregnancy, maternity leave). That will help. Good luck on your family goals.

[Anonymous]

Not sure if it's the same at State, but at my agency, it all depends on your supervisor. I went into my job pregnant (told them before they made me an offer), and I made sure that I would have a job after maternity leave. It was all unpaid, of course, but I wanted to be sure, since I wasn't technically eligible for FMLA.

Same with LWOP - depends on the supervisor. Mine was completely fine with it (even for 2nd kid, after I had been there for a few years), but others aren't as flexible.

Also, figure out how involved your HR office is. In my office, we just do everything through the supervisor. If she agrees, it goes on the timesheet, and that's that. Involving our HR usually creates a true mess - sticklers for random things, including incorrect understandings of OPM rules and regulations.

[Anonymous]

There is also the Voluntary Leave Transfer Program, most agencies participate in this. People can donate extra leave that they would use or lose to you to help cover your FMLA leave without pay if you have not banked enough. Some agencies also participate in a Leave Bank whereby you donate a certain number of hours of your own leave and you in turn get several hours of leave to use for illness, surgery, recovering from child birth etc....

It seems as though by the time you are offered a position at State, actually start it and by the time you actually give birth you may have been there just one year. So you should be good for FMLA.