If you had a baby with no FMLA, what did you do?

[Anonymous]

I'm a new federal employee (converted from contractor) and I found out that I'm pregnant. DH and I wanted a second, but had fertility problems, so I had thought there was no way we'd get pregnant on our own without many months of trying. My mistake. Now I will not be eligible for FMLA when the baby is born.

My office is pretty family-friendly, so I'm hoping I can negotiate to take at least a couples months of unpaid leave anyway. However I don't know if they will be restricted by HR from allowing me to do so.

If you were in this situation, esp. as a fed, what did you do?

[Anonymous]

How long ago did you start your job?

Just set up an appointment with whomever your HR benefits person is and talk to them about it. They will let you know if there are any policies outside of FMLA (through any collective bargaining agreement or voluntary lave transfer program) that could help you out. You never know. FMLA is the minimum agencies must provide. They very well may have something that could help you out even in the absence of FMLA.

[Anonymous]

I started as a fed two months and was a contractor doing the exact same job for 10 months before that. Not sure the latter would be relevant to any discussion about leave, but I'm hoping they might give me credit for that time.

How soon do you think I should have the HR conversation? I'm going to try and wait as long as reasonably possible to tell people, so it doesn't come across like I got pregnant immediately after getting hired (even though that's what happened).

[Anonymous]

Also read the 2015 OPM guide to parental leave. There are a lot of flexibilities available even in absence of FMLA. They have to give you advanced sick leave for the first six weeks, and are strongly encouraged to advance you additional annual leave up to your annual accrual amount . My guess is they will let you go unpaid a few weeks too, though it won't be FMLA job protected.

Also, your FMLA may kick in DURING your leave:http://www.shrm.org/templatestools/hrqa/pages/fmlaeligibilitymetduringleave.aspx

[Anonymous]

I took no maternity leave, but worked from home. Hardest period of my life.

[Anonymous]

If it were my agency, I'd approve the LWOP. Yours may also, especially if you are a known commodity and had been working with this group before you converted. Also, you won't have been there a year before you actually give birth? You will certainly be close.

[Anonymous]

It would be really foolish if they fired you for taking 12 weeks of maternity leave. If they are going to fire you for that, then it probably would have been a really Bad place to work anyway.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure they'll allow you 12 weeks but most will be unpaid. They'll only allow you 6 weeks advanced sick leave. Which will put you in the sick leave hole for 3 years and that's a long time to never go to a baby Doctor appointment of get sick.

[Anonymous]

I'll also add that I've had a fed employee colleague who took some LWOP after the birth of her baby when she had not been a fed long enough to qualify for FMLA. She took maybe 7 weeks off total rather than 12, but I doubt that had to do with agency policy rather than with not wanting to take off too much time unpaid.

[Anonymous]

I was a post-doc (not lab work) basically working a senior staff position. I negotiated a few weeks off and then half time for three months (at half pay but full benefits) and my partner, who was FLMA eligible took half time paternity leave for three months. It was a solution that was definitely easier for my boss than having to do a new search and then starting over with someone new.

[Anonymous]

I quit and never went back to federal employment.

[Anonymous]

This freaking country. Why are we SO behind the times?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This freaking country. Why are we SO behind the times?

And these are executive branch employees under Obama. If I have to hear him talk up maternity leave on e more time I want to scream. It's so hypocritical.

[Anonymous]

I am not a fed, but a contractor. I didn't have FMLA (I hadn't worked there a year yet and we are a small business). Knowing that, I had child care set up for two weeks after his birth so I could return to work once all my sick/vacation leave was used up. Unfortunately, I was put on hospital bed rest at 30 weeks so used up my vacation and sick time before I even had the baby. When my baby arrived at 32 weeks, I went to work while he was in the NICU for 10 days. After that, I ended up putting a small crib in my office and walking around with my preemie strapped to me in a Moby wrap until his child care kicked in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not a fed, but a contractor. I didn't have FMLA (I hadn't worked there a year yet and we are a small business). Knowing that, I had child care set up for two weeks after his birth so I could return to work once all my sick/vacation leave was used up. Unfortunately, I was put on hospital bed rest at 30 weeks so used up my vacation and sick time before I even had the baby. When my baby arrived at 32 weeks, I went to work while he was in the NICU for 10 days. After that, I ended up putting a small crib in my office and walking around with my preemie strapped to me in a Moby wrap until his child care kicked in.

And the sad part is that not everyone has this option.