Is it poor form to request donated paid leave for childbirth recovery period?

[Anonymous]

I'm a newish hire and will have exhausted my paid leave within 2 weeks after childbirth. My agency allows for parents to request donated leave under its leave transfer program. The program specifies that donated leave can only be used for a "medical emergency -- i.e., the mother's period of incapacitation following childbirth (usually 6-8 weeks) or the illness of a child -- and may not be used to care for a healthy child." I'm planning on taking 12 weeks of FMLA leave, so if I rely solely on what I've accrued, only the first 2 weeks will be paid. Going into "leave without pay status" would affect my ability to accrue new leave and has some other HR consequences. Leave donation requests broadcast by my agency do not specify the medical reason for the request; rather, they just say "Jane Doe has elected to participate in the leave sharing program; if you would like to donate leave please contact HR."

My spouse thinks it would be poor form to solicit leave contributions -- assuming we have an uncomplicated childbirth -- and that while the letter of the law allows for soliciting donations, the spirit of the law reserves donations for people with cancer or other serious illnesses. My feeling is 1) that I probably won't receive much, if any, donated leave so why not ask, and 2) that only people who know me and want to help out will donate anyway.

So, greater DC parenting community, what do you think: is it gauche to solicit donated annual leave for an uncomplicated childbirth?

[Anonymous]

Yes. In my office its only "ok" for babies who end up in the NICU or mothers who have a complication themselves. I have never seen it done for a normal birth, c section or vaginal.

[Anonymous]

I think it's inappropriate and I applaud you for realizing that it's in poor form and actually caring!

[Anonymous]

Do you have disability insurance? For some companies that's standard and pays 2/3 of your salary for 6 or 8 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Yes it's poor form. Also, you will only be able to get donated leave for 4 weeks (up to 6 or 8 weeks and you have to use your 2 weeks first).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have disability insurance? For some companies that's standard and pays 2/3 of your salary for 6 or 8 weeks.

feds don't have that

[Anonymous]

So you have a husband, who works, and if you don’t get donated leave, you’re still going to take it all.

Yes I think this is gauche. You don’t need the money strictly speaking, you just want it. As you say, this is not the spirit of the program.

[Anonymous]

Yes it is terrible form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]I'm a newish hire[/b] and will have exhausted my paid leave within 2 weeks after childbirth. My agency allows for parents to request donated leave under its leave transfer program. The program specifies that donated leave can only be used for a "medical emergency -- i.e., the mother's period of incapacitation following childbirth (usually 6-8 weeks) or the illness of a child -- and may not be used to care for a healthy child." I'm planning on taking 12 weeks of FMLA leave, so if I rely solely on what I've accrued, only the first 2 weeks will be paid. Going into "leave without pay status" would affect my ability to accrue new leave and has some other HR consequences. Leave donation requests broadcast by my agency do not specify the medical reason for the request; rather, they just say "Jane Doe has elected to participate in the leave sharing program; if you would like to donate leave please contact HR."

My spouse thinks it would be poor form to solicit leave contributions -- assuming we have an uncomplicated childbirth -- and that while the letter of the law allows for soliciting donations, the spirit of the law reserves donations for people with cancer or other serious illnesses. My feeling is 1) that I probably won't receive much, if any, donated leave so why not ask, and 2) that only people who know me and want to help out will donate anyway.

So, greater DC parenting community, what do you think: is it gauche to solicit donated annual leave for an uncomplicated childbirth?

Don't you dare. Nope.

[Anonymous]

Of course it's fine. People generally donate use or lose leave. Maybe someday you will be in a position to pay it forward by helping someone else. It's a request, not a requirement. If people don't want to/can't, they won't and won't give it another thought. No one's gonna be like, that Jane is just so rude to even request the leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's fine. People generally donate use or lose leave. Maybe someday you will be in a position to pay it forward by helping someone else. It's a request, not a requirement. If people don't want to/can't, they won't and won't give it another thought. No one's gonna be like, that Jane is just so rude to even request the leave.

use or lose, not use or leave.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think the maternity leave situation in this country is atrocious. Unfortunately I don't think you can ask for donated leave because it'll take away from people who are genuinely suffering.

[Anonymous]

agreeing with PP, it's poor form - donated leave is saved for those with complicated births, or NICU babies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course it's fine. People generally donate use or lose leave. Maybe someday you will be in a position to pay it forward by helping someone else. It's a request, not a requirement. If people don't want to/can't, they won't and won't give it another thought. No one's gonna be like, that Jane is just so rude to even request the leave.

+1.

[Anonymous]

There's no way you will get enough leave donated to avoid unpaid-leave status. And you can afford and plan to take a full leave unpaid. So you'd be effectively asking people for money. That's the only benefit to you that I can see from people donating leave--you having more money. That would be off putting to most people if they found out the full circumstances.