PSA on DC FMLA

[Anonymous]

Bump. Thank you, OP!

So many "HR Professionals" don't understand DC FMLA.

My employer (HR) is not allowing me to take my requested 22 weeks because they think 16 weeks is the max.

I had to email them articles from online and they're still discussing it with the lawyers. Smh.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I learned I had to go on bed rest I hired a lawyer to help me determine what I was entitled to and was VERY suprised (as was my employer) to learn that:

* In DC a company only needs to have 20 (not 50) employees to be under FMLA policy.

* In DC an employee is entitled to up to 16 weeks of medical AND 16 weeks of family leave in a 24 month period as opposed to the federal policy of 12 weeks total in a 12 month period. (This entitles me to 16 weeks bedrest and 16 weeks maternity leave).

* In DC an employer can not require you to use your accrued paid leave during your FMLA. You cna mutually decide to do so but it cannot be forced upon you.

* In DC an employer must continue to pay its typical portion of your health insurance premiums throughout your enire FMLA. (For me a total of 32 weeks).

I'm SO grateful for these progressive laws but just a little bit bitter that I had to pay an attorney $1,000 to learn what they are and educate my emloyer accordingly. I want t scream these laws from the rooftops so that other people know their rights.

If anyone is particularly interested in these policies and proof let me know and I can dig up some links.

Marion Barry and his entitlement programs. No wonder DC races are so high.

[Anonymous]

^^taxes not races

[Anonymous]

Thank you to whomever bumped this thread again!

I work for an organization which has a rather unhelpful, incompetent HR department (seriously, none of the people in HR actually have degrees in human resources) and I've heard horror stories of the few women who have taken maternity leave over the last five or six years. They often include protracted paperwork wars that continue every week throughout the entirety of their pregnancy and maternity leave. In my contract (I'm union) it says "we get what the organization's staff get," and then in our employee handbook (that's actually designed for members of a separate union in the same office – I know, it's confusing!), it says we get up to 16 weeks every two years *but maternity must be used in a 12 month period*. But I've also been told conflicting information that we are covered under Federal FMLA, which is only 12 weeks.

I want to go into our benefits office with solid information and with an understanding of what I'd be entitled to under each of these laws. I saw that there's some good links in earlier posts of the DC laws, but is there a similar site with actual language for the Federal provisions? I'm hoping I can be covered under DC laws – I want to take as much time as I possibly can with the baby. I've never really been around babies before, and I feel like we're going to need every minute to figure each other out. Also, daycare is EXPENSIVE!

Oh. One more question. I'll be taking maternity leave starting in early December, if all goes well. Am I really going to lose all my holiday pay for company holidays? If I hold out until December, I'll lose about six paid holiday days through February. If I go before Thanksgiving, it'll be up to EIGHT holiday days. That's a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to whomever bumped this thread again!

I work for an organization which has a rather unhelpful, incompetent HR department (seriously, none of the people in HR actually have degrees in human resources) and I've heard horror stories of the few women who have taken maternity leave over the last five or six years. They often include protracted paperwork wars that continue every week throughout the entirety of their pregnancy and maternity leave. In my contract (I'm union) it says "we get what the organization's staff get," and then in our employee handbook (that's actually designed for members of a separate union in the same office – I know, it's confusing!), it says we get up to 16 weeks every two years *but maternity must be used in a 12 month period*. But I've also been told conflicting information that we are covered under Federal FMLA, which is only 12 weeks.

I want to go into our benefits office with solid information and with an understanding of what I'd be entitled to under each of these laws. I saw that there's some good links in earlier posts of the DC laws, but is there a similar site with actual language for the Federal provisions? I'm hoping I can be covered under DC laws – I want to take as much time as I possibly can with the baby. I've never really been around babies before, and I feel like we're going to need every minute to figure each other out. Also, daycare is EXPENSIVE!

Oh. One more question. I'll be taking maternity leave starting in early December, if all goes well. Am I really going to lose all my holiday pay for company holidays? If I hold out until December, I'll lose about six paid holiday days through February. If I go before Thanksgiving, it'll be up to EIGHT holiday days. That's a lot of money.

Depending on the size of your company you will be eligible for both Federal and DC FMLA. Most places will run the leaves concurrently so if you get 22 or 24 weeks of DC FMLA, your 12 weeks of Federal runs at the same time. It's not tacked on after.

It does sound like your organization is very complex. I would recommend reaching out to HR via email so you have a paper trail of how things will work. There is definitely lots of paperwork involved (e.g. your organization's leave forms, FMLA paperwork for you and your doctor, short term disability forms, ADA paperwork if needed, timesheets, monthly check ins, checks for benefit, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you to whomever bumped this thread again!

I work for an organization which has a rather unhelpful, incompetent HR department (seriously, none of the people in HR actually have degrees in human resources) and I've heard horror stories of the few women who have taken maternity leave over the last five or six years. They often include protracted paperwork wars that continue every week throughout the entirety of their pregnancy and maternity leave. In my contract (I'm union) it says "we get what the organization's staff get," and then in our employee handbook (that's actually designed for members of a separate union in the same office – I know, it's confusing!), it says we get up to 16 weeks every two years *but maternity must be used in a 12 month period*. But I've also been told conflicting information that we are covered under Federal FMLA, which is only 12 weeks.

I want to go into our benefits office with solid information and with an understanding of what I'd be entitled to under each of these laws. I saw that there's some good links in earlier posts of the DC laws, but is there a similar site with actual language for the Federal provisions? I'm hoping I can be covered under DC laws – I want to take as much time as I possibly can with the baby. I've never really been around babies before, and I feel like we're going to need every minute to figure each other out. Also, daycare is EXPENSIVE!

Oh. One more question. I'll be taking maternity leave starting in early December, if all goes well. Am I really going to lose all my holiday pay for company holidays? If I hold out until December, I'll lose about six paid holiday days through February. If I go before Thanksgiving, it'll be up to EIGHT holiday days. That's a lot of money.

Depending on the size of your company you will be eligible for both Federal and DC FMLA. Most places will run the leaves concurrently so if you get 22 or 24 weeks of DC FMLA, your 12 weeks of Federal runs at the same time. It's not tacked on after.

It does sound like your organization is very complex. I would recommend reaching out to HR via email so you have a paper trail of how things will work. There is definitely lots of paperwork involved (e.g. your organization's leave forms, FMLA paperwork for you and your doctor, short term disability forms, ADA paperwork if needed, timesheets, monthly check ins, checks for benefit, etc.).

I forgot one thing. The DOL has several pages dedicated to Federal FMLA eligibility.

[Anonymous]

Bump. Thought this might be useful for all those showing their ignorance in the other thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump. Thought this might be useful for all those showing their ignorance in the other thread.

This was the thread I was thinking of, in the other thread, lol. Thanks for the bump!

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Timely!

[Anonymous]

Just read the other thread and oh my ...

This thread needs to be made a sticky in this forum because people are getting weasled out of their full leave and are accepting it as right.

[Anonymous]

What if your employed at a business wih 6 employees? Are you entitled to anythingn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What if your employed at a business wih 6 employees? Are you entitled to anythingn?

You would not be entitled to DC or Federal FMLA. Does your employer offer any leave?

[Anonymous]

Bump