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[quote=Anonymous]
    Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
     [/quote]   OP here: I was a bit shocked to learn about all of this, since my company claimed to be so family friendly. I would hardly call this a family friendly policy. But I was especially surprised to find out that I couldn't take off LWOP. That costs them almost nothing (I am a contractor to another organization, who is fine with me taking LWOP). I work in the district, but taking off more FMLA time won't solve my problem past year 1.

I can't believe you are shocked! Your employer is providing you with PTO and a disability policy to help cover your wages. They are letting you go negative on leave. They are holding your job open in compliance with FMLA. How many hoops is a "family friendly" employer supposed to jump through? Who is going to do your job while you are gone? They are going to have to pay that person too. Are they paying for your continued benefits like health, dental, etc. during your absence?

I'm a mom and I am on board with paid leave for maternity but we also need to remember that our choices have consequences for other people besides ourselves, like our employers and coworkers. I was grateful to get my short term disability, not complaining about being unable to take a vacation after having a baby. sheesh[/quote]

[quote]I'm a PP. For me, it wasn't a point of taking a vacation, it was the fact that I had no PTO left and a baby (now toddler) in daycare who was sick every few weeks. For that first year, I was off at least 1-2 days every month dealing with DD's colds, recurrent ear infections, norovirus, etc. Combine that with two serious illnesses in our family that required more time off for either DH or myself and travel to another state to support that family member, and it was rough. It is better now that she's older and her sick days are few and far between these days, but juggling sick days that first year, with little to no PTO saved up, was challenging.
But that's how things go for lots of people. I'm fortunate I had short term disability, and I know that. [/quote]

OP here:  To be clear, I'm NOT asking that my employer provide me paid leave, I'm asking to be able to take UNPAID family leave.  That's why I'm surprised.  I get NO paid leave (unless you count 5 weeks STD at 50%) period!  They are forcing me into a corner to use all my PTO from newborn to year 1 (we have 5 weeks of disability, and must use a week of PTO before it kicks in).  If I take any time beyond I will use my remaining PTO in a week, and I need to stagger time with DH who is taking as much time off as he can (and we both will make up hours nights and weekends).

So, after this hectic schedule, we will reach year 1 with baby.  And then there is NO way for me to take time off for:  a family wedding, religious observances, my illness, a child's illness that DH can't cover, a family illness, etc. I may have used "vacation" earlier, but in reality what I've just described is normal life. If I go negative, I just perpetuate the problem.

Also, I my job will partially get covered by other employees who I covered for when they were out due to family illnesses and childbirth - other "choices" they made (should they not have attended to dying family members?  or had kids?).

The most irritating part of this for me is that my company will not be hurt if I do not work - at most, the organization that they contract me to (with a crazy overhead) will be "hurt".  And that organization is not only fine with me taking some extra unpaid leave, they think it will make me more productive down the road.  As you all know, starting work again at 6 weeks is certainly doable, but as PPs pointed out, they are exhausted and drag themselves to work when sick.  Not good for the bottom line. I'm sure clients will be thrilled when I show up with pink eye and sneeze on them.[/quote]

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