Am I not covered under FMLA?

VictoriaGayle · Aug 30, 2012

I thought you were eligible for maternity leave after 6 months?

I'm not possitive, you should double check the requirements.

You are not required to provide medical information, and honestly you should never volunteer information of any kind that is not solicited. Sad to say some people wil discriminate against a pregnant woman, or a woman with kids. You are not obligated to share info about your family life, so don't.

Obviously after you have the job you will at some point have to tell them about your pregnancy if you want maternity leave.

I wouldn't blurt it out the second the job is official.

I've heard that most women wait until the end of their first trimester to tell their boss about their pregnancy and discuss leave, because most miscaraiges happen before then.

Trauma Columnist · Aug 30, 2012

For FMLA - you must be employed for 12 consecutive months. Here is the .gov reference: U.S. Department of Labor - Wage and Hour Division (WHD) - Fact Sheet

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 30, 2012

Pregnancy or no, you've only been at your current position for seven months. My advice would be to stay there. You cannot possibly have learned everything there is to learn in only seven months, nor can you have returned their initial investment in training you.

DSkelton711 · Sep 30, 2012

Aug 30 by Ruby Vee :

"Pregnancy or no, you've only been at your current position for seven months. My advice would be to stay there. You cannot possibly have learned everything there is to learn in only seven months, nor can you have returned their initial investment in training you."

I don't think the OP is saying that she is finished learning. She has an incredible opportunity to work in a specialty that can be hard to get into. If this is her her chance to be able to work in the field where she wants to build her career, then she should take it.

To OP: FMLA is after one year of employment, but there may be a Maternity Leave policy. I think most places will give you 6 weeks leave.

Trekfan · Oct 1, 2012

I would call your new job and find out before you switch jobs . Also i could be wrong but flma will not garenty your same job when you return .I lost my job in janurary after I returned from flma and had to go back out for the week .

Ruby Vee, BSN · Oct 3, 2012

Aug 30 by Ruby Vee :
"Pregnancy or no, you've only been at your current position for seven months. My advice would be to stay there. You cannot possibly have learned everything there is to learn in only seven months, nor can you have returned their initial investment in training you."
I don't think the OP is saying that she is finished learning. She has an incredible opportunity to work in a specialty that can be hard to get into. If this is her her chance to be able to work in the field where she wants to build her career, then she should take it.
To OP: FMLA is after one year of employment, but there may be a Maternity Leave policy. I think most places will give you 6 weeks leave.

When you take a job, most places expect you to stay a year or two. Leaving after seven months cheats the employer who took a chance on hiring you.

T-Bird78 · Nov 14, 2012

FMLA is after one year of employment and a minimum number of hours worked. You may be eligible for short-term disability for maternity leave but I wouldn't change jobs during a pregnancy. The short-term disability may deny yours because the pregnancy is a preexisting condition, so you'd be out 6-8 weeks with no pay, plus having to pay healthcare premiums out of pocket while you're out. My maternity leave (10 years apart in completely different settings and employers) required me to use a week of PTO then short-term disability kicked in for the remainder of the time, and I was paid 60% of my salary. My first one was every two weeks like a regular paycheck, the second was a lump sum of estimated pay at 60% based on my salary and hours worked. FMLA just guarantees you have a job, not necessarily the same one you left, and protects you for up to 12 weeks but it is without pay.

I had intermittent FMLA during my pregnancy when I was hospitalized after my 2nd ER visit--dehydration due to extreme morning sickness--and my employer, per protocol, initiated FMLA on my 3rd consecutive absence. I was approved for it and could use it PRN during my pregnancy. A week later I wound up back in the ER and hospitalized and was put on a subcu infusion pump for Zofran administration 24/7--even had a shower bag for it and had to sleep with it, it didn't come off. I had home health hook me up to IVs at home because even the subcu pump wasn't helping and I was still dehydrated. I spent two weeks at home hooked up to IVs and the pump and returned to work the first day after my IVs were D/C. I was still wearing the pump and working 40 hours/week. Three months later I had my annual review and I was given negative marks for my attendance. I hadn't missed a single day or been late since I had been back to work, yet the three weeks I missed were counted against me. FMLA will protect your job but you can still be reprimanded for it. And the bad part is the three weeks in one month that I missed were without pay. I had exhausted my PTO with my first two ER visits and since they weren't three consecutive weeks (I worked between the two hospital admits) short-term disability was denied.

Oh, good luck and congrats on the pregnancy!!

momof3nurse · Nov 28, 2012

You have a job. Did you get an offer at this new place? If you got an offer I would mention the pregnancy. If they are willing to hire you after 7 months of experience then go for it. I’m in a similar situation but obviously pregnant so a bit different. Just remember to not burn bridges. If you decline the offer because you feel you owe more time to the employer who took a chance on hiring you, then make sure to decline the offer with that information and that you would love the opportunity after your pregnancy. They might appreciate your honesty and loyalty and ask you on anyway or keep you in mind after the baby. But I try to see good in everyone.

Good luck, congrats!!