Conference moira::parenting_v3

    
    DEC in the US doesn't have a "maternity policy".   I believe that 
    you'll find the information that you need under the topic of Short 
    Term Disability in the Orangebook or your benefits book.   Pregnancy/
    childbirth is handled as STD.
    
    Carol

	That's cause there is none.

	I'm not being facetious.

	There are two leaves:

	STD - this is the PAID leave that you get just before and just after 
your baby is born.  Its justification is the physical diability that you suffer
as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.  The actual length of time you are 
entitled to is determined by your doctor's recommendation.  The "default"
amount (i.e. if your doctor signs you out for this, they won't argue or make 
you justify with anything other than "i'm preggo" or get a second opinion) is
2 weeks before the EDC (Estimated Date of Confinement or, in English, your due 
date) and 6 weeks after the birth.  (If you have a c-section, the default 
amount after the birth goes up to 8 weeks.)  If you baby comes late, you still
get the full 6 or 8 weeks after.  If it comes early, you do NOT get to tack 
the unused portion of your 2weeks onto the end.

	Parental Leave - This is UNPAID leave that either parent may take 
for the purpose of bonding with the child.  See the policy on Leave of absence
for details about length of leave, when you can take it, protection of your 
job while you are out, etc.

Tracey 

    	Don't forget, your pay depends on which wage class you are too. 

    Yes this is true (.3) if you are a WC2 you get 80% of your pay (I guess
    you are only 80% pregnant??)  I find this policy to be totally ridiculous,
    but that's just my opinion and maybe I shouldn't say anymore for fear of
    going down a rathole!!!!
        

    Did anyone notice that not only is maternity leave considered short
    term disability but you use the same form as any other disability. 
    The form is called ACCIDENT & SICKNESS (A&S) SALARY CONTINUATION CLAIM.
    I got a laugh out of the questions (The staff at my doctor's office 
    laughed too).
    
    It starts out with the standard info, Name, Badge #, ETC.
    
    Date Disability Began?
    
    Have you previously been treated for this condition?  If yes when?
    
    Is this condition caused by work?
    
    Is this condition due to an accident?  If "yes" where and how did
    accient happen?
    
    I have been so tempted to say yes.  In the back seat of my car on
    [whatever date] when my birth control failed.
    
    Angie

    >Is this condition caused by work?
    
    Well, I can imagine very few occupations where this is true.  Certainly
    there are no job classifications for THAT at Digital.   If true, does
    that mean you get Workman's Comp?
    
    >Was it caused by an accident.
    
    Well, ya see, here's how it happened.  We were hooking up some Ethernet
    lines in the wiring closet during hurricane Bob when the lights
    suddenly went out.  We both tried to get out of the door at the same
    time, but one thing led to another. . . 
    
    
    HEY EVERYBODY - Have a great Labor Day weekend.  
    
    Bye for now,
    Laura

    Thanx Everyone for all your replies! I'm still in shock that Maternity
    falls under short term disability! I HOPE I won't be "disabled" after I
    deliver! Jeez', I'm nervous enough! Wonder if that "policy" has ever been
    reviewed? Doesn't sound right to me! Even worse, is the distinction
    between wage classes! Not much emphasis is placed on child-rearing in
    the country, too bad for US!
    
    Thanx Again,
    Claire

    How about...."How long do you expect to be disabled?"
    
    .....about 18 years, until I recover enough sleep to be functional....
    
    (a very tired mom!)
    Lyn

The reason "maternity leave" is considered short term disability is that
the US government requires it to be so.  Companies are not allowed to
have separate maternity leave policies - leave for childbirth must be
treated exactly the same as for any other medical condition which prevents
the employee from being able to work.

In the past, some companies would have lesser benefits for maternity leave,
such as lower payment of salary and no guarantee of returning to the
job.  However, as best as I can tell, DEC's actual policy did not change,
just what they called it.

				Steve

It's during times like these that I especially prefer to live in Canada.

Here you get 6 months of unemployment where the gov't pays up to 60% of your
salary up to a max of ~$26,000 (maybe more) and DEC supplements it up to 95%.

Then, after 6 months, you have the choice of taking an additional 10 weeks
of unpaid leave.

Also, during the first 6 months, the father can take up to 10 weeks as well
instead of the mother, and he gets the 60% bit from the gov't.  However, DEC
doesn't supplement for the father, only moms get that.

In addition to that, if you live in the province of Quebec, the provincial 
gov't pays you $500.00 for the 1st child, $1500.00 for the 2nd one, and
$7500.00 for each child after that.  This last amount is given as quarterly
payments over 5 years.  A lot of people seem to disagree with this policy which
is meant to increase the birth rate, saying it entices poor couples to have
more children than they can afford.  We all know that $7500.00 for a child over
5 years is not much, but it helps.  At least, for couples who do want to have
more than 2 kids and can afford it, it sure helps.

Mario

    re. .9 -  Are you absolutely sure about the Government requiring it to 
    be disability.  The reason I ask is, it seems like I've heard of these 
    other companies that have these great "maternity leaves" but they don't 
    refer to them at all as STD. You're probably right, but sometimes I have 
    to question if Digital just says the government requires it.
    
    For instance, I've asked Personnel why the blatant
    discrimination in the Wage class "maternity leave" benefit and the
    answer I got was "I'm not sure".   
    
    Joyce 

    The way I understood it was, if a company has a STD policy, women on
    maternity leave must be given at least that much time off.  I don't
    think there's anything that forbids a company from giving extra time
    for maternity leave.  (Which is a bummer for some of the nurse friends
    I have.  Their hospitals don't have any STD policy - it's just use your
    sick leave - so that gets the hospital off of the hook of haveing to
    give new mothers lots of time off.  They just have to use their sick
    leave then take no pay just like everyone else.)
    
    Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
    
    Bev

    
    It just burns me up knowing that because I'm WC2 I only get
    80% of my pay and if I was WC4 I'd get 100%!  Totally unfair!
    I was under the assumption that I was going to ge 100% of
    my pay because it wasn't an option to take maternity leave
    (not that I wouldn't want it) so you can't come to work so
    they'd have to pay you 100%.  I let my boss know how much
    it stinks not that it's her fault because I know it's not.
    I think that everyone, no matter what WC should be the same.
    
    Flame off..(I've been flamin' a lot since I've been pregnant :))

    RE:  .13  --> and I support you in your flame.  May you always have
    fuel for the fire.  Perhaps someday it will be different.

    RE:  80% pay
    
    However, WC2 do not have to pay taxes on that 80%.  WC4 do have to pay
    taxes on the 100% so depending on your tax bracket it can even out.
    
    Michelle
    

    
    If you want parental leave (unpaid) when do you apply for it?
    Before you have the baby or after the "disability"?
    
    

    Start negotiating before the birth, but you send in the forms
    afterwards, when you have solid dates.
    
    You do NOT want to surprise your management with this.
    
    		-John Bishop

    I agree.  I sat down with my manager when I was about 6 months along
    and discussed what we needed to do if I was gone for a longer time.  I
    took my 2 weeks before, 6 weeks after and then 8 weeks parental.  The
    forms were signed and into Personnel before I left so that the dates
    only needed to be added by Personnel.  My manager appreciated me taking
    the time to discuss this and work out a back up plan.  Personnel did as
    well as they get last minute requests often and then the employee's
    paychecks get messed up.
    
    Remember, you can always decide not to use it but at least it is
    prepared.
    
    Michelle
    

re: .16 - when to apply for parental leave

It says in one of the policies (4.23 maybe?) that you should give 4 weeks
notice before wanting to use parental leave.  In my case, I filled out the
forms a few months before birth, leaving the actual dates blank.  Then when
the birth date was known, we filled in the dates and sent them in.

re: using leaves of absence

Also, I don't know if anyone noticed, but the benefit of leaves of absence
(LOA) is new for R20 - R39 employees; used to be available for R40 only.  Now 
we part-timers can tack on some extra leave if we want to after using STD and 
parental.  In my case, when I was R40 during my first pregnancy, I got 
approved for the standard STD, plus 8 weeks parental leave plus 13 weeks 
personal leave.  Now I'm R20, and plan to ask for that again.

Way to go, DEC.

re: transition during leave

I also noticed in one of the policies (was it 4.15, or 4.17, or 4.23) that
you can be transitioned during leave.  Of course I know this has already
happened in real life.

Kyra