Number Crunching
Our adoption leave is totally unpaid, because it’s not a medical condition. So, I was only going to take a week or so unpaid off work, but it looks as if that isn’t going to pan out. I am going to have to go back to work on Monday, April 28th. Hubby is going to take some intermittent leave on Mondays and Tuesdays for the meantime. The expenses are just high right now and it’s cheaper for Hubby to miss work than for me to miss work.
*Sigh* I was hoping to be home a little longer with this little guy.
Posted by: DramaQueen | 04-20-2008 | 03:04 PM
Posted in: Frustration | job
Aww Jessie, I’m sorry this is a bummer! It really bugs me that you don’t get maternity leave. You JUST got a baby and deserve that paid time off to bond with him - it’s so important for Mommy and baby. Can you possibly go to part time for a while? Don’t know if this is a possibility but if it is, it might be worth looking into.
Just a note on formula stuff - you can mix formulas to get a baby adjusted to a different one. I’ve heard that actually works pretty well. I’ve also heard some moms say they do this around the 1 year mark to adjust baby over to milk from formula. I never had that problem w/ my 3 babies who were on formula at 1 year, they all adjusted fine to cow’s milk but I just thought I would pass that on here too.
I sure hope we still get to see you all in May!!
Jessie, I too agree, this is really unfair to you- the point is you have a baby (maybe not by the typical means) but nonetheless you are going through what all new moms do, MASSIVE transition!! *sigh* I wish that the States provided a provisional leave no matter what the circumstances like they have in the UK and Europe in general!
I’ve put in a request for our HR dept. to take another look at our situation. We had such little notice we’re hoping it just took them off-guard, and given a little more time they might see things the way we do. I don’t think we’d press the issue beyond that, given that we both really like our jobs & our company. Money-wise it wouldn’t be worth pressing the issue beyond an appeal (as it were), and we like our jobs enough that stress-wise we don’t need any further confrontation. (There’s no other way to say it but to use language that sounds worse than the very cordial, agreeable way both parties are going about this. It’s not remotely a confrontation in reality, and that’s how we want to keep things.)
Ironically enough, they’ve just announced that in 2009 they’re switching to an undifferentiated paid time off system, which would seemingly let both mother & father take the same amount of paid leave, whether the child is adopted or biological. We’re trying to use that as one more point in our case that the mother’s leave should be payable out of sick leave.
If for some reason this comment isn’t making sense, consider that it’s 4-something in the morning between bottles!
Donald - really glad to hear you did that! I hope and pray that your HR dept. will change, if not for your case for future ones. I def. see the need for this to be considered “sick leave” w/ pay. Keep us all updated.