Maternity Leave Anxiety- any advice? (Austin: home, purchase, income)

[Exiled Texan]

The State and teaching jobs don't have mat leave either. My advice, save. Live cheap. Save.

Honestly, daycare and kid expenses will be huge. If you can't sock away $1000/month right now with little effort, you really need to think of down sizing as kids easily cost that. As the prior poster said, day care is a ton.

[cmaxmor]

Originally Posted by Exiled Texan

The State and teaching jobs don't have mat leave either. My advice, save. Live cheap. Save.

Honestly, daycare and kid expenses will be huge. If you can't sock away $1000/month right now with little effort, you really need to think of down sizing as kids easily cost that. As the prior poster said, day care is a ton.

This. Daycare for an infant is at least $800/month for the most basic of care. This doesn't include diapers, formula, bottles....you know. If you don't have that extra money right now, then you have to redo your budget. I don't want to discourage you. Babies are great. You CAN do it, but just don't depend on being able to have mat. leave.

[riaelise]

My .02.

I am currently on maternity leave. It's not just a Texas thing, it's a national thing. When I lived in NY, all of the firms that I worked for only offered FMLA. CA is an exception, rather than a rule -- though that can change given the state of it's economy. I would wait more than a year to start a family. Firstly, there is the moving aspect. Moving from one state to another isn't as simple as packing your stuff in a bag suspended from a stick and saying "Texas or Bust"..

Secondly, you have to be employed for at least a year at a company before being eligible for any type of leave time. Also, companies don't really look favorably at people who get pregnant soon after being hired.

Thirdly, how do we manage down here? We saved. In the nine months since conception to birth, we've socked away money -- income tax, paychecks, etc. -- specifically to cover the six weeks of unpaid time off. You also need to factor in the increased household costs that come along with you being home -- ie electricity, food (big bill), baby stuff, etc. Also, the medical costs are pretty significant as well. My job has an 80/20 coinsurance, and with all of the various doctor and hospital bills, our responsibility was at least 3K.

Financially speaking, we are living frugally until I resume work, but we're making it work. I'd suggest you carefully plan everything, including the move, and then proceed. Good luck.

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by Idlewile

Yes, you are spoiled in CA and I can say that because I'm from CA and know full-well what great coverage the state offers, but sadly, no other states offer anything comparable. I was on maternity leave twice in CO and it's just the same as it is here -- standard unpaid 12 weeks of FMLA.

My company DID not offer anything above and beyond the standard 12 weeks FMLA and that is based having been employed at the company for 1 year which is law and standard for all companies in CO, meaning you may or may NOT be entitled to even the standard 12 weeks if you have worked at said company for LESS than a year -- company's discretion.... may be true here as well.

Basically, any one who works for a company that provides anything above standard unpaid 12 weeks is considered lucky.

We saved up for the first maternity leave and dipped into savings. The second I used more vacation but the rest we went into debt to cover ourselves.

Oh and, at least for my company, short-term disability would have cost us more money in the end unless I had had a complicated birth so it wasn't even worth it to sign up for it after calculating all scenarios.

This is probably one of the reasons that California is bankrupt and Texas isn't.

[kiacook]

This is probably one of the reasons that California is bankrupt and Texas isn't.

Yet.

[cmaxmor]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

This is probably one of the reasons that California is bankrupt and Texas isn't.

I would say that Texas is bankrupt. What else do you call it when you can't fund the public schools. Maybe there is a fancier name for it?
Anyway, OP, good luck whatever you decide!

[mimimomx3]

Originally Posted by cmaxmor

I would say that Texas is bankrupt. What else do you call it when you can't fund the public schools. Maybe there is a fancier name for it?
Anyway, OP, good luck whatever you decide!

Are you kidding??? Texas government schools are funded out the whazoo. What we're doing is trying to control the runaway costs of administration and stadiums.
I hope the OP has plenty stashed away, I don't see Texas insitituting state mandated maternity leave.

[FueledByBlueBell]

What is the policy in CA? I'm curious to know what one gets there.

[Idlewile]

Originally Posted by FueledByBlueBell

What is the policy in CA? I'm curious to know what one gets there.

I found this simple version on a blog:

California Pregnancy Disability Leave (CA PDL)

This is PAID leave (as long as you've paid into the State Disability Insurance) in Calfornia under the state disability plan for up to 4 months. You get paid up to 55% of your salary up up a weekly maximum benefit cap (for 2010, that's $987/week). Generally, pregnant moms are entitled to FOUR weeks prior to your due date and SIX weeks after the baby is born (EIGHT if you deliver by c-section). There is no job protection, but you take this paid leave in conjunction with your FMLA. Your doctor determines when you are disabled and when you are cleared back to work. If you are having twins, the timelines increase so double check with your HR rep or the EDD for more info.

California Family Rights Act (CFRA)

This provides an additional 12 weeks of unpaid, but job-protected leave for baby bonding. One big caveat, my fellow pregnant Californians: this leave can overlap with FMLA. Once your doctor has cleared you to go back to work (generally 6-8 weeks post partum), CFRA kicks in. This means that you may not get 24 weeks of job-protection. Depending on how much time you take off before the baby is born, when the baby is born, and the type of delivery, you may get a few weeks less of job-protected leave.

California Paid Family Leave (CA PFL)

This paid leave gives both mother and fathers (and adoptive parents) SIX weeks of paid leave up to 55% of your salary (with a maximum cap). Again, there is no job protection, but you can take this leave in conjunction with FMLA or CFRA.

So what does this mean for you and your maternity leave?

Let's face it, we all just want to know how long we can be out on maternity leave and still get paid for it. In a nut shell, you can take off 4 weeks before your due date and have 6-8 weeks off after the baby is born under CA PDL. Then tack on an additional 6 weeks under CA PFL. That's roughly 16 weeks of paid leave with job protection if you use the full benefit and assuming there are no complications in your pregnancy or delivery.

[ks.ca]

Wow. This is all surprising. I've recently relocated from Canada to Austin, the maternity/paternity laws there are:

Paid Maternity:

55% up to $468/week for 50 weeks (15 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental leave shared with father). There is also an addition two weeks of unpaid maternity available.


Paid Paternity:

55% up to $468/week for 35 weeks parental leave (shared with mother)


In addition, some employers will top up the 55% to 100%, however how common this is I'm not sure. It's not "normal", but it happens.



I know its off topic, but maybe interesting.