A Vent...bypass go and do not collect $200 if you are looking for positive happy...

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I emailed our HR dept on 9/22... yes... a MONTH AGO about getting my ducks in a row for maternity leave... last year at MANDATORY benefits meetings they told us they were doing away with the "maternity benefit" where salaried employees were getting full pay for 12 weeks and hourly were getting 6-8 weeks depending on their delivery because we were getting a BRAND NEW STD POLICY that we'd never had before... this is what the STD policy says in our Personnel Manual:

SHORT TERM DISABILITY

If an eligible employee is unable to work due to an accident, illness or injury for a period of 15 calendar days or more, they may be eligible for Short Term Disability benefits:

Employee Eligibility:Any regular employee who works 30 or more hours per week.

Elimination Period:

• 15 calendar days
• Must use any available accrued time (sick, then vacation) during the elimination period.

Benefit:

• Company paid benefit of 60% of salary up to a maximum benefit of $1500/week
• Option for employee to “buy up” to 70% for a maximum benefit of $2000/week
• 11 week maximum benefit period
• If the employee’s inability to work continues beyond 90 calendar days then they would immediately transition to Long Term Disability and benefits would continue.

Employees will have the option of using accrued time to “wrap around” their 60% or 70% of salary benefit allowing them to get up to a maximum of 100% of their current salary (must use vacation first, then sick time).

Once the Short Term Disability benefits stops, if the employee is still Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) eligible then they will have the optional use of any accrued vacation time, but not sick time during the remaining period.

So THIS is what I was going on as far as my maternity benefits... well... they FINALLY got back to me YESTERDAY.... 2 DAYS SHORT OF A MONTH to let me know that no... the STD policy for MATERNITY leave is the 2 week elimination period (where I use my banked sick time) and then either 4 weeks for a vag. delivery or 6 weeks for a c-section at 70% of my pay (I bought up when we started going through the IF treatments) uh... a total of 8 weeks if I have MAJOR SURGERY and only TWO of those will be at FULL PAY?

WHAT!?!?!? WHAT ABOUT THE 11 WEEK MAX BENEFIT!???! Oh... she said that the Insurance CO decides when they will pay the max time frame but it isn't for maternity...

oh.you.have.got.to.be.KIDDING.ME!?!?!?! so if I break my FOOT you'll let me be out for 11 weeks at 70% pay but if I BIRTH ANOTHER HUMAN BEING I GET A MONTH!?!?!

WHY is EVERYTHING a fight. Why is EVERYTHING over in that dept a situation where I have to get mean and nasty and WHY at an employer like mine where 90% of the employees are FEMALE do you NOT have an actual MATERNITY POLICY in the Personnel MANUAL!?!?

Honestly, I don't want this to turn into any sort of debate... we are ALL dealing with Insurance "issues" across this country right now (don't GET me started on Mr. You Know Who's Plan to rule the universe starting with telling me what kind of healthcare I can have) but it is EXHAUSTING to fight these battles for what is RIGHT.