maternity leave in the US...?

Family and Medical Leave Act:

http://fmlaonline.com/

We do have a national policy, it is just a really sucky one. Under the Family & Medical Leave Act signed into law by President Clinton, we are intitled to 12 weeks of unpaid leave as long as you have been at the job for at least a year. Some employers choose to be generous and pay you for that leave, but most don't. Australia is the only other developed nation that sucks as much as we do when it comes to maternity leave.

I'm not really sure when you can technically leave for Maternity, but usually the proper time would be when it comes closer to you delivering. Because they will deduct it starting when you leave. So, if you still have 2 months before you deliver that wouldn't be very good. Get my point?

Where I worked. They only allowed me 6 weeks off on Maternity Leave and on the FMLA I was supposed to have 12 weeks off. I'm still not happy about it. I had to leave 4 weeks before my due date because my doctor didn't want me working anymore until I delivered.

If I would have gone back after 6 weeks. I would have only had 2 weeks of a break! I don't THINK so. That's just pathetic!

Any company covered under the FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following reasons:

for the birth and care of the newborn child of the employee;

for placement with the employee of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care;

to care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a serious health condition; or

to take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a serious health condition.

Given that the company is not required to pay you during your leave.

Give this website a look www.dol.gov/esa

Talk to your lobbiest's (I know i didn't spell that right).

In the United States the only federal law giving employees a right to job-protected leave is the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) [see the Encyclopedia entry on FMLA]. The FMLA provides for up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave from work annually to recover from childbirth, care for an infant, bond with an adopted child, care for a sick child, spouse, or parent or because of an employee's own illness. The law does not require provision of income replacement during leave and it only covers workplaces with 50 or more employees. The FMLA resulted from feminist-led efforts to pass a family leave law.

I thought we were legally allowed to take 6-8 weeks unpaid leave with proper notice.