Hey guys. I was just wondering what your companies allowed you to do for a little time off.

My company apparantly has no policy on "paternity leave". As the HR person said "we don't allow for fathers to stay hom to bond with the children", but also said it's up to my manager to allow (1 or 2 personal days).

I'm a little skeptical I'll be able to return to work after birth (we're just at 12 weeks now). She'll have a c-section, and maybe no kids, maybe all 3, but if she can't lift them...
Looks like I'll be doing FMLA assuming I can get a doctor's note.

I was just wondering how you all handled it, how much time you took off, and any tips/tricks thereof.

Thanks!

Not a father, but I work in HR.

You should be able to take FMLA to take care of your wife while she recovers from her c-section (normally can't drive for two weeks after!) and to take care of your new babies (not necessarily bonding time). Your babies may have a NICU stay (very few go home with mom, but it can happen). What if they come home on apenea monitors? on O2? What qualifies as a sick child? Certainly preemie children, in particular those with a rough start, could meet the definition. Point is you won't get it with pay, but should be able to protect the time so long as you have been with the company a year. (our company allows managers to give "morale" time for paternity- but usually only a week.) Then you have to use vacation or personal time to get paid (don't protect this time with FMLA).

FYI- I'm in the middle of an employment law class this week. I'll ask our instructor tomorrow, who practices employment law for a very large Chicago firm. I'll hopefully have a better answer tomorrow.

Thanks for the advice!

okay, got some great info at the employment law class.

IF you have been working for the company for at least 12 months and put in 1200 hours, and they have 50 employees or more...

As a dad you can take the full 12 weeks regardless of c-section, sick babies or healthy babies. They don't have to pay you for it so yes, you will have to use vacation or personal time to get paid. I was wrong in my initial post, you should protect it. For instance, you have 2 weeks vacation and want to take FMLA when the babies are born. You get 12 weeks off, not 14. Oh, and if the wife ends up on bedrest and cannot take care of herself, you can take FMLA intermitently to care for her (half days for two weeks for instance) and still get 11 weeks when the babies are born. Point is you get 12 weeks in a 12 month period to care for a disabled, sick, family member, or for the birth/adoption of a child. Yes, you get bonding time!

I work for a very large company at thier corporate office. We get two weeks of "daddy leave". Depending on your manager, you get any number of days to stay home. We're also flexible where I can work from home while my wife is on bedrest etc.

We're due Feb 4th with trips, although obviously we won't be going full term. She'll probably have to go to the children's hospital about 3 hours away. I've been offered to work out of an office close to the hospital.

I know of another guy that works for a company that was allowed to work in the UK for a couple of months because his wife couldn't gain entry into the US. I guess they might be more flexible than most companies....

One thing to remember though: Just because the law allows you to take it, does not neccesarily mean that management won't hold it against you.

I know, legally, they are required to allow it, and you should have every right to take off all 12 weeks. And for most women, it is expected that they will take most or all of that time.

For Fathers? Well, lets say that some managers aren't really all that keen on the whole idea. It's a double standard, but one you should keep in mind, particularly since it sounds like your company wasn't that big on the idea of you taking more than a couple days in the first place.

Our doctor wrote a note saying that both parents need to be home with the children due to them coming home with apnea/heart rate monitors and the specialized care that requires. They're allowing me to be off from Memorial Day to August 17.

Parent to GGG born 31 weeks 4 days 4/26/07




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