Maternity Leave

[ecmst12]

ecmst12 - the company you worked for may very well have been in violation of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which requires that pregnancy cannot be treated differently than any other medical condition.

Well I don't know when that law was passed, but it was about 5 years ago that I worked there. Basically the policy was a routine delivery was not considered a medical condition, they had to have a doctor say they were physically unable to work in order to qualify. With a routine delivery, no doctor was going to say they were physically unable to work past the waiting period for benefits (which I believe was 30 days for those policies, not too great) unless there was some complication. "Maternal bonding time" was certainly not considered a disability, it was for medical conditions only.

 

[cbg]

The law was passed in the late 1970's.

Maternal bonding time would not have to be covered under that law, but I'm having a hard time seeing how giving birth is not a medical condition.

 

[ecmst12]

It is, it just doesn't leave you physically disabled for more then 30 days unless there was a complication. I think the important part was the 30 day waiting period.

 

[cbg]

Well, I know a lot of women and doctors who would disagree with your former employer on that one. But I'm not holding you responsible for it!

Just out of curiosity, if some woman HAD had a complication that rendered her medically disabled for over 30 days, would they have paid?

 

[ecmst12]

Yeah as long as there was a doctor signing off on her being unable to work due to her condition.

 

[cbg]

They're probably okay then. As long as they don't out and out exclude maternity across the board.

 

[ecmst12]

Nope they treated it like any other medical procedure that would be expected to incapacitate the patient for less then 30 days.