So frustrated with my job!

[Mazzy]

I just feel a need to rant...

In mid-June, I had a chat with my supervisor about possibly going to part-time after I come back from maternity leave. (Maternity leave here in the US is about 6 weeks, plus I'll be taking 2 additional vacation weeks, so all told, only 2 months.)

She said that she would discuss it with her supervisor and see if it was feasible. I was quite prepared and told her I was flexible - that if my coworker was out for vacation or medical leave, I could cover his hours, etc., and that I would do my best to make sure all work was completed in less time. I would also be taking a pay cut, which is a cost savings for the company.

Since June, her supervisor's husband has had cancer and has been in and out of the office dealing with radiation treatments for him, etc. But, her supervisor came back to a normal schedule last week, and she said she was going to ask her last week. I still have heard nothing.

Does it seem odd that I've been waiting 3.5 months for an answer? I'm getting really, really frustrated, as I need to plan for my return in January. If I don't get the part-time hours, that means I'll be looking for another job, which is not going to be easy.

In the meantime, I am a salary employee. My supervisor has been expecting me to take off PTO time for every doctor's appointment so far, and not just the hour or two that it requires (which I would be okay with), but either a full day or a half day. I just found out the other day that this is not company policy, but her policy, and that because I'm salary, I didn't need to record doctor's appointments at all. I'm so frustrated with this supervisor, and yet I don't know what to do. I cannot wait until I'm off...

 

[Sweedot]

Hi!

Im not sure what to advise you, but I just wanted to say how rotten they seem to be treating you!

I have had similar issues with my company, I am salaried and work in a completely different offsite location to 98% of the other company employees, so getting answers from them has been like pulling teeth, I have constantly had to be advocating my own rights as they seem to be completely incompetant.

I was originally told I could only take 6 weeks of maternity leave, but I advocated for FMLA and SDL which I know my company covers...so now I will be taking 12 weeks of leave, with 6 of those covered by STDL and the other 6 unpaid...

They took 10 weeks to get back to me on this, because they misunderstood my request and thought i was asking for 12 weeks FMLA plus 8 weeks SDL For a total of 20 weeks...

I also had issues with the leave time for medical appointments as my company also wanted me to take my leave in increments of 4 hours, even though most of my appointments were covered in as little as one or two, especially if i got them at the end of the day, but i argued my case and now I am able to take the time and make it up later when possible...

I honestly feel like they are out to get us sometimes...it feels so difficult over here to work and be pregnant, I know its not the case for all companies, and if I am honest, my company has pulled through finally and are starting to treat me like a human being!

I must admit though, when I initially called them and said, 'id like to take FMLA please" I was met with, "ummm, why do you feel the need to take off more time, why do you want to know if you qualify for FMLA? Why do you need 12 weeks off and not 6 weeks?" I could have cried, but I sat there and said, "well, because Im having a baby and honestly I would like to stay at home with my baby for as long as i possible can before returning to this place to work full time"

I would say, you need to read up on your state maternity rights and as you have been doing, your company policies! Then I would address HR with your concerns and CC your supervisor....at this stage, you need to know where you stand, and since you have given them ample time to provide you with an answer, going above your supervisor seems the way to go...I wish you the best of luck!

 

[Mazzy]

Thanks, Sweedot. Sounds like you're having issues as well.

I see you're not that far away from me - it must be the culture of the lovely northeast! The attitude is this: Having children is considered a choice, and we must deal with the consequences if we make that choice. It is an attitude I've bought into myself in the past, so it's only fair that I feel the impact of it. Motherhood is not valued here in the U.S. and is almost considered a luxury. Ok, I get it...I'm doing my best to not take advantage and still do a good job. Still, my supervisor and her supervisor had children of their own, so they should understand, no? It seems like I'm being punished instead.

In any case...I would love to go above my supervisor, but the decision rests in her hands. So, I'm sort of trapped in that regard. That being said, I chose not to do the full FMLA of 12 weeks because I was trying to be fair about asking for part-time on top of my leave. That was my compromise.

I've contacted HR regarding the appointments, and that's when I confirmed that I didn't need to account for the time off. I also confronted my supervisor about it, and from here on in, I am not required to record the hour or two that I take for appointments. So that was a win for me. Still irks me though, as I'm pretty sure she knew the policy...

I know at the end of the day, the choice is still mine. Stay here and deal with it, or move on. We shall see how this plays out!