I got back my short-term disability paperwork today from my doctor’s office. I was reviewing it and noticed that they put October 13 as the day I should return to work. I’m REALLY bummed because I’m going back on September 27. If I had known that STD ran for eight weeks I would have taken eight weeks! I thought it was six weeks, thus the reason for my quicker return.
So the question is: should I email my boss and tell him that my doctor doesn’t want me to return to work until October 13? Technically, that’s not a lie since my doctor put that date on the form…
Update: I now will be returning to work on October 13th. And Mare-Bear said that the boss met up with her in the copy room and asked if I could get a doctor’s note saying I can return to work on September 27th. Mare-Bear apparently said something along the lines of, “If MY doctor said I could take another two weeks of maternity leave, I’d take it.” Shows you the kind of workaholics I work for though, doesn’t it?
You bet you should. Insurance reasons too, when you have a C-section, it is an 8-week period, not a 6-week, all C-sections are 8-weeks. I took 8-weeks with my C-section. Your HR department should have know this. GO FOR IT!
Might as well take the time if you’ve got it! Of course the pregnant temp will be overdue by the time you should come back, right?
Umm … Speaking as the HR Dept for the company. Each Company’s polciy is different. It jsut so happens that our company, which will remain nameless, allows a limit of 26 weeks (yes, thats right folks), of benefits during a period of one calendar year. Pregnancy (with under our policy) is treated as an other Short Term Disability. However, it is ENTIRELY up to your doctor – It’s the doctor that determines your return date to work, in this case October whatever. If your doctor said you were to return on December 10th, our company, who shall remain nameless would have to deal with that and give you the time off as STD.
Are we all on the same page now?
Also, who ever said it was six weeks?????
Yay for Mare-Bear! 😆
Take the extra two weeks. I don’t know why you’re even questioning that.
Mare-Bear verified that our STD for c-section is eight weeks. I don’t know why I got it in my head that it was six weeks.
So, she’s going to inform the higher-ups that I’ll be back in the office on October 13.
And Christy, yes that means the pregnant temp will be gone – she’s due October 5.
Gosh, I can’t believe the amount of errors on my post above. I was in such a hurry before while I was posting, hence managing to stumble and bumble my way through my post !
Anyway, just had to chime back in regarding the Short Term Disability. The limit for STD in our company (which shall remain nameless, again)is 26 weeks – So J. if your doctor said to you that you were not well enough to return to work after your pregnancy for 26 weeks, well then, thats exactly how long you would be out. In this case, your doctor has said that your return date should be blah blah blah, so thats when u are coming back. It does NOT matter what kind of a delivery you had or hadn’t. It matters what the doctor THINKS and how well your HEALTH is to allow you to return to a full regular work-day. In other words there is no specific timeline for c-section or otherwise(at least under OUR policy) – Its all up to your physician – Methinks you should have baked her some cookies as you could be out for a cool 26 weeks *lol*!!
Am I being understood now?