When C. was born, my husband had three days off from work. I was still in one hospital recovering from surgery, C. was in the NICU of the adjoining children's hospital, and he had to go back to the office. Had she not been born on the weekend at Christmastime, it would have been even less. It was a tough, tough time. Even with a full-term, healthy baby, I think it would have been a little hard to have Daddy go back to work so soon...
Let's compare that to my son's birth earlier that same year...
When I found out I was pregnant the first time, both my husband and I worked for the same company. A bank. I'm going to go ahead and call 'em out by name here because, well, I'm going to tell you about something that they do SO RIGHT and they deserve credit for it. We worked for Bank of America. Different banking centers, but the same corporation.
When I announced my pregnancy, I was told that I was entitled to eight weeks of paid maternity leave. Quite generous, but not unheard of. My husband was told that he was entitled to eight weeks of paid paternity leave. Whoa. Back up. Paternity leave? Eight weeks???
Yep. Bank of America continued to send us full pay checks for two full months while we both stayed home with our newborn son. How 'bout that.
When I went to my post-partum check-up, my OB remarked, "You look absolutely fantastic. Really. What's your secret?"
Paternity leave.
It Works for Me!
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My husband works there too. It's getting even better next year...it goes up to 12 weeks of maternity/paternity leave.
ReplyDeleteThat's great that he could stay home with you. My husband worked for another bank when I had both my kids...and his boss gave him a week of "unofficial" paid paternity leave, but more would have been great!
Wishing Nick could have taken time off when Addy and I were in the hospital. I got 12 weeks of short term disability (paid at 60%). I took 6 weeks after delivery and then went back to work. I took the remaining 6 weeks when Addy was released from the hospital 4 months later. I was glad my company allowed me to split my time like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome gift ann opportunity you had with such a generous paternity package. I would imagine that health and bonding for you all was much easier/better becasue of it.
ReplyDeletePaternity leave is the BEST. I didn't get paid leave when The Bean was born once I burned through my PTO time. But just got FMLA leave. But T's employer gives a month of paid paternity leave. He took his leave once I went back to work so that The Bean was home with a parent as long as possible. We had a nanny with her at home for a year after that before putting her in daycare. Paternity leave is AWESOME.
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