New mom bonus--why don't we have this?!

[scrub-jay]

The paid leave is short term disability, but my company does give a gift of additional 2 weeks paid parental leave (to those who have been there for at least a year) and that applies to men and women after a birth or adoption. It is kind of like a bonus.

[Lala]

Interesting thread. I live in Canada where you get a year of maternity leave, so it's interesting to hear the American perspective. During our year off, the government pays us about 50% of our salary (up to a certain cut-off point), and then the employers decide whether and to what extent they top that up. Some people get a top up from their employer such that they get full pay for the entire year! My employer does not top up at all, but I still feel really lucky to be getting the entire year off, and to be getting about half my pay from the government. That being said, there is definitely the issue of people getting those government benefits for an entire year, and then not returning to work. It happens all the time. But even if you knew you weren't going back, would you really give up a year of free money from the government (that you pay into throughout your entire working life)?

[v-girl]

When I had K, I had to use vacation and sick time to get 8 weeks off with my baby. I didn't feel guilty at all when I quit when he was 7 months old. I had earned that time I took off.

When I had the girls, I had an actual maternity leave but I padded it with vacation both times.