[mrs_ray]

Let me start off with why this is being posted in the first place.

I qualify for a leave through FMLA as of next month, making me more than qualified by the time my due date arrives. I've worked over 1,700 hours and I've been with my job for nearly a year now. We have well over 50 employees within the city, we have at least a hundred.

Yesterday I emailed my boss to ask her what work I needed to take my leave, as I know that they may require 30 days notice for me to use the FMLA. She then pulled me into her office..

And told me that the company only allows a six week maternity leave. That the FMLA is only for "serious" medical problems [I could have sworn that MORNING SICKNESS was listed as a chronic medical condition on this leave, just adding]. And that while I'm not there, I pay for all of my insurance.

[Mind you, there is a bulletin in the break room that clearly stipulates that you can take advantage of the FMLA and have complete job protection for up to 12 weeks (if you've worked for 12 months and something like 1,200 hours) for childbirth, you can even take this leave for adopting.]

Now, I have NO problem with paying the full price for my insurance, but that first part? I can not take a leave under the FMLA? I nearly had a break down on the spot.

That is, until she spoke with the lady in HR. She verified how much I should be expecting to pay for insurance, and hung up. Then the lady in HR immediately called back and informed her that I CAN take a leave under the FMLA.

Before this, I was told that I pretty much shouldn't need to take more than six weeks leave, as no one else has. And that it would be expensive for me to take the leave, for myself. As terrible as it is - I have to admit I was up until almost 4:30AM with this on my mind, and when I woke up to go to the bathroom at 10:00AM I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I'm absolutely livid, I feel so judged for wanting to take this leave. My body will need to recover, my mind will need to adjust and my baby and I will need bonding time. I'm not every other woman that has had a baby while working there, why should I have to feel like I NEED to come back as soon as they did?

So my entire point in emailing her is to find out what paperwork they require. I never got my answer. I'm so upset about this that, right now, I don't even want to talk to anyone about this leave again. My question is what paperwork did your job require of you? And how do you think I should approach my boss about this next time? She corrected herself, but I'm still so offended that I could seriously throw up.