family leave

I just found out I do not qualify for family leave. I had applied, but
human resources say I'm 200 hours short. My boss had told me he would pay
me vacation time while I was on family leave. I had offered to come back a
few weeks early and work one day a week (I had been working 3 days a week
before going on disability for preterm labor). My boss said no, that it was
okay, they had enough help. This was all before I found out I don't qualify
for family leave. Without family leave, I am at my boss' mercy as to when I
return. I could always quit, but I don't want to do that. Human resources
say I can use my vacation time to take the leave I want, but that is up to
my boss. How should I approach my boss regarding this? He had been okay
with me leaving when he thought I had family leave and he was going to pay
me vacation anyway. He's always short of help (despite saying he didn't
need my help), so he could ask me to come back in a couple of weeks, if he
wants, but I want to stay home for a couple of months. What's the best way
to present things to him? He's going to know I was denied. I can't very
well ignore things and pretend I'm on family leave, since they notified me
by mail and everything telling me I was denied.

"toypup" wrote in message
news:uno5c.16858$1p.302724@attbi_s54...
I just found out I do not qualify for family leave. I had applied, but
human resources say I'm 200 hours short. My boss had told me he would pay
me vacation time while I was on family leave. I had offered to come back
a
few weeks early and work one day a week (I had been working 3 days a week
before going on disability for preterm labor). My boss said no, that it
was
okay, they had enough help. This was all before I found out I don't
qualify
for family leave. Without family leave, I am at my boss' mercy as to when
I
return. I could always quit, but I don't want to do that. Human
resources
say I can use my vacation time to take the leave I want, but that is up to
my boss. How should I approach my boss regarding this? He had been okay
with me leaving when he thought I had family leave and he was going to pay
me vacation anyway. He's always short of help (despite saying he didn't
need my help), so he could ask me to come back in a couple of weeks, if he
wants, but I want to stay home for a couple of months. What's the best
way
to present things to him? He's going to know I was denied. I can't very
well ignore things and pretend I'm on family leave, since they notified me
by mail and everything telling me I was denied.



That is tough, but the good news is that you do have a good amount of paid
leave time due you, from what you say. I think that the answer on how to
approach your boss should be based on how you have seen your boss and the
business deal with people who have had to take time off and did not have
enough paid time for the requisite time. If they usually are understanding
and work with the person then a simple honest discussion that you are not
eligible for the FMLA time but that you still have to take off in order to
have a baby, that the doc will probably not even clear you to return to work
for at least six weeks post partum and that you would like to work out
something reasonable with them so that their needs are met and you are still
able to return to your job when you are ready. If, otoh, your boss is a
real stickler for only granting what is owed to an employee, then discussing
the amount of paid leave time you have available and how you would like to
take it would probably be your operating arena, depending on your
relationship with said boss. It also helps to go in armed with facts, like
how long your doc is probably going to insist that you must take off before
they will clear you to return to work [I think they make folks wait even
longer after c-sections, but I'm not sure.....anyone know the info?]. If
you are able to do some stuff from home after several weeks *and* are
willing to do that *and* think that you will be able to do so, then offer to
do so, but only if you are pretty sure that you will be able to deliver. In
other words, don't make promises you are not absolutely 100% certain you can
keep. It is better to refuse to promise things now, not knowing how you and
baby will progress through those first couple months, than fail to deliver
later when your baby is not sleeping much and is colicky on top of that and
you are terribly stressed with lack of sleep.

Good luck.

-Aula

"just me" wrote in message
om...
"toypup" wrote in message
news:uno5c.16858$1p.302724@attbi_s54...
I just found out I do not qualify for family leave. I had applied, but
human resources say I'm 200 hours short. My boss had told me he would
pay
me vacation time while I was on family leave. I had offered to come
back
a
few weeks early and work one day a week (I had been working 3 days a
week
before going on disability for preterm labor). My boss said no, that it
was
okay, they had enough help. This was all before I found out I don't
qualify
for family leave. Without family leave, I am at my boss' mercy as to
when
I
return. I could always quit, but I don't want to do that. Human
resources
say I can use my vacation time to take the leave I want, but that is up
to
my boss. How should I approach my boss regarding this? He had been
okay
with me leaving when he thought I had family leave and he was going to
pay
me vacation anyway. He's always short of help (despite saying he didn't
need my help), so he could ask me to come back in a couple of weeks, if
he
wants, but I want to stay home for a couple of months. What's the best
way
to present things to him? He's going to know I was denied. I can't
very
well ignore things and pretend I'm on family leave, since they notified
me
by mail and everything telling me I was denied.

If they usually are understanding
and work with the person then a simple honest discussion that you are not
eligible for the FMLA time but that you still have to take off in order to
have a baby, that the doc will probably not even clear you to return to
work
for at least six weeks post partum and that you would like to work out
something reasonable with them so that their needs are met and you are
still
able to return to your job when you are ready.

Thanks for answering. I do get 6 wks post-partum of disability. I would
like 2 months off after that, though.

If, otoh, your boss is a
real stickler for only granting what is owed to an employee, then
discussing
the amount of paid leave time you have available and how you would like to
take it would probably be your operating arena, depending on your
relationship with said boss.

He's relatively new. No one's had this problem since he's started. He
never seems too happy when people are off, because we are so short-handed.
When people are off for legitimate reasons, he will begin to grumble when he
thinks they are taking too much time off. We have a good relationship, but
I wonder if that will change if he thinks I'm taking too much time off.

If
you are able to do some stuff from home after several weeks *and* are
willing to do that *and* think that you will be able to do so, then offer
to
do so, but only if you are pretty sure that you will be able to deliver.
In
other words, don't make promises you are not absolutely 100% certain you
can
keep.

My job is sort of like being in an assembly line. I have to be there. It
would be nice if I could take it home, but that's possible.

"toypup" wrote in message
news:Rzt5c.20357$SR1.30024@attbi_s04...
My job is sort of like being in an assembly line. I have to be there. It
would be nice if I could take it home, but that's possible.

I mean to say it's impossible.