***Ok, the links aren’t working AT ALL…so if you’re interested, check the May 23rd Indianapolis Star— indystar.com!
This morning there were two articles in the paper that were interesting enough to me that I took the paper to work to read them in my “down” time. I thought y’all would find them interesting too…..
1. Adoptive Parents Maternity Leave Issues
This article is a good one about the discrimination families formed by adoption face. We are VERY lucky–hubby’s company granted him the same leave as all dads get (1 week or maybe 10 days? I don’t really remember….) as well as adoption reimbursement options. Even though we know my employer is unique (in oh-so-many-ways), I was able to cash in my sick day bank and ended up with 8 weeks paid as well. Such is not the case at all companies. The author also addresses the fact that many employees have to disclose that they are in fact adopting because the time table is so vague. My conversation with my boss went something like this, “We are officially ‘waiting’ at the adoption agency now. I may have a week’s notice, I may have a day’s notice, I may get called at 10am to go pick up my child. I may be matched three months beforehand and come home from the hospital empty handed. It may take up to two years. It may happen on the first day of school. That’s what I can tell you.” Crazy, but true, and oh-so-common.
2. Period-Stopping Birth Control Pill
Ok, the above link is to a conservative website, but it’ s the exact same article I read this morning in the local paper. This pill completely stops periods–except for random bleeding and spotting, which was apparently annoying enough for people to drop out of the study. Ok, here’s the thing–while I know no woman who looks forward to Aunt Flow’s visit every month, wouldn’t it freak you out to never have a period?? Sort of like the article said–how’d you ever guess if you were pregnant? Is it really healthy, for lack of a better term, for all of that “build up” to just hang there indefinitely? Granted, the hormones would control some of that, but still. Of course, I can totally see if you go anemic every month, have to miss work, etc because of excruciating cycles, but other than that, wouldn’t some of the other pills be a happier medium?? I wonder what Tampax thinks about all this!
We were called last year the day before memorial day and they told us we would have the baby in a week. We met her tht same day they called… it does happen!
I can’t work the link – was the article in the Star?
For others to read here – THe company I work for employs over 500 people in a TEENY town, and others overseas. They have been in business for over 100 years and say they’re family-oriented. They are private, and family-owned.
I would have had zero days off as an adoptive mom. Maternity leave here is only a medical/disability leave, but it allows for up to 12 weeks. Our company grants one paid day off (whoopty do) to new fathers (who have a biological child). I pointed out this unfairness to our HR director – who agreed it was discrimination, and then we instituted a Parenthood Day policy – one paid day off if you have a baby who is born or adopt. I think that gives biological mothers an extra day, too that way, which is good. And just after we did that, another woman here adopted and got to use the day!
Beyond that, I was “lucky” enough to take 3 months unpaid through FMLA, and use it intermittenly for the last 4 weeks of the leave. (Alhtough one HR rep tried to tell me how I should spend all that leave at once, because it would be best for the baby – never mind that meant NO income for 3 months, PLUS I had to pay them to continue my medical insurance….)
They do not offer adoption assistance, but when several of my co-workers learned that we were adopting (domestically), and I got no paid time off, they petitioned to have money donated to us out of a vending machine fund we keep – YAY for my co-workers!!!!!
Hmmm. Wonder what Lilly does for their adopting employees?…..
Some days, I think it would be nice to work for the Dave Thomas Foundation….