Maternity Leave

Like I said in a previous post, I seriously think there is something in the water here. The number of teachers getting pregnant is staggering. There are so many babies due in August that this building will be stroller central when I return from summer break. I have to say I would not have a baby in a country where I cannot get a Percocet for anything short of a severed limb.  No matter which way the baby comes out, and I’ve done both, having a baby requires Percocet.  LOTS.  

Don’t jump to the conclusion that birth control is not available here. It is. I just walk in and talk to my favorite pharmacist and walk out with Yasmin. No prescription. $10 US. Condoms are readily available and I know of one LT who had a little Oops and was able to get Plan B. Without a prescription.  

In New Jersey, teachers do not pay into State Disability so if they want to get paid while on maternity leave, they stock up their sick days or pay for private disability insurance. No district has paid maternity leave, though   they do allow up to 2 school years of unpaid leave for the birth of a child.  If you are in any profession other than teaching, you can collect state disability for up to 10 weeks for a regular delivery and 16 weeks for a Caesarean.  Of course it’s not enough to pay your insurance premiums while you’re out, but…..

Here, the teachers get 2 months of fully paid maternity leave.  Whoa. Hold up. Maybe I should consider having more kids. Oh yeah, that would involve getting married. Yet again. NOT. To those of us from the U.S., 2 months fully paid sounds fan-freaking-tastic.  They also get nursing hours after they return to work. So, if you have a Nanny, she can bring the baby to work OR you can drive home to nurse.  This sounds so much better than locking yourself in a back room in the library to pump. Some schools even have on-site child care. With the entire guidance department at my school very pregnant, I think that may happen at my school soon. 

As I learned when one of the British teachers decided to leave because of the UNACCEPTABLE maternity leave policy here in Abu Dhabi……they have awesome Maternity Leave in Britain. They get one year fully paid leave and a second year at half salary. Wallah. While those of us from the US find the maternity leave here to be more than expected, the teachers from Britain are understandably perturbed. 

Hmmmm….maybe I should take a teaching job in Britain and then have a baby?