Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 05:27 am Post Subject: Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

I guess you can claim under the short term disability benefits, if you have such a policy in place.

The short term disability policies have the provision of covering the inability to work during the phase of pregnancy. Normally, the benefit begins two weeks before the childbirth and continues for six months after the birth of the child.

You can check with your employer for more details regarding unemployment during pregnancy .

~Jeremy

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 06:05 am Post Subject: Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

Well, not all the states or companies consider pregnancy as a form of disability. Hence, you are required to find out if you have such coverage or not. Leave during pregnancy often get combined with the other leave, such as paid and unpaid leave. The disability insurance will reimburse for the unpaid leave. And it may compensate only for the 50% of the wage loss.

Unemployment on the other hand is least related to pregnancy. Unemployment insurance is meant to cover unemployment during pregnancy .

Regards,
Juanita

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 06:19 am Post Subject: Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

Hi Juanita, does pregnancy get counted as a disability under normal circumstances?

What I've heard that one might face the threat of getting fired to seeking disability benefits for pregnancy. Is this true?

What rights the women can exercise to obtain the benefits without losing her employment?

Hope you can explain it for me!! :D

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 06:33 am Post Subject:

Hi jeorge, thanks for putting forward these questions. You are right that the women often get subjected to discrimination during pregnancy. In fact, many women prefer skipping the benefits during pregnancy in the fear of losing jobs. However, they have some specific rights against such discriminations.

However, under normal conditions pregnancy doesn't qualify as disability. Hence, you may not attain the eligibility criteria to obtain the disability benefits for pregnancy. But, in case of certain physical conditions, the individual may qualify for the disability benefits,

• If your pregnancy poses certain physical hazards which may result in your inability to stay in the job, you may get the benefits
  
  
• If you suffer severe morning sickness.
  
  
• Or, if you are prescribed by the physician to take bed rest.
  
  
• if you experience complications during and after child birth, you may also get qualified for the coverage

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 07:37 am Post Subject: Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

What rights the women can exercise to obtain the benefits without losing her employment?

• An individual can't be prevented from seeking employment during the period of pregnancy.
  
  
• You can seek disability coverage if you miss work due to pregnancy, and the employer is bound to treat you equally like other disabled workers. And you may receive benefits under the short term disability coverage.
  
  
• The employer's provided health insurance policy must cover conditions related to pregnancy.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 08:10 am Post Subject:

Hi, I guess you have something called the unemployment insurance for that purpose. I have seen that it is the EDD that has to decide if the the claimant has the right to claim for the benefits. They would call the claimant for interviews. The employers would also be called along with their representatives & then a close scrutiny would be conducted over all the written statements. That's all I could tell you regarding unemployment during pregnancy. ArindamSenIndies

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 09:07 am Post Subject: Can I afford to stay on unemployment during pregnancy?

The Pregnancy Disability Act was incorporated within the Civil Right Act during its amendment in the year 1978. This Federal Law prevents discrimination against the women in their workplaces during pregnancy. It prevents the employer to practice discrimination against the female employees in terms of hiring, promotion, receiving fringe benefits or perks, job security and firing.

PDA law requires the employers, who offer health and disability plans, to cover the female employees during pregnancy.

However, this law too has certain loopholes...

• Employers with fifteen or less numbers of employees are not required to comply with the conditions of PDA.
  
  
• Also, the employers who don't offer health insurance policy to their employees don't come under the purview of the Pregnancy Disability Act.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2008 09:43 am Post Subject:

If you want coverage during pregnancy, you need to purchase the coverage before conceiving, because most of the insurers consider pregnancy as a pre-existing condition. Hence, if you don't act before hand, you may lose out the coverage.

Apart from the employer's provided coverage, you may also consider purchasing private disability policy, which covers conditions related to pregnancy. Also, this policy may help you in receiving larger coverage as the employer's disability policy may compensate you only partially.

~Jeremy

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 12:39 pm Post Subject:

Good point Jeremy in saying the condition was preexisting. Why do they disclude business's without insurance and under so many workers from the Preg. Dis. Act? A lot of the jobs women work at are under 15 employees unless it is factory or a bigger corporation.

Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2008 05:58 am Post Subject:

I was a aregnant and Doctor wrote restriction not to lift more than 25 pounds. My Employer stop me to work. H.R said "any kind of restriction cannot work, that is our company policy". Do I qualify for disability benefit?Insurance denied to pay benefit. What should I do?