Can someone explain NJFMLA like I'm 5?

CM1206

I'm getting different stories from everyone I talk to at work. It's for a maternity leave.

I know I get 6 or 8 weeks (depending on method of delivery) from nj state disability. It's the NJFMLA that is giving me trouble.

I know it's a max of 12 weeks. Some of HR is telling me all of it is unpaid. Others, that all of it is paid. And then I'm getting that half of it is paid and half is unpaid. Any ideas?

Thanks!

bosha711

It is 12 weeks of job protection, unpaid, for employees of companies with 50 or more employees.

StephNJohn2008

See, now I'm going to confuse you bc mine was not what bosha said... I got 12 weeks that started AFTER my 6 weeks. 6 of them were paid, 6 unpaid.

Kris2322

There are 3 programs that come into play.  Federal FMLA which starts from the day you go out on leave and offers 12 weeks of job protection, unpaid.  NJFLA runs concurrent to this and is also unpaid.  NJFLI offers 12 weeks of job protection to be used to care for a family member/bond with a newborn and therefore does not start until after your disability ends.  You get 6 weeks partial pay (same rate as disability) and 6 weeks unpaid.

IrishWifey

bosha711:

It is 12 weeks of job protection, unpaid, for employees of companies with 50 or more employees.

I believe it is this - depending on your company, though, your Short Term Disability runs concurrently with FMLA and is what is paid - at least that is my understanding and experience with my last two maternity leaves. 

CM1206

StephNJohn2008:

See, now I'm going to confuse you bc mine was not what bosha said... I got 12 weeks that started AFTER my 6 weeks. 6 of them were paid, 6 unpaid.

Steph, this is what most people are telling me.

Joogle

It's confusing.  All I know is I applied for short term disability, which paid me for 6 or 10 weeks (can't remember).  Then, I applied for the NJFLI (family bonding), which paid me for an additional 6 weeks.  I wasn't really worried about the job rpotection, so I'm not sure about the unpaid benefits.

Short Term disability:

http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/tdi/tdiindex.html

 

NJ Family Leave Insurance:
http://lwd.state.nj.us/labor/fli/worker/program_info_menu.html

 

anotherNJbride

Here's my understanding and how I worked it:

FMLA (Federal) gives you 12 weeks UNPAID job protection and runs at the same time as paid short term disability. STD is 6 or 8 weeks, depending on how you give birth, however many people start their disability before they give birth if their dr writes them out.  I believe this time is still under FMLA (counting towards the 12 weeks) and is paid as well, in addition to the 6/8 weeks after the baby is born.

Once your disability is up, NJFLA kicks in for 12 weeks, this runs at the same time as NJFLI, which is 6 weeks paid.

Here's what I did: My STD started on Friday, July 1, baby came early on July 6 via cesarean, so I had 8 weeks paid STD. Once my disability ran out, my school was on summer break and I could not immediately apply for NJFLA/FLI, so I went back to work for the first week of school in September and THEN took my 12 weeks NJFLA, which included 6 weeks paid FLI time. I went back to work Monday, December 5.