I've calmed down a lot, but was I upset earlier.
We've not exactly kept this adoption a secret. From the very beginning, we let our school corporation know what we were doing and where we were in the process. All along everything has been peachy.
First, some background. Adoption leave is simply letting us use our accrued sick days to pay for our absence. We were both taking it for the trip. Jim is returning to work immediately while I take the remainder of the school year off. We realized that because we lost the snow days in the calendar and we're leaving about a week earlier than I projected we were going to leave, my leave was going to be about 10 days short of making it to the end of the school year.
Yesterday, I talked to personnel who told me that I could take the last two weeks unpaid. I asked if Jim could use the unused portion of his adoption leave and take those two weeks while I returned to work. They emailed back and said that would work.
This afternoon, about 30 minutes before the end of the school day, I received an email from personnel telling me that not only could Jim NOT do this, but Jim won't get ANY adoption leave. They only allow one teacher parent to take leave. Jim's time will be UNPAID. Now if this were something they'd told us all along, we could have planned for it. Plus, it's just not fair. We're being penalized for being married. They wouldn't tell a married teacher that because X company was giving their spouse paid leave that they wouldn't. And it's not as if the school is paying us anything extra. We're simply using sick days that we've earned and haven't used. In fact, the corporation has to pay us for unused sick days when we leave, if we're vested. It's money we've already earned.
It's just frustrating when you know that you have gone above and beyond day after day and the thanks you get is this.
Anybody hiring? I know two experienced teachers who are pretty annoyed with their present employer.
Okay, rant over.
On the good news side, we paid for our plane tickets today. We have tickets to China!!! Woo hoo!
We've not exactly kept this adoption a secret. From the very beginning, we let our school corporation know what we were doing and where we were in the process. All along everything has been peachy.
First, some background. Adoption leave is simply letting us use our accrued sick days to pay for our absence. We were both taking it for the trip. Jim is returning to work immediately while I take the remainder of the school year off. We realized that because we lost the snow days in the calendar and we're leaving about a week earlier than I projected we were going to leave, my leave was going to be about 10 days short of making it to the end of the school year.
Yesterday, I talked to personnel who told me that I could take the last two weeks unpaid. I asked if Jim could use the unused portion of his adoption leave and take those two weeks while I returned to work. They emailed back and said that would work.
This afternoon, about 30 minutes before the end of the school day, I received an email from personnel telling me that not only could Jim NOT do this, but Jim won't get ANY adoption leave. They only allow one teacher parent to take leave. Jim's time will be UNPAID. Now if this were something they'd told us all along, we could have planned for it. Plus, it's just not fair. We're being penalized for being married. They wouldn't tell a married teacher that because X company was giving their spouse paid leave that they wouldn't. And it's not as if the school is paying us anything extra. We're simply using sick days that we've earned and haven't used. In fact, the corporation has to pay us for unused sick days when we leave, if we're vested. It's money we've already earned.
It's just frustrating when you know that you have gone above and beyond day after day and the thanks you get is this.
Anybody hiring? I know two experienced teachers who are pretty annoyed with their present employer.
Okay, rant over.
On the good news side, we paid for our plane tickets today. We have tickets to China!!! Woo hoo!
8 Comments:
UGH - I am sorry Magi.
The most important thing....YOU ARE GOING TO CHINA!!!!
Well crap, Magi. So sorry about all this. I was ranting about my school yesterday, so I understand how you feel about giving them your all and then getting treated this way. Mine was actually a misunderstanding but I was ticked off for a minute, threatening to hook on the street vs. working for them if they didn't straighten out the problem. Nice huh?
Ummm, I feel an illness coming on for your DH. Maybe about 3 weeks of sick leave because he is SICK of school!
That is so wrong. I would still fight it.
That sounds pretty stinko to me. Unless it is clearly in their policy about leave, you are being treated differently because you are married to each other.
But, I'm with Colleen as well...China here you come!
I would check with your teachers union on this - discrimination for married couples! That is just WRONG! What does marriage have to do with taking leave?
I'll bet it if was a gay unmarried couple taking leave to adopt the scenerio would be entirely different.
On the upside I am so SUPER EXCITED for you and for your precious daughter.
Yes, keep us posted as much as possible!
Hugs to you and know you are being prayed for!!
I can't believe that...that is SO wrong! Is there anything you can do about it.
Move to Atlanta to teach...I'm sure it is so much better...ha! Maybe not, but Sera would have some cousins to play with :)
Oh yeah, and an Aunt to spoil her :)
Sorry, Magi. What a bummer. The silver lining is China and who knows, maybe they will come to their senses!
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