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According to statistics, one in five pregnancies can end in a loss. While the loss of a pregnancy can happen to any woman, it has been observed that women who focus on their careers prior starting a family, form a sizeable chunk of women who experience loss of pregnancy. This could be because many women think of having kids after the age of 35, when the risk of miscarriages significantly increases.
Having a miscarriage or even a doctor-recommended termination can be quite traumatic and such women need support to recover not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. What many people do not know is that California has laws in place to ensure employees can take time off for disabilities, including those related to pregnancy, failed IVF procedures and miscarriages.
Understanding the Pregnancy Disability Leave
Miscarriage leave or Pregnancy Disability Leave allows employees in California to take leave from work if they have a pregnancy-related disability. This covers the loss of a pregnancy.
A qualified and licensed health care provider is required to recommend the duration of the leave. The health care provider can be your acupuncturist, chiropractor, clinical psychologist, nurse practitioner, or doctor; and you can take up to four months of miscarriage leave. However, the employer does have the right to ask you to use sick days to cover a portion of the miscarriage leave.
The health care provider can also recommend that you work from home or take modified leave if you are still keen on continuing to work after experiencing a miscarriage.
It is prudent to remember that miscarriage leave is in addition to any other leave that you may be eligible for according to the state law, the Fair Employment and Housing Act, and the leave policy of your place of employment. Should your employer have a policy that offers up to four months for leave for any other disability, they must also provide the same number of days for pregnancy-related disabilities.
Requesting for Miscarriage Leave
Once your health care provider recommends miscarriage leave, you should immediately inform your employer in writing. You would need to submit written recommendation from your healthcare provider to support the request. Ask your employer to give you in writing that once the leave finishes, you will be reinstated in the same position and for the same salary that you were drawing prior to proceeding on miscarriage leave.
At Anchor Acupuncture and Wellness, we have a draft for your employer should you need one. Also, our experienced and Licensed San Francisco Acupuncturists are available to support you after you suffer from a miscarriage. Get in touch with us at 415-855-3112 right away and benefit from our support and assistance.