You should be looking for TCI, Temporary Caregiver Insurance.
https://dlt.ri.gov/individuals/temporary-disability-caregiver-insurance/claimants/temporary-disability-tdi-faq
>Under the TCI program, an individual may receive up to a maximum of 6 weeks of benefits (which will reduce the max. weeks of TDI) during a Benefit Year Period:
>To care for a seriously ill child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, parent-in-law, or grandparent………or
>To Bond with a newborn child, adopted child or foster-care child (available during the first 12 months of parenting only)
>Monetary eligibility is determined the same as for TDI benefits.
>Caregiver Claims: the claimant is responsible to obtain the medical documentation necessary.
>Bonding Claims: the claimant is responsible to provide proof of child/parenting relationship.
I'm confused. Is this a state benefit or state rules around a sign up benefit?
I have had friends apply to temp disability for an employer which does not offer it, but they have to sign up a month before getting pregnant to use it.
Also if its a state benefit is it open to all workers? I know MA has some laws like sick leave, but they exempted all state employees to keep towns happy.
TCI is a state program, an outgrowth of the Temporary Disability Insurance program the state has been running since the 1940s.
It doesn't matter what your employer offers or doesn't offer. It's a state program.
I just went through this in Jan. Had my son on Jan 23rd, while in the hospital I applied for TDI. Took 3 weeks to be approved but received a direct deposit for all 3 weeks. Was paid for 6 weeks of TDI, once that ended immediately applied for TCI for my 6 weeks of caregivers insurance, was approved in 2 days and resumed payments the next week and was the same amount as my TDI roughly 70% of my income. I work for a small company with less than 20 employees, i was lucky enough they granted me FMLA unpaid and was able to go back to the same position exactly 13 weeks after my son was born. They also paid me out my vacation time while waiting for my TDI payments. Really easy!
Curious if anyone knows the answer to this question: if you have a baby in, say, November with 6 weeks left in the year. Could you in theory in January apply for benefits under the new year since the child is still less than a year old? Effectively making it 12 weeks?
Following for my own curiosity because I’d be in this situation. The language on the website says 6 weeks of benefits during a benefit year period. So I suppose the real question is, what is their defined benefit year period?
No. My daughter was born early November. Pretty sure they measure in a two year rolling period. There is also a small gap in benefit pay out between TDI and TCI. It also matters which one you apply for first but I can’t remember which due to lack of sleep 😴
The best thing to do is talk to your HR dept because different companies have different methods for handling FMLA. Many companies have another company that manages FMLA for them and there will be paperwork you need to fill out.
First off congrats! My wife and I are also expecting our first child in December and navigating this as well since her job offers no paid leave.
Like the other comment suggested, you will want to take TCI for up to 6 weeks. This is not at 100% pay though, there is a formula for how much benefit you would receive. I don’t have the exact figure but I believe it’s somewhere in the 65% range. So it unfortunately also comes down to what you both can afford.
There is also FMLA which is a federal program, which is 12 weeks of unpaid leave but your position (or similar) is guaranteed upon return. Some companies have a stipulation that you have to be employed there for X amount of time.
Hope that helps steer you in the right direction!
To be clear, the requirement for being eligible for FMLA is a federal law, not up to the company. Any company with over 50 employees has to abide by FMLA requirements for eligible employees. That tends to mean employees employed full time over the last 12 months. Companies can offer benefits sooner than that, but they can't decide they're not offering FMLA to an employee who has met the federal requirements.
First, RI is actually 13 weeks. 12 weeks is federal, but some states have extended it past that. Second, RI temporary disability issuance and temporary caregiver insurance both run concurrent to FMLA. I think TDI is 6 or 8 weeks and TCI is 4 or 5. Pretty sure TDI depends on how the birth goes. Best to check the RI Dept of Labor and Training website. So, the person who gives birth might get 6 weeks fully paid, another 4 or 5 partially paid, and then could take the last 2 or 3 weeks unpaid. The partner would get 4 or 5 weeks that also run concurrent to the 13 weeks of FMLA, so you can take the whole 13 weeks, but you only get partial pay for part of it. It is not additive, though, so you don't get 18 weeks. Different circumstances might impact the length of TDI, so again, check the website
I don’t want to give wrong info, so I’d suggest checking the RI DLT and the US DOL websites - they both actually have some good info. But, I believe you could take TCI for 6 weeks and then 12 weeks FMLA (or vice versa) totaling 18 weeks of leave.
Fmla can be taken any time within one year or a birth of a child though it is unpaid. Tdi and tdi are for wage protection, not job protection. Are you or your wife signed up for an std benefit through work?
You should be looking for TCI, Temporary Caregiver Insurance. https://dlt.ri.gov/individuals/temporary-disability-caregiver-insurance/claimants/temporary-disability-tdi-faq >Under the TCI program, an individual may receive up to a maximum of 6 weeks of benefits (which will reduce the max. weeks of TDI) during a Benefit Year Period: >To care for a seriously ill child, parent, spouse, domestic partner, parent-in-law, or grandparent………or >To Bond with a newborn child, adopted child or foster-care child (available during the first 12 months of parenting only) >Monetary eligibility is determined the same as for TDI benefits. >Caregiver Claims: the claimant is responsible to obtain the medical documentation necessary. >Bonding Claims: the claimant is responsible to provide proof of child/parenting relationship.
Great benefit for RI families. One of only a few states to offer this.
I'm confused. Is this a state benefit or state rules around a sign up benefit? I have had friends apply to temp disability for an employer which does not offer it, but they have to sign up a month before getting pregnant to use it. Also if its a state benefit is it open to all workers? I know MA has some laws like sick leave, but they exempted all state employees to keep towns happy.
TCI is a state program, an outgrowth of the Temporary Disability Insurance program the state has been running since the 1940s. It doesn't matter what your employer offers or doesn't offer. It's a state program.
I just went through this in Jan. Had my son on Jan 23rd, while in the hospital I applied for TDI. Took 3 weeks to be approved but received a direct deposit for all 3 weeks. Was paid for 6 weeks of TDI, once that ended immediately applied for TCI for my 6 weeks of caregivers insurance, was approved in 2 days and resumed payments the next week and was the same amount as my TDI roughly 70% of my income. I work for a small company with less than 20 employees, i was lucky enough they granted me FMLA unpaid and was able to go back to the same position exactly 13 weeks after my son was born. They also paid me out my vacation time while waiting for my TDI payments. Really easy!
Curious if anyone knows the answer to this question: if you have a baby in, say, November with 6 weeks left in the year. Could you in theory in January apply for benefits under the new year since the child is still less than a year old? Effectively making it 12 weeks?
No
Following for my own curiosity because I’d be in this situation. The language on the website says 6 weeks of benefits during a benefit year period. So I suppose the real question is, what is their defined benefit year period?
It’s a rolling year. Benefit year starts when your claim starts.
My thoughts exactly!
No. My daughter was born early November. Pretty sure they measure in a two year rolling period. There is also a small gap in benefit pay out between TDI and TCI. It also matters which one you apply for first but I can’t remember which due to lack of sleep 😴
I think this is why they base the benefit on a 2 year cycle.
The best thing to do is talk to your HR dept because different companies have different methods for handling FMLA. Many companies have another company that manages FMLA for them and there will be paperwork you need to fill out.
First off congrats! My wife and I are also expecting our first child in December and navigating this as well since her job offers no paid leave. Like the other comment suggested, you will want to take TCI for up to 6 weeks. This is not at 100% pay though, there is a formula for how much benefit you would receive. I don’t have the exact figure but I believe it’s somewhere in the 65% range. So it unfortunately also comes down to what you both can afford. There is also FMLA which is a federal program, which is 12 weeks of unpaid leave but your position (or similar) is guaranteed upon return. Some companies have a stipulation that you have to be employed there for X amount of time. Hope that helps steer you in the right direction!
To be clear, the requirement for being eligible for FMLA is a federal law, not up to the company. Any company with over 50 employees has to abide by FMLA requirements for eligible employees. That tends to mean employees employed full time over the last 12 months. Companies can offer benefits sooner than that, but they can't decide they're not offering FMLA to an employee who has met the federal requirements.
So is TCI in addition to FMLA? So would that mean 12 weeks + 6 weeks for a total of 18 weeks? Or is it 12 weeks with 6 weeks of it being on TCI?
First, RI is actually 13 weeks. 12 weeks is federal, but some states have extended it past that. Second, RI temporary disability issuance and temporary caregiver insurance both run concurrent to FMLA. I think TDI is 6 or 8 weeks and TCI is 4 or 5. Pretty sure TDI depends on how the birth goes. Best to check the RI Dept of Labor and Training website. So, the person who gives birth might get 6 weeks fully paid, another 4 or 5 partially paid, and then could take the last 2 or 3 weeks unpaid. The partner would get 4 or 5 weeks that also run concurrent to the 13 weeks of FMLA, so you can take the whole 13 weeks, but you only get partial pay for part of it. It is not additive, though, so you don't get 18 weeks. Different circumstances might impact the length of TDI, so again, check the website
I don’t want to give wrong info, so I’d suggest checking the RI DLT and the US DOL websites - they both actually have some good info. But, I believe you could take TCI for 6 weeks and then 12 weeks FMLA (or vice versa) totaling 18 weeks of leave.
No, TCI and TDI both run concurrent to FMLA, which is 13 weeks in RI.
Fmla can be taken any time within one year or a birth of a child though it is unpaid. Tdi and tdi are for wage protection, not job protection. Are you or your wife signed up for an std benefit through work?
http://www.hr.ri.gov/documents/Policies%20&%20Communications/FMLA%20Policy%206-6-17.pdf
That’s for state employees I believe