employer benefits

for those of you have gone trhough with adoption. Did your employers provide any assistance? I mean are there any benefits questions I should be asking? what about maternity leave.. is it just FMLA, I mean I guess there is no disability time right?

Re: employer benefits

Empire when I worked there offered the same maternity benefits ( But no disability so it was FMLA only) and a $10K adoption "grant".

Re: employer benefits

My company offered maternity leave. 8 weeks full pay and a $3000 adoption "grant". I could take up to 3 months off but I'd have to use my vacation or sick time for the last month. My husband's company gave him a month paternity leave (paid) and a $5000 "grant"

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Re: employer benefits

Re: employer benefits

Yes our companies were great. We both work for (or use to work for, I'm a SAHM now) are very large and are big on employee benefits. My husband's company is the best though. They are huge on adoption support and sent us a ton of stuff - car seat, welcome baskets, flowers, etc.

Re: employer benefits

Re: employer benefits

I don't know if this will help anyone- but I came across this a few months ago.

50 best companies
HTH!

Re: employer benefits

Pauline - I am amazed that my compnay offers ... $5K

Message edited 6/20/2008 9:06:33 AM.

Re: employer benefits

I know I was going to point that out to you!

Re: employer benefits

Pauline,

At my job, you use all of your sick time and then go out on NYS disability.

I also copied this from our employer website:

Adoption Assistance Program

Effective retroactively to January 1, 2002, eligible Management employees can request reimbursement of up to $8,000.00 for expenses incurred in connection with adopting a child. Part time employees are eligible to receive one half the benefit to which full time employees are eligible.

Eligibility
Eligible employees

All full time management employees (employees who work 32 hours or more per week) and all part time employees who work between 20 and 31 hours per week, are eligible to be reimbursed for adoption expenses. Part time employees are eligible to receive 50% of the benefit that full time employees receive.

Eligible child

The adopted child must be under the age of 18 at the time adoption expenses are paid or incurred and may not be the child of the employee's spouse or domestic partner.
Benefit Amount
•The maximum total benefit is $8,000.00.
•Documented "qualified adoption expenses" will be reimbursed to a maximum of $8,000.00 per adoption of an eligible child. This reimbursement will not be subject to income tax withholding but will be subject to social security and Medicare withholding. If an employee and his/her spouse or same sex domestic partner both work for ******, the two together are eligible to be reimbursed up to a maximum of $8,000.00 in documented qualified adoption expenses, per adoption. Please see the Qualified Adoption Expenses listed below.
•In addition, if your documented "qualified adoption expenses" do not add up to $8,000.00, you are eligible to be reimbursed up to $3,000.00 for miscellaneous undocumented expenses incurred during the course of adopting a child. Reimbursement for miscellaneous undocumented expenses will be treated as taxable income and will be subject to all appropriate payroll taxes.
•Part time employees are eligible to receive one half the benefit to which full time employees are eligible.
Here are a few examples of how this will work:
•If you adopt a child and incur $8,000 of reimbursable, documented, "Qualified Adoption Expenses", you will be reimbursed for $8,000 on a pre-tax basis and you will have received the maximum reimbursement.
•If you adopt a child and incur $6,000 in reimbursable, documented, "Qualified Adoption Expenses" you will be reimbursed for $6,000 on a pre-tax basis. In addition, you will receive $2,000 to cover any undocumented expenses you may have incurred during the course of your adoption. The $2,000 reimbursement for undocumented expenses will be subject to all income tax withholdings and you will have received the maximum reimbursement.
•If you adopt a child and incur $1,000 in reimbursable, documented, "Qualified Adoption Expenses", you will be reimbursed for $1,000 on a pre-tax basis. In addition, you will receive $3,000 (the maximum payment for undocumented expenses) to cover any undocumented expenses you may have incurred during the course of your adoption. The $3,000 reimbursement for undocumented, expenses will be subject to all income tax withholdings. Unless you have additional documented expenses in connection with this particular adoption, you will have received the maximum reimbursement for which you are eligible.

Qualified Adoption Expenses

"Qualified Adoption Expenses" are reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorneys' fees, and other expenses directly related to, and whose principal purpose is for, the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as:
•Public and private adoption agency fees;
•Legal and court fees;
•Fees for medical and hospital services provided to the child (not otherwise covered by insurance);
•Transportation expenses associated with the adoption, including transportation, meals, and lodging;
•Immigration, child's immunization, and translation fees; and
•Temporary foster care charges provided before placement of the eligible child in the employee's home.

Re: employer benefits

nice!!!

Re: employer benefits

We got $15K from my DH's employeer (a lifetime max. benefit) for our adoption of Jason.

Re: employer benefits

I have not gone through adoption but my employer provides $5000 in adoption assistance. Also, yes adoption is covered under FMLA . Technically you are not "disabled" and recovering as you would be as when you gave birth - but you are caring / bonding with a child and therefore entitled to the FMLA leave (12 weeks) which offers job protection (there are certain limits - ex. your employer must have more than 50 people etc) .