I just got a new job through the VA and I was stoked knowing all these great benefits ill have. Well I went to talk to HR about taking paternity leave and they said I wont be eligible for paternity leave for my first child. So I tried going through FMLA again im not eligible. I was told i could take annual leave but because im a new hire ill have maybe 3 to 5 days accrued max if i cancel all my other plans between now and then. I might be able to take unpaid time off but having no one in the household making any money with a newborn is a death sentence here in the expensive bay area. So now im faced with either burn through my tiny bit of savings or let my wife who will have just given birth be home alone with a large dog and newborn. What was my heinous crime that is denying me bonding time with my first child? Ill have only work at my new job for 8 months at the time and wont be eligible for PTO because that is only offered after a year of employment. I get why they do that but what about people who have something happen under a year? Sucks to suck i guess, I feel like this is something that is overlooked and has had my in tears over the stress and wtf to do. Thank you for reading, i just wanted to vent a little bit.