Maternity rights for teachers

[Viennafletchercat]

Hi,

I'm due on the last week of term before the summer holidays and want to know if my six weeks summer holidays are tied into my maternity pay. Can't get a straight forward answer from my HR in Gloucester. Just seems a bit unfair that I'm going to miss out on my summer hols!!!

Am acting head at the moment and have been told my maternity pay will be at this rate but cannot find out about the holidays!

[SPBInDisguise]

I wouldn't have thought so - as teachers don't get paid holidays surely they'll just pay you your mat pay over this time?

[Awakeagain]

Holidays are no different from working weeks
I'm going back to work the week before the 6 week hols as mat pay finishes so would be off with no money or off with full pay, decided on full pay!!
At least the first 6ish weeks if teaching mat pay aren't too bad

[SPBInDisguise]

Oh I thought teachers didn't get paid for holidays

[LIZS]

Isn't the salary spread over 52 weeks ? The benefit of your timing is that you'll not be "working" for the summer holiday next year but still have 6 weeks at full pay after ml then.

[talkingnonsense]

My head told me I could start maternity pay in sept if I worked till the end ofthe summer term. I was young and didn't double check. She lied! Wish I'd gone on maternity at June half term instead.

[PandaNot]

Yes you will just be paid at maternity leave rate of pay over the holidays, happened to me too, it's a bad time of year to have a baby if you're a teacher!!

[LIZS]

ml starts on or before your edd !

[PandaNot]

awakeagain you could technically go back the first week of the holidays. They don't tell you this.

[noblegiraffe]

Your maternity pay automatically kicks in when you go on maternity leave or when you give birth, you can't delay it till the end of the holidays if you've had the baby.

[PotteringAlong]

I'm a bit worried that as acting head you haven't realised you can't start your maternity leave 6 weeks after your baby is due just because it suits for the holidays...

We don't get paid for the holidays but our pay is pro rata'd over 52 weeks so there is no difference

[SPBInDisguise]

How is that different from any other job?
Sorry for derailing, but I hear this a lot and don't really understand

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Maternity leave starts the day the baby is born at the latest, legally, for everyone I thought? It is unfortunate that you can't take your holiday beforehand like you could in other jobs though.

[BrianButterfield]

You can't get full pay for those holidays - under employment law you're entitled to a statutory amount of holiday you could get paid for if you hadn't taken them that year, but as school holidays are clearly much longer than the statutory allowance you will always have taken it during the year no matter when you go on maternity.

[Viennafletchercat]

I understand we get paid pro rata...it's a comment from our HR which made me want to look a little deeper into this, as she was unsure about the definite legalities.

Looks like it will just kick in day I have my baby...worth looking a little deeper though and gaining other people's views and experiences.

[clabsyqueen]

Mat leave DEFINITELY starts the day you have the baby or before if you choose to go off earlier. I know this for sure as I have experience in education HR. summer holidays are irrelevant. A July/August baby is a bummer for teachers unless you think about the pay you'll get next summer while not working. September always best of course!

[Xmasbaby11]

That's bad timing. Just make sure you come back to work a week before holidays! That's what all my teacher friends have done.

[Viennafletchercat]

Haha! I plan to go back a week before Easter!

[Fallenangle]

your maternity leave and maternity pay start when the leave starts. Holidays are irrelevent unless you are due at the begiining of a term - You can then start mat leave at the end of the preceding holiday.

[SPBInDisguise]

Are teachers not allowed to start mat leabe from 29 weeks like the rest of us?

[noblegiraffe]

Yes, this is asking what is the latest you can start maternity not earliest. The latest is the day of birth.

[yummumto3girls]

I'm a bit gobsmacked that you think your maternity pay can start 6 weeks after your baby is expected and likey to be born. Your maternity pay will start the day following the day your baby is born, at the latest. You need to give notice of your intention to take maternity leave anyway and I presume you will not be saying this is to be your EDD. You also need to be aware that if your are sick in the 4 weeks leading up to your EDD, and it can be deemed to be related to your pregnancy, then they have a right to enforce the commencement of your maternity pay and leave. Like others have said you can work it to your benefit by returning to work at the end of term.