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Any teachers (uk)? How does maternity leave work?

27 replies

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 15:27

Hi I'm due in July... But before school breaks up. I have no idea how maternity leave works in teaching... Is there anywhere online I can work it out? Do we still get 90% pay for however many weeks etc? Could I do shared maternity... So dh does maternity over summer hols and I get full pay then when term starts I do maternity and dh back at work? Or is that too cheeky and not possible? So confused!? Tyia

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CrmbleBee · 03/12/2017 15:33

Depends. If you're local authority, you're covered by the Burgundy book- Google it. If you're academy or other, it'll depend on your school contract and policies. Hope this helps!

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 15:37

Ok I'll check it out, im local authority. Thank you.

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Librarybooksandacoconut · 03/12/2017 15:42

www.teachers.org.uk/help-and-advice/self-help/m/maternitymatters - all the information if you work for a local authority school or an academy that has kept the same pay and conditions

With regards to maternity leave over the summer, by law you have to take the first 2 weeks anyway, and then if you return you would have to end your maternity leave and start shared parental leave which has different conditions www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay . You will almost certainly be worse off that way

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 15:54

You can start your maternity leave on the first day of the autumn term!

stargirl1701 · 03/12/2017 15:55

UK?!

I'm in Scotland. 3 months full pay, 6 months SMP, 3 months no pay, 40 days fully paid leave.

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 15:55

Ah sorry, just saw you're due before school finishes.....ignore me

LadyRenoir · 03/12/2017 15:56

Your school should have an employee handbook- mine is available on our shared area, and explains how it works. I don't know if this is the case of your school, but we are entitled to 14 weeks full pay, and then SMP (?) or whatever it's called for a period of up to a year altogether with the 14 weeks.

When does your leave is meant to start?
I would speak to your finance officer about the possibilities. If you give birth in August, I don't know if you can start in September.

SayNoToCarrots · 03/12/2017 15:57

sorry brutus mcdogface, you can't. Maternity leave has to commence on your due date, confirmed by a certificate from the midwife.

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 15:57

Scotland is better than England. When I was teaching it was only 2 weeks at full pay, 4weeks at 90% and then 12 (?) weeks 50% +SMP, with i think maybe a further 13 weeks SMP.

This was a while ago, though!

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 15:57

Read my last post, carrots!

LadyRenoir · 03/12/2017 15:57

Sorry just checked mine, 14 weeks full pay and up to 25 weeks on SMP. But your LA can be different!

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 15:58

I mean my second to last post. I misread the op.

KalaLaka · 03/12/2017 15:58

You have to start your maternity when you have your baby as you must have 2 weeks off (could be 3??) at the very least. Worth asking though.

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 16:02

Ok I've just read the burgundy book on maternity... It says if you've worked for over a year continuously (I have) your entitled to 18 weeks plus 29 weeks ordinary... 4 weeks full pay, 2 weeks 9/10ths pay, 12 weeks half pay, then after that no pay!! Surely I world still get statutory pay for the remaining weeks and not 29 weeks unpaid😥

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SayNoToCarrots · 03/12/2017 16:06

I took too long to write, brutus. Excerpt from Maternity Matters attached, hullaballoo. It's 3 months unpaid.

Any teachers (uk)? How does maternity leave work?

BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 16:06

You should! I did, for an additional 13 weeks (see above). Can you talk to the admin person at your school to be sure?

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 18:46

What happens if half pay plus SMP exceeds your gross pay? If they then cap it at gross pay it seems silly that you get more than you would for the 90% for 2 weeks at the start?! Argh

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Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 18:48

Ok understand 13 weeks unpaid if you choose to... But the half pay plus SMP is still a conundrum...

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BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 19:04

Are you part time at the moment? Because on a full time teacher's salary, half plus smp wouldn't exceed your normal pay? If you are part time then I'm sorry, I have no idea.

hannknitted · 03/12/2017 19:08

@Hulaballoo You are only entitled to SMP for 39 weeks total, which is why the last 13 weeks of the additional maternity leave is unpaid, should you choose to take it.

The reason you are paid half pay + SMP is because they are two completely separate elements: the SMP is paid by the government and you are statutorily entitled to it; whilst the half pay is Occupational Maternity Pay offered by your employer. If the two together exceed your usual full pay then it will be capped at your full pay... although from experience of calculating this, it will very rarely exceed your full pay and for a teacher's salary it will almost certainly work out as significantly less than your normal full pay. I work in HR for a Local Authority (in Scotland) so am well versed in dealing with these calculations!

If in any doubt about our situation you'd be best speaking to HR for your Local Authority - they will be able to clear up any queries for you and can provide a copy of the maternity policy if you don't already have it, as some terms vary between Local Authorities.

Rae2017 · 03/12/2017 19:15

Out of interest. When are people thinking of starting their maternity? I'm a y2 teacher due 16th april. I want to try and get up to week before which is start of our holidays but not sure if it's better to finish earlier to rest. Don't want to be bored and of i finish at 38 weeks then it'll be annoying that i didnt hang on a few days to get the pay

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 20:09

Thanks @hannknitted @BrutusMcDogface yes I am part time that's why it's gone over and I'm m5... So it'll be capped at full pay... That's pretty good then! 😁

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BrutusMcDogface · 03/12/2017 20:21

Could be worse, hey?!

I'm at around the same stage as you...due 19th July!

Hulaballoo · 03/12/2017 22:18

Ah great 😁👍I'm due the 8th July... Planning on telling head teacher in January. 😳eek

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Buxbaum · 03/12/2017 22:59

Rae the general advice is to give the latest possible date that you can, because you can go earlier than this if necessary but you can’t stay on if you find that you actully feel fine.

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