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Original poster

Maternity pay bullsh*t for teachers

194 replies

Teacherprebaby · 03/07/2024 22:02

My school (state/academy), offers 6 weeks at 90% and the remaining at SMP so £185 a week. This is discrimination against women who want to have children. Am I being unreasonable to bring this up with my school?

OP posts:
MrsAllYours · 04/07/2024 07:12

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Previously banned poster.

BeeDavis · 04/07/2024 07:12

Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:54

My thread, me me me me me. 😊

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You don’t really come across as mature enough to be having a child.

RishiIsACuntWaffle · 04/07/2024 07:12

Teacherprebaby · 03/07/2024 22:37

I've been googling and I cannot see this anywhere.

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@Teacherprebaby burgundy book terms

foothandmouth · 04/07/2024 07:11

Op. Stop being so rude to people offering advice or clarifying something you have asked/said. Honestly you sound like you are having a tantrum

Perfect28 · 04/07/2024 07:10

@MightWusk I mean that sounds great but you would have a lot of people not having kids (in the context where the birth rate is falling through the floor). For context, we are both teachers and no we couldn't save. We still can't.

You can blame the gov for suppressing our wages for 14 years. There's no way I'm not going to have a family just because my pay is piss poor.

ThanksItHasPockets · 04/07/2024 07:09

I agree that there is no discrimination here but it’s nevertheless the case that teachers usually have a more generous package than OP is going to get. Her school is unusual.

You might be better off posting in the Staffroom if you want to discuss teachers’ mat pay specifically, OP.

Perfect28 · 04/07/2024 07:08

OP you are right to point to teachers in particular imo. Not many people realise that we get a raw deal, particularly because we lose any holiday accrued- another benefit many get on mat leave.

ThatEdgyOliveFox · 04/07/2024 07:07

Like others have said that is the legal minimum maternity pay.
I actually do think it’s fair, you are getting paid a little while your job is kept open for you - allowing you to take an entire year off without losing your position is a fantastic benefit.
As it goes, I did get offered 1/2 for 12 weeks in line with burgundy book but didn’t take it as I knew I wouldn’t be returning to work.
It was very easy to walk back into a teaching job after 8 years at home, and I still have the holidays with my children.
I actually think work places should be more open to term time only contracts as this would benefit parents more in the long run that enhanced maternity pay.

JustCantBeBothered · 04/07/2024 07:05

As everyone else has said, it's like that for a hell of a lot of women. I had the same with my first, I saved for a year before TTC. It sucks, it does, but I Googled and prepared myself. Luckily with the 2nd the maternity pay at my employer improved a bit. Still had to save though! But I did want a year off with both.

Wouldn't call it discrimination personally. There a lot of women who opt to not have children and get no extended paid leave as you do with mat leave is there - yes, people choose to have babies, but it's not a given right to get XXX to fund it (hence why I saved)

MightWusk · 04/07/2024 07:04

Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:55

YES IT LITERALLY IS!

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NO ITS LITERALLY NOT. Otherwise your work would be paying you wouldn't they 🤣

DappledThings · 04/07/2024 07:02

Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:58

I'm a teacher! That's why it's in the title. Point out where I said we should get more, ffs people love assuming the worst 🙄

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I never said you did say teachers should get more, but singling them out in your thread title implies you think they should, or that they are on a significantly worse deal than everyone else.

No point getting angry with me or the other posters who've pointed out it's clumsily worded and detracts from your point.

coffy11 · 04/07/2024 07:02

Teacherprebaby · 03/07/2024 22:27

It's discrimination against women. You need support from your partner (usually a man) to be able to afford to live. It's shocking that women have allowed this to continue for as long as it has!

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Yes, well that's how it should work. Presumably the child is half your partners so he should pay you for being on leave. It's not all up to you to finance your mat leave.

BibbleandSqwauk · 04/07/2024 07:02

OP whilst I agree the SMP rate is pretty poor and stuck in the days when the second income was a nice bonus rather than a vital part of household finances I would say that as a teacher you can work the timings a bit if you are lucky / plan it (I do appreciate this is not always possible before everyone jumps on me). I had my DS in August and had a year off. I went back to work for the last week of the summer term following so I then got the 6 week summer hols on full pay, even though I was still off. Again - I know most of schools hols is technically unpaid but what I mean is that you get to be at home whilst receiving what is your normal monthly pay, not SMP. It is low and frustrating when you know some people get more but in the end it IS a choice and no I don't think it is up to the state to fund all of our choices in their entirety.

ThanksItHasPockets · 04/07/2024 07:00

It's very unusual for an academy not to offer a package at least as good as the occupational maternity pay laid out in the Burgundy Book for teachers who have worked there for long enough - ie 4 weeks 100%, 2 weeks 90%, 11 weeks 50% plus SMP and then the remaining 21 weeks at SMP.

SD1978 · 04/07/2024 07:00

It seems that now you're suddenly aware, and it affects you, you want the system to change. Women have been only offered these conditions in the UK for years. It's worse in America.

Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 07:00

User2460177 · 03/07/2024 23:09

Getting better benefits and/or pay isn’t being “treated fairly”. Why do you feel so entitled when women up and down the country get statutory maternity pay?

im a single mum and I saved for maternity leave so I was fine.

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I'm not entitled!!! ALL WOMEN SHOULD BE ENTITLED!

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:58

DappledThings · 03/07/2024 22:54

If you think SMP is too low that's fair enough but your title singles out teachers who get the same SMP as anyone else.

That's all people are going to take from your post now, that you think teachers should get a higher rate of SMP than other women. Probably worth asking MN to amend your thread title if that isn't what you meant.

I'm a teacher! That's why it's in the title. Point out where I said we should get more, ffs people love assuming the worst 🙄

OP posts:
SulkySeagull · 04/07/2024 06:57

@Teacherprebaby surely it’s about mat pay for women, not mat pay for teachers?

Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:56

MightWusk · 03/07/2024 22:54

Or you could save beforehand knowing you'll be on maternity pay.

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That's not the point.

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:55

MightWusk · 03/07/2024 23:54

I get that. But this is the situation for most people. We just deal with it somehow. It's not up to workplaces to take the cost of everyone having their babies.

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YES IT LITERALLY IS!

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:54

crumblingschools · 04/07/2024 00:25

Why are you making it about teachers, when it is standard maternity pay for many employees.

My thread, me me me me me. 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:54

magnoliablooms · 04/07/2024 05:45

This. I have no idea why you're making this a teacher thing

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Lol, because I can. I'm a teacher and this is my thread. If I wanted to know what Vets get for mat pay I'd ask that. 😂

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:52

mummyh2016 · 04/07/2024 06:28

It's not discrimination, men get less unless the mum basically gives the dad her leave.
Like other posters have said it's not a teacher thing either. Unless you mean it's okay for people to get SMP but teachers should get more.
Have the maternity pay rules at your employer changed since you started there? IE did they used to pay enhanced and have changed it fairly recently?

Words in mouth. Not what I said.

It is discrimination against women for being the ones who get pregnant. Who have to save for it and go through dealing with such shit maternity pay from their employers!

OP posts:
Original poster
Teacherprebaby · 04/07/2024 06:50

Birdingbear · 03/07/2024 22:51

Discrimination ffs. 🙄
Welcome to the Real world where nearly all of us get paid that!

And you think it's ok?

OP posts:
ChefsKisser · 04/07/2024 06:46

Chatonette · 04/07/2024 06:10

Ignore. In true MN fashion, someone always needs to turn it into a race to the bottom. Teachers get the same maternity leave across the country, just like I imagine NHS nurses do. Nurses wouldn’t be happy if their local hospitals were privatised and their maternity pay was dramatically cut either.

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Primary care and community teams often have very different mat pay to large trusts. It’s something you do need to be aware of.