AIBU pregnant teachers and maternity leave.

[Screamscreamqueen]

I’m a teacher at a secondary school. One of my colleagues is quite heavily pregnant and in 3 weeks time, she’ll be going on maternity leave.
That means that she’s returned to work after the summer to teach classes for only a few weeks before passing them onto other teachers.

Some other members of the department have been gossiping behind this woman’s back saying that she’s selfish and that she should’ve taken her maternity leave earlier to avoid teaching a new school year. They're saying it’s not fair on the kids that they’ve ‘been lumbered with a teacher who won’t even be around’.
They’re also saying that she’s being ‘grabby’ with her maternity leave without thinking of the disruption to her students and other staff members who’ll have to pick up where she’s left off.
Obviously she’s well within her rights to do what she’s doing.
However it’s causing so much tension and I don’t know what to do.
Do I tell the woman in question about what’s been said?

Don't tell her. It will upset her and cause stress before her mat leave which she doesn't need ! Nothing worse than leaving work in a bad way.

If you hear people discussing it just stick up for her ! tell them she obviously is so passionate about teaching kids she wanted to be there as long as possible and it won't effect the kids much at all.

And if they really cared about the kids then they would put their foot in and help out !

As a parent it is annoying, we’ve had this a few times in only 3 years of school and it’s been really unsettling for my children.
But I don’t blame the teachers at all, why would they start maternity leave 9 weeks before they need to? It’s the maternity system for teachers that’s wrong.
But don’t tell her, it’ll upset her and there’s nothing she can do about it.

Well I certainly don’t think anyone else should have to pay the price for her desire for a family. She might as well not be employed if she’s never there. Oh, but then she wouldn’t get her salary would she?

There’s no need to go back to school at all before the summer holidays to be paid in full over summer. Also, if you agree to go back pt after being ft before ml the pt contract shouldn’t start until Sept 1st.

I agree with what others have said here, management should have had her team teaching or doing cover etc. Not at all her fault. You could say that about a teacher at any point of the year though who goes on mat leave. If I was you I'd tell SLT that unkind things are being said and it needs nipping in the bud. Or you tell them to stop being so awful.

This thread is quite depressing. Obviously it isn’t everyone, but there is so much ‘quiet judging’ or outright condemnation of women for taking their maternity leave exactly as they’re entitled to do. The OP’s colleague isn’t taking the piss or inconveniencing anyone. As other people have pointed out the leadership team are at fault and have created the inconvenience.

No wonder there’s so much ongoing discrimination when people are so delighted to blame a pregnant woman rather than a system/leadership decisions that have tried to cheap out and created the problem. Much better to personalise it and decide the colleague is at fault, eh? 🙄

The situation described by the OP is already horribly discriminatory. And not acceptable in the least.

You mind your own business and wish her well. Positive thoughts her cover is brilliant.
Lucky sub to get a long term posting.

This is not too unusual I think .Maybe a pain for other teachers but she is within her rights here .This happened to a friend as well .No good telling her as she will get upset and it may backfire on you all!

I think the ship has sailed for not making things uncomfortable or hard for a colleague if people are bitching about her. Not telling her makes no difference. It is completely unacceptable and the SLT should be all over it as it’s a legally enforceable equalities issue.

What school should have done is cover her from the beginning of September but they aren’t properly funded for that

Regardless, the school should be very clear to everyone that bitching about someone because they’re taking maternity leave 3 weeks into term is not acceptable. And is, in fact, the sort of thing that should provoke disciplinary procedures.

It’s not just about the effect on the woman taking maternity leave later this month. It’s also the effect on all the other women who might want to have babies and work in a culture where maternity leave is treated as an annoyance and burden. The SLT need to be very careful about that.

Don't tell her and tell the others to shut up

It's life it happens

She's entitled

My god, what a horrible place you work in op 😳

I will try and make the gossiping stop and mention that actually, it’s the fault of poor management

Definitely.

What a horrible school you must work in! I. Any even imagine my colleagues talking in this way. We look after each other.

Make sure you stick up for her next time

Maybe we should go back to the days where teachers had to leave on marriage? Heavens forbid if they had the audacity to get pregnant out of wedlock! Same with nurses

Never mind the current retention crisis and employment law.