Sister-in-law's wedding. Would you expect time off work to be paid or unpaid?

[saltandvinegardiscos]

I've got a friend who works as a TA. She's asked for leave from work for a day, so she can go to her husband's sister's wedding.

She's fuming, because work has said she can take the day, but it will be unpaid.

Personally, I think that's fair. The policy says it's at the discretion of the headteacher.

Anyone else who works in schools or in jobs where you can't just book annual leave, what would you expect in this circumstance?

stingy?

If you have employees and a contract stating you are paying 28 annual leave, you randomly give them a few more paid annual do you?

I had to appeal to the governors to have a day off for my best friends wedding. She was in my wedding party god mother to my kids etc. If the day had been granted I wouldn't have expected to be paid. It wasn't granted in the end and they ended up moving the wedding date.
As a ta I wouldn't expect to be paid for time off and I would be doubtful about asking for the day off

I'm a teacher and had my BIL's wedding last month - got it paid.

A lot of schools would refuse completely, and be well within their rights to do so. Expecting to have the day off AND be paid is ridiculous.

Woah... thanks for all the replies. You've all backed up exactly what I feel about it too, but she won't listen to my reasoning. I might show her this thread!

I would entirely expect it to be granted unpaid.

If the TA was one who had an excellent sickness record and was a good performer I wanted to keep who already did above their hours when needed (not a clock watcher) then I'd grant it as paid if I had the power to make that decision.

My own husband took a day's unpaid leave for our wedding, from his school, so no, I'd not see any issue with unpaid leave term time for anything when working in a school.

Of course it would be unpaid. Her annual leave allowance is the school holidays, so if she wants to take a day off outside that time, it would be unpaid - just like if I’d already taken my 30 days’ leave allowance where I work, and I then asked for another day, I would expect that to be unpaid.

Currently leadership teams in schools need to think carefully saying a complete no to an adhoc day off (unpaid) for an important event if it is a decent, reliable, hard working members of staff.

Because these staff are very much valued. Not easy to replace, and costly to replace if they think "fuck it... I'll start looking for a job elsewhere"

The plus side of term time working is surely that you get the school holidays off (most anyway - I do appreciate school staff have to go in for some of them) and the downside is that you don't get any flexibility about when you are off. You cant have it both ways. Basically she is asking for more paid leave than any of her colleagues. Why would she expect that? It's not compassionate leave or any kind of emergency even. Going by the friends and relatives I have who are teachers she is fortunate to be granted a day off for a wedding at all, especially for someone who isn't actually a very close relative.

A teacher I think paid would be fair because of the huge number of out of school non contracted hours worked, they're easily making the time up. A TA can only really work in the school during term time even the children were there. So it's nice that she's been given it off but I wouldn't expect it to be paid!

That is how problems arise and staff complain about unfairness. The point if a policy is clarity, fairness and consistency. Your actions are not that.

I would consider myself very fortunate to be given a day. I certainly wouldn’t expect to be paid and I’m surprised anyone would think it a possibility.

I don’t know of any teachers who would be allowed leave at all either, unless they’re part time and could alter or make up the hours.

She is extremely lucky to have been granted unpaid leave. In my school (special school with loafs of TAs) she wouldn't have been given unpaid leave.

I remember being given a day off to attend my sister's wedding without losing pay - however that was 40 years ago and it was a private school

I was a very junior teacher at the time - first job, only my 2nd year

I’m a teacher. It would definitely be unpaid at my school.

I was teacher in that situation and was not allowed time off. I think the school has got it totally correct for a TA.

I'd expect it to be unpaid.
We rarely get paid leave during term time. For example, my contract would only be paid leave for funerals of close relatives (immediate family) so when my mum's closest friend died, I had to take half day unpaid despite it being somebody I have known for 50 years.
There is some discretion but for a wedding unless immediate family, it is always unpaid leave.

I worked in support roles in schools and definitely one of the downsides is the lack of flexibility for time off for special events like this. Schools, particularly secondaries, are large communities, so there often things many staff would like to attend during term time and a sympathetic head will allow where possible but not paid. The pupils needs rightly come first and getting the day off is as much as you could hope for and I would say thank you and be happy with that!

Absolutely unpaid. She's lucky to be given the day off.

Any other job you’d use your annual leave.

My mum was a teacher (so had school holidays not annual leave) and needed 2 weeks off work for a once in a lifetime opportunity (Hajj) and it was an appeal to the governors and unpaid. Which is understandable.

For her to be expected to be paid is mad!

She's lucky to be granted it at all.

The head teacher used her discretion though and she can take it as unpaid leave. I suppose that's the negative in term time jobs.

When I was a TA I would've been delighted to be offered the day and absolutely expected it to be unpaid.