...to think teachers DO get paid over the holidays?

[MasterBeth]

It doesn't make sense to me.

Some people say teachers don't get paid over the holidays. They are paid, they say, for 40 weeks, but their money is aggregated over 52 weeks and paid monthly.

What does that even mean? How is it (practically) any different to being paid (less per week) for 52 weeks?

So true. I've not once mentioned not being paid for the holidays to anyone. I'm happy with my 12 equal payslips.

I reckon the OP is just stirring things up before school starts and the proper teacher bashing can begin.

What’s it to you how we get paid?

Why are we constantly having to defend ourselves to do a job that nobody seems to want to do, that requires thousands of pounds of personal investment to do a public sector job. It’s no wonder that the kids are lacking respect for teachers when their parents are this sniffy.

She gets 12 weeks without having to work but not 12 weeks of paid leave. If she worked in a different type of office her salary would almost certainly be higher. Less leave = more pay

Teachers work incredibly hard, however the salary they receive is for 39 working weeks per year, 32.5 hours per week, plus 4 weeks holiday, plus 1.6 weeks bank holidays ie/ 44.6 weeks.

So eg/ £40K take home pay for the above, divided by 12, however if this was factored up to 52 weeks per year, or even 37 hours per week, it would be more like a salary of £50K. The pension is also generous and adds maybe the equivalent of £10K salary (vs a private pension, given the higher employer contribution and other benefits of the scheme).

The confusion arises as £40K sounds low, but factoring in the above it is really more like a salary of £60k, if compared like with like in private sector.

This is so bizarre, people keep saying teachers moan about their job but most of this thread is full of people moaning about their own job compared to teachers, and how teachers have it so much better. Most teachers have just explained how it works. All jobs come with perks and drawbacks we just have to decide what works for us.
unfortunately more and more teachers appear to be deciding it doesn’t work for them.

And yet none of the moaners are rushing to university to retrain and snap up these cushy positions. Strange! 😝

Not all are 52 week contracts. I’m 39 paid weeks. My annual salary is divided by 52, multiplied by 39 and then divided by 12. So yes I’m paid in august but not for august.

Clear?

Here we go again.
Regardless of anyone thinking teachers are paid for the holidays, they are not. You can argue the toss as much as you like. It's in black and white in the terms and conditions.
Look it up.
Paid in but not for.

Here.

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#

but salaries are still determined by LA’s.

Whether or which… why do teachers apply for college, go to college, do work placement etc all to be a teacher… and then say they only get paid for 39 weeks and that it’s underpaid as a result as only 39 weeks… why not train and get a job that’s 52 weeks and make more money? Not like if you can get into college and afford to go etc that you didn’t have any other opportunities, could have done another degree in a diff field… not bashing teachers at all or what they get paid etc just always wonder why they chose that field if they weren’t going to be happy with only 39 weeks pay when they always knew it would be 39 weeks pay

It could be seen as they are paid a wage, over a shorter working year.
A perk.
Perhaps they should attend school and work through holidays, they are being paid afterall

I'm not sure where teachers work 32.5 hours a week? A full time post is officially 35 hours. Unofficially it's probably at least 50. Yes, there is no legal standing for this but it is an unwritten expectation. The level of pressure and bullying towards newly qualified staff is outrageous. And it's a case of shut up and put up with it.
There's also the human factor, if there is a social work issue or a child or parent needing support you don't just walk out and leave them or say sorry it's my lunch break/home time.
I'm sure those who work in the private sector know what those kinds of unwritten rules are like.

Also, you can't recalculate it as being 50k if you worked 52 weeks of the year. That's daft. Nobody works 52 weeks of the year so it's irrelevant.

If you were to compare the actual job like for like to the private sector you may find that private schools often pay lower rates and they don't have the same pension schemes as public sector staff. I'd imagine they have better working conditions though in terms of classroom support, smaller class sizes and quality resources.

The holidays are wonderful. I wouldn't stay in the job without them.

Smiling at the poster claiming teacher might need to do the odd hour over the contracted hours. 5 or 6 hours extra unpaid a day is normal

I'm sure there's other jobs doing unpaid overtime but I can't comment on them as I don't do them.

I don't think anyone on here is unhappy with their salary or complaining it's not enough. They are just pointing out how the payments are distributed equally throughout the year which gives the illusion that teachers are being paid even when not working.

You are incorrect.

I have a huge respect for teachers and the difficult and important job they do. I think they should be paid more. I don't think the school year should be any longer. But none of things seem particularly relevant to the point in question.

Which remains...

I don't understand why the "not get paid for holidays" thing is necessary or significant. That's why I asked. I haven't had a lot of great or well-explained answers to be honest. (The best answers have explained its importance in calculating maternity or pension entitlements.)

If teachers don't get paid for holidays (and get paid for 9 months of the year), then their hourly rate must be higher pro rata than it would be if they were paid for all 12 months. But teachers aren't paid an hourly or daily rate, because their contracts expect them to work their directed hours/days and whatever other hours/days are necessary to carry out the job.

So I don't understand why teachers aren't just paid like everyone else for the work needed to take place to teach a class of kids for a year, including the time needed to mark and prepare. Pretending that only takes 9 months doesn't seem to be beneficial to anyone.

OK, how is it unpaid if your contract says it is part of the work required to do your job?

One material advantage I see (and there aren't many at all- I definitely couldn't be a teacher even though my own salary for ft is similar to an NQT) is lower childcare bills over school holidays.
I accept that teachers do a lot of work at home and over holidays, but it definitely must make a difference from a household income not to have to pay for/arrange leave for all 13 weeks of school holidays?

Definitely 32.5 hours per week in our Trust paid, but know actual hours higher.

52 weeks including the 5.6 weeks hol/bank hol everyone gets.

Private sector meant other jobs generally not private schools

Totally not disputing the job itself is unbelievably stressful.

I don't get what point you're making. You don't do private work because you don't agree with it. Plenty of people do and earn more. The issue is that we underpay our public employees. It's not a race to the bottom.

And lots of people would consider teaching rather than their current job (and not all private sector jobs are office jobs, of course) but won't because of the pay. I've had so many conversations along these lines over the years, particularly from working women who have done well in their careers then discover that they would like to spend school holidays with their children rather than pay someone else for child care.

No-one's arguing about the facts, are they? I just want to know why it's significant.

Maybe I should ask it another way. Would you like to be paid for the holidays? How would anything be different if your salary was not just paid out in 12 installments but earned in 12 installments?

@MasterBeth

Great. So working 16 hours a day is ok because I get a salary? I wonder what my hourly wage would be.

You work 16 hours a day?

Sadly that's one of the major problems in teaching. I could work 24 hours a day and still not have everything done, but it's ok as it's a salary...

Who cares if teachers work so many hours they get approx 50p an hour. It's not unpaid right? I should suck it up and not moan as I get long holidays?

10 hours at school plus often 6 at night.

Do you work 16 hours a day?