Maternity pay bullsh*t for teachers

[Teacherprebaby]

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?

This would be, IMHO, a misdirection of energies. The falling birth rate isn’t due to poor maternity and paternity pay - the birth rate was much higher in the past when the levels of pay were no more generous (and often much lower). It is a symptom of a wider cost of living crisis, specifically the cost of housing. Until the affordable housing crisis is resolved there will be no increase to the birth rate, and more generous statutory pay would be only a very expensive sticking-plaster.

OP, you sound like the women I work with. Generous maternity packages and family-friendly flexible working policies but nothing is ever enough. They're always shouting that they're being discriminated against but can never explain why.

Drives those of us who don't/can't have kids and keep getting refused flexibility absolutely bananas, I can tell you.

When did I say I have family friendly working or a generous maternity package? 😂

Thank you so much. Really helpful advice, I genuinely appreciate you taking the time.

So you are saying some women are more important than others?

So many women advocating for policies that discriminate against women. A race to the bottom going on here.

E.g. this. Ever crossed your mind that policies can discriminate?

I'm allowed to be facetious here so I will but thanks for the comment 😊.

You don't realise that policies put in place can discriminate against a particular sex? It's not about male Vs female, it's the bigger picture.

But you aren't being discriminated against is a bloke in the school getting a better maternity package no.

You really don't understand what discrimination is and if so it's shocking you are a teacher.

I was in an academy and it was better than that.

You are stating a simplified version of the word. Never mind. You've missed the point.

I said you sound like them, not that you literally are them.

Some women are paid more than others - does that make them more important?

The fact is you aren't being discriminated against full stop.

You could have negotiated a better package, got a job with better package.

Campaign for better maternity pay but you aren't being discriminated against you are being treated the same as other teachers at your school.

That’s not what sex discrimination is. It’s a direct comparison

The op is claiming that she is being discriminated against because she doesn’t like how much maternity pay she personally gets (which is based on the statutory requirement). People have pointed out that isn’t discrimination and it isn’t. It’s one thing to say that maternity pay for all should be higher- op is just saying that she thinks she personally should get more because some other teachers do. That’s not sex discrimination.

Lots (I think most) academies follow the same arrangements for pay and conditions as maintained schools. The OP's doesn't.

My understanding is that if she had been there when her school became an Academy, her pay and conditions would have been protected by TUPE. Either she wasn't employed there then, in which case she accepted the pay and conditions when she accepted the job, or she explicitly agreed to give up her TUPEd rights. Teachers in some schools were happy to do that because the Academy offered enhanced pay or other incentives.

As an example, teachers in Harris Academies are paid more than those in maintained schools. They also receive loyalty bonuses and private healthcare. I have no idea what their maternity offer is because I can't see anything on their website. That perhaps suggests that they don't offer anything above the statutory minimum (but I have no idea).

For some teachers those additional benefits will be worth it. For others they won't. But the pay and conditions offered come as a package. Staff can't pick and choose between the two systems by taking eg the higher pay offered by the Academy and the higher maternity pay offered by maintained schools.

I have idea whether the OP is in that position, but I'd be surprised if academies which have departed from the national pay and conditions arrangements are not offering better conditions in at least some respects. If they paid less and had worse working conditions they would find it even more difficult to attract staff!

You sound very entitled.

You want a baby, so have one. It's a choice, not a right! If you can't afford one then that's not the schools problem or a workplace or even the government.

Do you think it's fair on the school to pay for someone who isn't working for a year? Lucky for you to live in the UK where you have so many perks. Why not move to another country...see how you get on with their maternity pay and leave.

Yes....that's exactly what I've said. Maybe read what I've actually written. Vindictiveness is not a positive trait.

That’s still not sex discrimination. Do I think statutory maternity pay should be higher? Absolutely. It doesn’t mean it is discrimination that it isn’t, any more than PIP being X amount is discrimination for people who are disabled!

Pregnancy is ultimately a choice if you're lucky enough to be able to.

Save and plan for children like the majority of women have to. Thankfully, we are savers and relatively frugal as both babies were surprises for us. We still managed to save throughout pregnancy and make better choices when spending our money.

You're clearly getting SMP. As many other women will be getting or have had. I was on SMP both times as well. You can boost your income through utilising KIT/SPLIT days, accrued holiday where allowed, or go back to work early. Those are the choices many of us had to make as well.

Yes, it is shit. It could definitely be higher. But rather than playing oh woe is me, I suggest you check your privilege and appreciate the fact you're having a baby when many can't, you have a profession and job to return to, you are entitled to a nominal income through your work place and smp, and that you have a partner who can help support your family.

It's not discrimination that the government has put in place a minimum guaranteed income to help fund your mat leave and that your job will remain safe for a year. It's due to discrimination that these things have been put in place.

You are coming across as an entitled spoilt brat. Big deal, you're a teacher who's pregnant, will have a baby, and get SMP. You are not unique. No one is forcing you to have a baby you can't afford.

The country is at breaking point and isn't able to provide enough support to services like the NHS, public services including schools, the police, fire fighters and other essential services not to mention just a better basic standard of welfare and you want special treatment and an enhanced maternity leave package? Please show me where this magic money tree is.

You should be counting your lucky stars that you have it so well over here. There are many much, much, much worse off, and this type of entitlement is sickening.

@oblada @Teacherprebaby pregnancy and maternity is a protected characteristic https://www.gov.uk/discrimination-your-rights

Why is this a shock to you, op? Why did you not read your contract?

State services should really have comparable mat pay (teachers, nhs,council, civil service) but it varies so widely. In NHS it's 8 weeks full pay, 18 half pay plus SMP and 13 weeks SMP. This is very doable to have at least 10 months off (with a months full paid annual leave) and with saving beforehand and being frugal I managed 14 months with both of mine. Your conditions sound rubbish OP, although I appreciate similar to many lower paid workers in private sector