Pay and conditions during maternity

[SecrectFarleysNibbler]

Can you be penalised for being on maternity when it comes to pay increase?

At my school we get an allowance for teaching SEN - special educational needs- it has two levels. You get the first when you start working in such a school. After four years you automatically go to level 2 payment. The school is saying that as 1of the 4 years is maternity you will not qualify. I thought maternity was not supposed to prevent you from progression?

I don't think you automatically progress though - you have to have 4 successful performance management cycles. When I was on maternity leave I was only in a school for just over half a term of performance management and, so I wasn't disadvantaged by being on maternity leave, my targets were such that I could meet them in the time I was in school.

Unless you're off from oct - oct you will be there for some part of your performance management cycles in 2 years. Look at your targets - have you met them? If so they have to let you through. Just remember that it might be like threshold and the pay increase kicks in in November but is backdated.

If it is automatic when you've done 4 years then yes, maternity leave should count as that.

It is not related to performance but time in service.

Then yes, maternity leave classes as time in service.