My wife's work deduct a days pay when she has to stay at home with our ill child

[DabbyBob]

Hi All.

Just looking for some advise regarding pay rights for a teacher in full time employment - she is employed by the local council and has been in her permanent position for 12years or more.

So every time that she needs to take a day off because one of our children are ill her bosses at the school will deduct a days pay. This makes things really difficult as it puts all the pressure on me to work from home... Which i will do 2/3rds of the time, but sometimes like now (away on business) i cant take the day off.

My wife tells me that its all leagal and that they are within their rights to do this. But for me it just seems so wrong when you have 12 years working there!

I guess the simple question is: is this leagal or does my wife have some rights here?

Thanks.

DrSeuss, it that still the case when you look at professionally qualified positions? DH is a lawyer and his work pay 6mths full pay. My best friend is a chartered accountant for one of the big 4 and she also received 6mths full pay. Other friend who is a management consultant received 9mths full pay.

Why is it up to your DW to deal with sick DC?

If you have more enlightened employers, you can take the paid leave from them that you believe should be standard.

I don't get paid if I am off with the kids x

I agree. Maybe no teachers should do residentials during half terms or Christmas or Summer fayres or school discos or after school sports stuff. Would that be reasonable? How about I say no marking after 10pm?

Teachers do moan- and I am one. The job does not change and nor does the moaning but we do get 13 weeks holiday a year and need to remember that. Not likely to gain a great deal of public sympathy by moaning.

Do another job if it does not suit you- you won't find many other employers are ridiculously accomodating as local authorities. If you chose to work in one of the bonkers academies- your choice.

chartered accountant- private employer
teacher- public servant

Why should public money be spent more generously?

I don't get paid if I don't turn up for work. Why would I ? It makes no sense to expect someone to pay you if you are not doing what they contracted you to do surely? I work for a small business and if I call in sick he has to pay someone an eyewatering fee to cover my shift. If he had to pay me as well he would be mightily pissed off and I would too in his shoes. This is normal work practices unless you work for Google surely?

Lentil, those are very big firms. The majority of the UK workforce (ie more than 50%) don't work for firms who offer enhancement because it's expensive to fund and only works as part of an overall retention strategy.

" One of the worst things about being off sick from teaching is coming back, and having to do twice as much work for several days to try to catch up."
This isn't restricted to teachers.

Also, I assume your lawyer husband has worked the odd weekend or very late night in his time? Again, quite common.

Why are people saying the OP should be the one staying home with the sick child when he's already stated that he covers 2/3 of the sick days (by working at home) but he cannot do that when he's away on business? I know people don't always rtft but at least read the opening post!

The you-shouldn't-get-paid-if-you-don't-work argument can be used against any type of leave. What about paid maternity leave?

Only the accountant works for a 'big 4' firm. Another good friend is HR manager for a large pharmaceutical firm. Hers was also better than mine. My sample survey is based on our friends from university and in my NCT group.

Lulu, I was answering a point made by DrS about maternity.

Genuine question here- do all non-teachers posting here only get the statutory minimum 36 days' holiday every year? Or is there some flexibility in other industries?

Yes he has (late nights regularly but weekends rarely if at all) but again his pay (5x mine) reflects this.

36????
I thought the min was 28. I do get more

Ori, people are suggesting it as an alternative because OP can work from home whilst his wife can't. Obviously this occasion isn't possible. Presumably for 13 weeks or so, the OP is at no risk of covering sick days so that puts more of an onus on him in term time.

It's 28 plus 8 bank holidays, apparently.

www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/holiday-entitlements

No the 28 includes bh

No, the 28 can include the bank holidays - see the link. 20 days plus bank holidayd is the statutory minimum.

I know the legal position. But as the Head of HR I don't think being intractable about this aids motivation and commitment. Sadly the few who abuse goodwill tiddle on the parade of those who don't. Personally I've always given 110%. I had one boss who refused to cut me any slack to take a sick child to hospital appointments. At the time I was doing my professional quals and couldn't walk out. By the time I finished my exams, she had been invited to resigned.

So holiday is usually quoted as 20 days, 23 days, 25 days etc - bank holidays assumed if not doing shift type work. Often holiday days increase with time at a firm (cheaper than a pay rise as many people end up not taking all their holiday...)

worksmart.org.uk/work-rights/hours-and-holidays/holidays/how-are-bank-holidays-reckoned-annual-leave-purposes
I was going off this one.

I'm pretty amazed at the view of what the rest of us work. I work for a utility company, now privatised. I work around 40-50hrs on a normal week on a 30 hr contract. With regards to working an extra 3-4 days a year for nothing, well some weeks I work 60 hrs, run evening consultations and if customers need to talk to me weekends. Do I get paid extra, get overtime or days in lieu, absolutely not. And if my kids sick I have to take a days leave. If I have no.leave left it's taken from next year's allowance. Personally I thank my lucky stars I have a job with a pension.

I bet you've even had a pay rise in the last three years. Try the real world for a while.