Shared Parental Leave - partner is a teacher

[Orangepen13]

Hi,

SPL IS A HEADACHE

My partner is eligible for SPL (I am not, but am entitled to mat leave, enhanced pay and maternity allowance). I am going to curtail my maternity leave at 26 weeks to make space for his leave.

We’d really like to make use of it for my partner to take two blocks of leave

• 2 weeks between paternity leave and school xmas holidays
• 11 weeks at the end of the summer term

I have a few technical questions

• Will he have to go back to work for a day before xmas and summer hols to guarantee payment?
• Should he make 2 seperate requests for the 2 blocks, or can he make one request without it risking rejection?
• Is there a way he can be paid for the half term in summer term? Perhaps if he takes a block of SPL before the half term (and returns for a day?) and one block after?

Sorry, loads of question! SPL is complicated enough, let alone when you throw in school holidays!

I think this is slightly missing the point - he wants to take the leave, just wondering if we can use the SPL policy to our advantage so we can still access the school holidays. Taking two blocks in the summer instead of one doesn’t affect classes at all as it’s exactly the same amount of time off. The only difference is that he gets a little more pay over the whole year (about £300 over the year - makes much of a difference to us than it does to a school).

Interestingly, if a female teacher was due in may and started leave part way through summer term, I doubt there would be any conversations about getting in the way of exams!

As people have said, you have to make decisions based on what you can afford and when money is tight it seems interesting to suggest that one should consider the schools budget over our own?

Taking two blocks in the summer instead of one doesn’t affect classes at all as it’s exactly the same amount of time off.

The exam classes will be affected. He has some choice about when to take his leave. A woman doesn't. It's not about the amount of time off, but the timing of it. I've seen a female leave mid May and there was plenty of chat about exam classes and we rearranged the dept timetable to cover in the short term as we didn't want the classes disadvantaged.

It's not the school budget I care about.

@Hercisback

Taking two blocks in the summer instead of one doesn’t affect classes at all as it’s exactly the same amount of time off.

The exam classes will be affected. He has some choice about when to take his leave. A woman doesn't. It's not about the amount of time off, but the timing of it. I've seen a female leave mid May and there was plenty of chat about exam classes and we rearranged the dept timetable to cover in the short term as we didn't want the classes disadvantaged.

It's not the school budget I care about.

I agree with this - I’m a teacher and have no choice about when I take my leave, as clearly it needs to start around my due date. If I did, though, I would certainly be trying to arrange it to make it as easy as possible for my exam classes and the colleagues who would be covering. That’s not because the school would demand that, it’s just that, from my perspective, it seems like the right thing to do. I appreciate that not all teachers would see it this way though.

Also, whilst there might be less chat about a female teacher taking maternity leave around exam time, maternity leave doesn’t allow you to pause it and get paid for school holidays. As others have said, the nature of teaching contracts means there’s a difference between school holidays and annual leave in other jobs.

You can use SPL to get "paid" for the holidays as a woman once you're into the bit of maternity leave that is only maternity pay. You can do it before but it's not usually financially worth it.

In our school we also have mocks in the last 2 weeks before Xmas so you'd be pissing people off twice by leaving all the mock marking too!
The feminist in me says screw work and do what you like. However the teacher in me knows how much shit will be left behind that cannot be picked up by cover.

Although you say men have more choice, I’d argue this isn’t necessarily true. Our baby is due late November. I’ll take the first 6 months (which is more feasible for physical recovery and breastfeeding if that’s what happens), and he takes the next 11 weeks, which falls in the summer term - with a couple of weeks overlap as handover. Unfortunately, conception is not the easiest trying to time conveniently lol.

When you say the right thing to do, I’d be asking for who? Maybe school, but don’t sacrifice your own child or family’s needs. Don’t forget that regardless of your job or your gender, we’re entitled to maternity leave and pay (if we meet all requirements).

TBH, 4 weeks after childbirth I highly doubt we’re going to be caring more about mocks than both being home for our newborn😂

I know that you can't plan conception and absolutely agree that the woman should have the first part of the leave.

I'm guessing you need to go back to work and that's why DH is taking over? Are you the higher earner?

SPL is usually only financially worth it if you are.

No but I'm just pointing out that he will be leaving a lot of stuff for other people to pick up and do. If I was off those 2 weeks it would leave 300 papers for others to mark. That would weigh on my conscience.

By the right thing to do I mean primarily for the children in my exam classes. I certainly wouldn’t entirely sacrifice my own or my family’s rights, but I would also try to work with the school to find an arrangement that worked as well as possible for everyone.

@Hercisback

I know that you can't plan conception and absolutely agree that the woman should have the first part of the leave.

I'm guessing you need to go back to work and that's why DH is taking over? Are you the higher earner?

SPL is usually only financially worth it if you are.

Wow this shocks me. SPL has a lot of benefits, including both parents getting time off to bond with the new baby and to experience being primary parent, a good balance in the relationship, priority of both careers, equality for women if more couples take it up as there won't be an aversion to employing women of childbearing age. I think it's great and so grateful we have the option of it now

I don’t need to go back to work, but we both wanted to have time at home to bond with the baby. We’re both feminist and very equal minded, so wanted to share the leave as much as possible (but can’t afford to take the unpaid bit)

Also, while we’re on financial sense, a woman’s lifetime earnings increase by 7% for every month their partner takes leave- that’s mind blowing.

This conversation seems to be verging much more on concerns about SPL, rather than how we plan to use it. In any job you would be leaving work behind for others, teaching isn’t special in this way, but SPL allows you that flexibility to take the blocks and is a huge incentive to keep women in the workforce (though completely get the policy is definitely not perfect and doesn’t work for everyone).

Completely get that some people may pin more value on work, especially in vocational roles, but as new parents we 100% know our main priority will be our baby’s first year of life and being there for as much of that as possible. Work won’t love you back!

I really do admire you for using it and as I said we used it. I understand all your reasons behind it.

I'm not saying teaching is unique in leaving work behind. However in most jobs you would deliberately avoid taking leave at times that would have extra impact on co workers. Some jobs you aren't allowed to take annual leave at certain times for example. I'm just warning you that his colleagues may not be hugely enthusiastic. It's not about the value I put on work. I had to go back because I was the higher earner and couldn't afford not to.

@A1b2c3d4e5f6g7 I took SPL!!

It was only financially viable because I am the higher earner.

I am also frustrated by the subtle implication that if you don't take SPL you don't bond with the baby. This is BS.

I’m not sure I’m implying that you can only bond if you take SPL, only that both having that time with the baby as primary carer helps create a different relationship and is an important factor for us. It wasn’t supposed to come across that SPL is the only option, and I know it’s not right for everyone - just defending our decision to chose timing to suit us and not the school

That is your decision. Don't forget DH will have 6 weeks summer holiday too.

I'm completely a 'put your family first' person, however don't be surprised if DH is unpopular at work.

It's the length and timing of the leave which makes it difficult. Most professional jobs would have consideration and try to reach a compromise for both sides. Not just say 'sod you, here's the extra work while I'm off'.

Good for you both in taking SPL. The uptake has been terrible.
Is the four weeks before Christmas your due date? What happens if baby is late?

@Orangepen13

TBH, 4 weeks after childbirth I highly doubt we’re going to be caring more about mocks than both being home for our newborn😂

And that's great for you both, and agree you should do the best thing for your family.

However a majority of dads in the UK get 2 weeks paternity leave (and often less for many on short term contracts), and with a young child he's going to have plenty of times over coming years where he might want his colleagues to flex and support him - and that one day your child might be extremely stressed about their exams and then panicking because their teacher is off for the term over their mocks.

Given all this, laughing at the concerns others have raised isn't as hilarious as you think.

Completely agree @OverTheRubicon.

We friendly cover for each other a lot in my dept for stuff like nativity, first day at school etc. I wouldn't be so willing for someone like OPs DH.

I think SPL is great for women because it will dismantle the “let’s not recruit her as she’s about to marry snd will bugger off snd have babies” concern. Because men may be equally as likely to take leave as women.

So whilst I think Dad’s using it as time to bond is actually “time to enjoy my new baby” ( did Dads not bond before SPL?!) - which is completely fine and am not being judgy- I can see why some employers are looking at those taking it in a different light.

if I was a Dad who was career oriented, I would be minimising the impact of my SPL on my employer / colleagues. E.g , in your DH’s case, it might make his SLT feel that his priority is elsewhere (absolutely fine, his choice), but if a promotion were to come up / he needs a favour, he might find himself in a tougher position ? (Just guessing. ).

But to reiterate, ultimately I think it’s great to level the field for women ( somewhat negative way of looking at it , but true !)

"Interestingly, if a female teacher was due in may and started leave part way through summer term, I doubt there would be any conversations about getting in the way of exams!"

But a woman can't 'pause' her maternity leave to claim full pay during the school holidays then pick up her maternity leave again once schools starts up again.

Saying that, I haven't read the SPL rules in the burgundy book and I'd have absolutely no hesitation in getting what you are entitled to. I think because it's public sector, people feel like you have to be 'fair'. But there's nothing fair about not taking what you're entitled to. If it's allowed to pause SPL so you can get full pay during holidays, you'd be daft not to.

I probably should read the rules about SPL before making a comment like my second paragraph above. It's been a decade since my mat leave as a teacher, and I don't anticipate doing it again so probably won't read up on it, though

Maybe I was naive, but I’m really shocked about the response to us choosing to take 39 weeks of leave between us. We couldn’t choose the due date, and the dates we’ve chosen are just what fits around having some time together after birth, and then my partner taking it after my 6 months. To reiterate, we’re taking less leave than we’re entitled to and the school are aware ahead of time of our plans.

This is exactly why SPL helps level the field, as Daftvader says. I’d like to think I wouldn’t treat people differently for having taken leave this way. I know that this type of discrimination does exist (which is why SPL is so great!), but you be the change you want to see, right?

For what it’s worth, my partner’s school and department have been very supportive.

Kolo, don’t worry, even if you read the rules on SPL it’s so hard to make sense of it! But thank you for the boost in confidence, you’re so right that fairness and obligation can maybe seem skewed in public sector

I'll be honest the impression you're giving off with laughing faces isn't exactly showing you to be a considerate person.

They may be outwardly supportive, no one will be an arse to his face about it. But there are things he could do to make it easier on his colleagues and your attitude isn't coming across as a give and take, more take and take. Students not having a teacher from Easter to the exam isn't really a joke.

Hopefully it's just one slightly off comment on a forum.

@Orangepen13 I thought they could refuse if you wanted it in parts ? Can they not??
Dh is classroom assistant not teacher (I'm teacher) he is going to request 2 weeks before Oct half term and then 3 weeks before Christmas holidays but we are worried they will refuse it as it isn't one leave period?
Your dh is right we as teachers work 195 days and are only paid for those spread over the 365 and aren't entitled to the annual leave as such as we don't get paid holidays. As a woman I feel this is unfair as we must start maternity leave on or before due date. So I worked my full 195 last academic year , dd was then born a few weeks early mid July which means I'm only getting my maternity pay for 5 weeks of the summer break which in my eyes should be full pay as I already worked by days for those months.
Union were ever so helpful on that one "yes we and the education authority agree this is an issue that needs to be looked into but due to covid we haven't been able to meet to do so". I wouldn't feel bad about going back on the first day of the holiday break to get full pay for that period, as long as it won't end the spl.