Maternity leave- working at as a teacher

[MNic]

Hi everyone. My due date is 15th June 2024 and I plan to work for as long in June as I can before the baby is born. My school holidays start on 21st June, so I could be potentially missing only 1 or 2 weeks of the end of term. My employer is saying that I am not entitled to the summer pay, even though I would have worked the whole academic year and the pay over July and August are part of my contract. Instead, I will start my maternity leave the day I give birth and deductions of my salary begin then. I have requested that I be paid in full over the summer, but my employer says that this is not an option dispite my 11 years of service to the school. Is anyone able to give any advice?

If you read the burgundy book (in England) or the SNCT terms (in Scotland) it is really clear that the latest your maternity leave can start is the day after the birth. By law you cannot work for two weeks after the birth, which means that you also can’t receive your usual pay.

Sorry OP. I had an August baby so I do understand the frustration but your employer is perfectly correct. Hopefully after eleven years you have accrued the maximum possible enhanced maternity package.

I'm in England. Yes, the school does follow the Burgundy Book. It's an independent school which is why the term ends in June.

I didn't ask the school to start my maternity leave after the birth. I understand that maternity leave starts on the day I give birth or on my last day of work. What I requested is that the school tops up my SMP to 100% of my salary over the 2 months of summer considering I have served at the school for 11 years.

Length of service is irrelevant. You get whatever is stated in your schools maternity policy. Imagine the outrage if schools just willy nilly added extra money into some teachers mat pays and not others.

Is this a joke?

I understand that maternity leave starts on the day I give birth or on my last day of work

Whichever happens first, surely?!

Well, I don't really know what to say to that. Full marks for your commitment to the concept that if you don't ask, you don't get.

However I don't understand why you are only due to receive SMP? After eleven years of service in a school which follows the burgundy book you should be eligible for the highest level of enhanced maternity pay: full pay for four weeks, 90% for two weeks, 50% for 12 weeks, and the remainder on SMP.

Go in to the https://www.teachersspl.co.uk Website for all the info you need.

The baby was due 3 months ago.

Yes, you can apply once you start maternity leave, in fact, it’s better to apply for it to begin at the latter stages of maternity leave so that you can receive the optimum amount of pay!

Did you actually read the first post where it says the baby is due in June 2024?