No sick leave in London private school

[starchildmum]

Hi

According to my contract there is no sick leave at all dring first year, then 3 days per year from 2. onwards.

Is this leagally ok? School fees £ 5000 per term.

Thank you.

• during
• legally

Are you staff or a parent?

There must be statutory sick pay but they don’t have to offer company sick pay. I would check which is being described.

Are you staff? Why do the fees matter if so?

And where is this cheap school?!

Do you mean paid sick leave as staff? Yes, employers can offer only statutory sick pay (usually starts around the fourth day of absence so would receive nothing before that each period of sickness) and don't have to offer an enhanced occupational sick pay scheme of their own.

Some schools offer reduced fees for staff, perhaps it's a balancing act - lack of enhanced sick pay for reduced fees!

Don't sign it then and look for another job. They probably don't pay into the teachers pension scheme either or if they do, they'll come out soon. Bad news all round. Is this an established school or a start up?

Ah right, if it’s reduced fees, how much are you saving?

£5,000 per term is expensive not cheap

But yes, private schools don’t have to adhere to teachers pay & conditions and contracts can state SSP only.

Our fees are £7000+ a term. I only know one school that is £6000+. Believe me that is a reasonable price.

The school ds used to go to was £3,000 per term (18 months ago). Dd’s Vocational school was less than £7,000 per term which included elite dance training alongside academic education).

In a sense fees matter, the children are from the wealthiest parents and I feel is so truely hypocritical to keep smiling, pretend this is the happiest nurturing environment in front of parents whilst reality is head treats staff really badly, constantly bullying etc. no sick pay and other harsh methods versus pretending that this is a happy place and cashing the huge checks of parents with happy happy smile.

So leave? Is that not possible? There's a huge recruitment crisis in London and South East if you're based there?

Why have you posted about this twice in 24hrs.

What you are describing is a pretty standard policy in most workplaces. There is a qualifying period before recieving company sick pay. Your right to statutory sick pay is still the same.

You have been told this several times!

SSP is pretty standard in a lot of jobs.

If you're so negative about the ethos of the school and feel such disdain for the parents and SMT I'm not sure you should take the job though.

£5k per term is on the low side for London FWIW

Bullying is unacceptable, but that's totally different from offering SSP only, which is normal in many jobs.

I wonder if you think about all the service staff that you'll come across in your life, on nil hours contracts with little to no rights. Do you have the same concerns for them?

Are you a teacher? Sorry to be pedantic but you have spelt cheques as 'checks' in one of your posts.

£6-7k more the norm for London day schools btw