Sick pay, and supply

[enchantedfairytale]

If someone is working on supply, am I correct in assuming they are entitled to no sick pay, if they are too ill to work?

Thank you in advance :)

I work through an agency and I get no sick pay.

It's been a couple of years since I did supply but I never got sick pay.

It depends on how you are paid, you may be an employee, you may not be.

I really, honestly do not know what to do.

I'm suffering from an illness. It's getting worse, rather than better. I have mostly been dragging myself into work but have had several days off when a combination of pain/exhaustion has got to me.

I am currently on long term supply. This would be ending May half term.

Should I attempt to carry on? Or concede I just can't. To give some idea - I'm in pretty much constant pain when at work.

My hope is to do bits of day to day work as and when I can.

I'm a little bit worried about money.

What do you think?

The thing about daily supply is that it's intesnse and demanding for a short period of time. But you don't feel guilty or under pressure, or get put on competency for not working. You don't have all the extra hassle that comes from being in one placement for a term.
You wake up, think 'I can't do it today' and the agency sends someone else.
Having enough money has been a problem, even working 5 days a week, but what I've lost in cash, I've gained in wellbeing and stress-release now I'm not a FT teacher.
So, I'd try daily supply and see how I handled that. But it has to be your decision, you know what your key stressers are and how much you can handle.

I only get paid a daily supply rate at the moment: the issue is I am concerned (hypothetically) about getting no work, etc.

There's not really an easy solution to that though, work=pay.

Yes, I know. I realise no one can tell me what to do but I'm in so much pain when I do work and it wipes me out.

Have you tried posting on the adults with disabilities forum? They might have advice about benefits and support. Not that there seems to be much around
What is the illness? Would another job, not teaching, be more suitable?

here OP typical government double speak, but may help.

The problem with long term supply is that you get the stress of a permanent post with none of the HR benefits.

Talk to your agency first and then the HT.

What you might find though is that if the agency call you repeatedly and you can't work that day, they'll eventually stop calling or you'll end up pretty far down the list of teachers to call.

I'm sorry if that sounds harsh but it's always been my experience.

Possibly. I don't think I'd be entitled to any benefits - possibly SSP but realistically would struggle.

It doesn't sound harsh: I need to know everything.

I feel so torn between struggling on in a lot of pain and stepping back, but having hardly any money.

We have stretches of living like students, it needs a lifestyle rethink, but in our case it was necessary for me to quit being a class teacher.

Honestly, it isn't about quitting or stress. It's very genuinely related to illness. I just don't know what to do

Genuine? as opposed to those ill through stress and depression?
You have to make up your own mind based on your circumstances, the most you can glean from a website is that other people have done it.
Only you can judge your ability to function in the classroom and hold down a FT post. That's the other thing, if you are paid daily through an agency, the school can request a replacement too.

Solitary don't tell me you didn't know exactly what I meant then.

A stressed out person might not be able to cope teaching full time but could cope with day to day supply.

I can't cope with either.

How long have you been in that particular role?

How old are you? Near retirement?
What other jobs could you do that wouldn't be as physically demanding?
How well could you manage on whatever passes as the dole now for people unfit to work?
Do you have any assets that you could sell to help you finance your lifestyle?
You have the facts about your illness and how much you can cope with and what you need to fund, so now you need to plan your next steps.
You have the answer to your question, it's unlikely anyone will pay you to be sick.
You are supply, and schools don't pay if you are broken, they replace you.
The children are their priority.

Solitary it might be best if you could leave it there because you are upsetting me.

Drowned, since January. I haven't done supply before, but I took a post in September 2015 that was awful and left at Christmas.

Then about a week after I started this post, my illness started. I really have done my absolute best to go in, but some days I just physically haven't been able to.

It's the immediate short term I'm concerned about.

Is your illness one that is likely to get better with an extended period of rest ,if so it's obviously worth biting the bullet and taking the time off and making financial provision for that ie arranging payment holidays etc . If it's a long term ,unlikely to improve situation then you need to rethink your career options .

I really hope so, Flora

It was a lot better over Easter, but in any case I have a long term plan away from teaching. However, this is unlikely to be ready if you like until about a years time.

After 12 weeks continuous employment, the agency owes you the same pay and conditions as staff employed directly by the school. However the school probably would just be paying a supply on the basis of annual salary/195 (as per STPCD) for the day's worked. You haven't been with the agency very long, so I doubt they will feel they owe you anything.

What are they paying you per day? What point were you on the scale when last on school payroll?

Are you in a union?

For the days worked, I meant

The pay is £100 p/d - works out at £430 a week after tax etc. I was on the leadership scale.