Unpaid days for sons self isolation

[PrincessHB]

I am a teacher in a special needs secondary school and I suppose I've been lucky to get to this point of the school year with only now having 1 son (I have 2) self isolating for 14 days because of positive case in his class.
I have been fortunate to have a husband changing rotas around to do some days and a mother in law on furlough til next week to help too. But I have to sort 2 days myself. We were told some time ago that we would get 1 day paid to sort childcare and that's it... but that was before this 2nd lockdown. I will get 1 day paid therefore and 2nd would be unpaid. I am also miffed that it has come to light that our policy on dependents leave is now that it is unpaid. We didnt notice that one as colleagues also thought it would be up to 3 days.
I am 33 weeks pregnant with 3 weeks left to go til mat leave. I have been fine with being in school supposedly social distancing (easier to say than in practice though in a SEN school) but this whole thing is making me think maybe I should get in touch with my union rep and consider requesting wfh even when I had wanted to see these last few weeks out.
I appreciate I cant get special treatment over colleagues who might have the same issue but should the school consider personal circumstances case by case? My cover is already in place and teaching the majority of the lessons with me acting as TA now to help with the transition. So it really wouldnt cause too much issue apart from me being sent off to cover other staff absence here and there.

Sorry for long post!

If you go sick at this stage, does that mean your mat leave is taken as begun? Do the figures about pay, it might be worth it.

Check with your union about WFH.

Also, does your school realise that if you are not paid you don't set cover? Also of you're on mat leave you don't set cover.

I wouldn't be nice about this: every unpaid day is unpaid pension contributions.

I definitely don't want to go on mat leave this early but it was suggested. I should say mine doesnt technically start until after the Christmas break so that is 6 weeks less mat pay vs 1 day unpaid. If I took it as a sick day I would be paid but obviously that would look v suspicious and I am terrible lying. I am not unwell (though getting more and more stressed out by everything!) and would still want to work in school and see the last few weeks out with my students as I have planned and told them.
The cover for the 1 lesson I miss is already sorted but I agree I shouldn't have had to being unpaid... I just didnt want to cause more work for my already stretched colleagues. Again, another reason why I would prefer not to wfh either. But indeed the unions stance is that I should be wfh now I'm in 3rd trimester and this is all making me think maybe I do need to consider fighting for it (but potentially cause some very bad feelings before leaving over 1 day).
Really torn over this.

If your union says you should be WFH, then cut and paste the advice and send it to SLT. Don't get into corridor, or any, conversations. Put it in writing.

It seems very petty of them given your cover is already in place so it wouldn't be costing them anything extra and they could assign you work to do whilst you were at home on those two days.

I'm unclear as to whether you've talked to them about it yet? Have you? I think my advice would depend on whether you've talked to them about it and what has been said.

Thank you. I do think it is petty. I have spoken to them a number of times to explore options to have it paid. The overall conclusion is that if they let me have this extra day off paid then it could set a precedence for other parents in school to expect the same if it happens to them. This is also the advice they have got from the LA that it must be 1 day paid, others unpaid.
I am about to call my union rep from NEU (ironically been busy working all morning!)

I am pretty shocked that they aren't paying you anyway. You should be able to work from home during the time your son is isolating. I would not be understanding about this at all. Request to work from home or signed off unwell. They are very short sighted in their approach.

Check the policy about forcing mat leave. Most schools is two weeks before due date. If this is the case, go off sick for pregnancy & anxiety about social distancing. The worse they will then do is trigger your mat leave two weeks before your due date.

Hi all, thank you for commenting and I'm glad I pushed for this. My union rep phoned deputy yesterday. I had an email that today would be paid and that the policy has been changed for all to allow for 2 dependency days paid. So it has been worth it for colleagues too potentially. I do think I have ruffled some feathers in SLT by getting support from my union rep and I've been asked to meet with deputy tomorrow when I am in. In my view though it was worth it and exactly what I pay a union membership for!
I am glad I can do some work today and know it will be paid... I would have had to anyway but left a bitter taste to do it unpaid. I was not going to call in sick and really pleased I followed up out of principle. It started to feel silly to get worked up over 1 day unpaid!

My kids have had to isolate twice. DH took hol for first one. Second one had to be me.
They said two days paid at first.
Union involved and then could WFH.