Where is KATHYIS6INCHESHIGH? GOT A QUESTION ABOUT MAT LEAVE...

[phdlife]

I remember KathyIsSixInchesHigh had a query about going in to work when she was on Mat Leave and now I'm in a similar position...

I'm on Maternity Allowance (not SMP) and about to start another short-term contract - I know I can work 10 days while on MA and that covers 10 weeks of semester (week 11 is a reading week). But they also want me to come in for a "meet the tutors" meeting before semester starts - it is a 1hr lunch chat and, since I've been tutoring forever, it will just be a social occasion for me.

Do I go? Declare it? Not go, explain why? Help!

Either go, declare it, get paid and lose your MA for that day, or just go and treat it as a social occasion, obviously not getting paid for it.

I'd do option 2, if it's just a lunch chat it's not worth faffing about getting paid for the hour, then losing MA.

On the other hand obviously they can't make you go, so if you'd rather not go, there's no problem, just say you can't and explain why.

think I get paid either way - it's a flat sum to do everything associated wtih the job, IYSWIM. If they will just dock one day's pay I'm okay with that, was more worried they might cut it altogether.

No they won't cut it all together, see this about MA, there's a couple of sentences about doing work for an employer while you are receiving it.

Thank you, that's ever so helpful - don't know why I didn't think to look myself.

(Oh wait, yes I do, it's all that lost sleep doing my head in...)