Teacher maternity pay over summer

[TaC93]

I had my LO back in September and have asked to reduce my days when I go back this September, which has been agreed. However, they have since rung me to say that my new contract and reduced hours will start at the start of the summer holidays, so I won't get paid a full week during the summer. I said I was available to work full time, as per my current contract, during the summer so I would get paid fully. So, what I'm asking is, do I need to tell work that I'm officially going back to work at the start of the summer or do I say I go back in Sept? I've got myself in a right muddle now and don't know what the next step is. I do feel cheeky asking for full pay but was hoping to be paid fully over the summer, because maternity pay is rubbish.

Start of the summer or you will be getting 0 maternity pay over the summer.

Start of summer. Then you should get paid according to your original hours over summer. Then your new hours from 1st September.

Of course, if I say I go back in Sept then they don't have to pay me at all. So if my maternity ends at the end of July, then I suppose they are well within their rights to start my new contract

Yes but it’s unusual. Have a chat with your regional union rep.

End mat leave on the last 1 or days of term (ie go back for last 2 days). You then get paid fully for the summer and variation of contract begins 1st September. If they say ANYTHING else, get union involved.

Looked back over my emails and forms sent to school and I put that my first day back to work is the last day of the summer term. There's two inset days in the first week of the holidays that I'm attending and they know this. Does seem very unfair to start my new contract then. I've emailed them to say that I'm available to work full time, as per my current contract, and that I won't be needing to reduce my hours until Sept, so I shall see what they say

If you asked them to change your hours from September and they agreed you now need to tell them you wl return to work on x date on your current working arrangement. This is very common in schools. Contact your TU if you have any issues..

Yes, if you are attending 3 full days at the end of term as per current contract, then should be paying you in full over summer. Your variation begins in September. If you were going the other way, going from 3 days to 5, would they pay your new increased salary in the summer holidays? Ha! Tell your union to send you the regional rep for a meeting with HT ASAP.

No HR people in then?

Simply, OP, the only thing you can dictate is your return to work date (provided you meet the notice requirements).

If you have requested a contractual change of hours, they can dictate when that starts.

So you can’t force them to return you full time through the summer and then reduce your hours when it suits you.

you’ll have to decide what your priorities are.

Look into shared parental leave (there’s an excellent website if you google shared parental leave for teachers) I did this, it will really help you out financially x

Actually, it is a bit different in teaching. We have fixed points when we can leave/resign our current posts. For example, if I missed the cut-off date of May 31st and handed my notice in early June, I'm contractually obliged to return in September and the earliest I could leave would be after October half term, so in November! The OP is perfectly entitled to return to her full-time post at the end of her Mat Leave and request a variation to her contract to start the next term. I went from 3 days one year to 4 in the September- do you think the school started my variation in July so I could paid the extra over the summer? The OP needs her union involved.

My point is that they don’t have to agree to the requested variation in September.

(Very well aware of state teaching T+Cs/burgundy book albeit from many years ago. Am also a school governor who has heard appeals when such requests have been turned down.)

In which case, they should refuse the variation, and OP can stay in her full-time salary (and pay her as such in the summer holidays.)

Apologies if I took you for a layman and didn't know about schools. But OP school seem to playing it a bit.

No worries. Point is, OP can’t force them to give her the penny and the bun.

I'm not forcing my school in to anything and I did state that they are most likely well within their rights to start my contract at the start of the summer - I just wanted to put a post on here to see what others have done and to see where I stand. Initially they were going to start my new contract in Sept, which has always been the case where I work, but then they phoned to say that they want to bring it forward. If there's the possibility of being paid full, then of course I'm going to find out and ask about it, who wouldn't?

If you going in FULL TIME at the end of your mat leave (3 full days at the end of term) then please do contact your union about what they are trying to do by making you agree to the variation before the new term. It isn't right and they know it. Ask if they are doing this to everyone who is changing their days in September (starting their new contracts early), or is it just you? I had a school that tried to not move me up a grade after Mat Leave, saying I hadn't met my targets. Just the whisper of the phrase "pregnancy discrimination" from my union had them changing their minds quickly. Seek union advice ASAP.

They had agreed it already was my understanding - she asked to change hours in September and they agreed but are now trying to change the goalposts? Any teaching union would not allow this to happen ... worked in HR in education for over 25 years and this never happened and nor should it.

Thanks, I have contacted my union and they've said to sit tight for the minute and see what the response is from my school. As they had already agreed to start my contract in September, I can't imagine that they are able to change it - fingers crossed!