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Mat leave /new job advice please

  • 18-08-2014 9:02am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭


    Ok I'm currently on mat leave - it should run until December.
    Had my own hours last yr but They weren't renewed so as of from next week I'm without a contract again.

    Question - if I apply for and am offered a job (say rpt or whatever) do I have to finish my mat leave to start new job next week (unfeasible as baby is too small) or can I turn around and say thanks very for the job offer, I accept but by the way can't start till December

    It's a crappy situation to be in but there were never so many jobs on offer in my vicinity - typical.

    I've been onto asti but frankly found them terrible. All I could get was a wishy washy answer that they couldn't give me an answer because I was trying to predict something that may or not happen. The girl was also adamant on the phone I'd have to inform potential school of my being unavailable - I have already decided not to do that during interview stage at least. ( ethically wrong perhaps but I don't want to put myself out of the running straight off)

    Surely given the high number of female teachers this has arisen before? Can anyone advise me - basically I want to know if offered a job, can that offer be redrawn because I am unavailable to begin work immediately due to being on maternity leave.

    Hate this uncertainty every year :-(


Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 238 ✭✭Boober Fraggle


    No personal experience, but a teacher got a job in our school while on maternity leave. Second in the interview got her maternity leave for the year (she took her unpaid maternity leave too).

    I have a feeling it was known before she got the job that she would be on maternity leave, but I agree with you, I wouldn't want to mention it til after.

    It is possible though, so apply away, and see what happens. Good luck.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,729 ✭✭✭Millem


    Ok I'm currently on mat leave - it should run until December.
    Had my own hours last yr but They weren't renewed so as of from next week I'm without a contract again.

    Question - if I apply for and am offered a job (say rpt or whatever) do I have to finish my mat leave to start new job next week (unfeasible as baby is too small) or can I turn around and say thanks very for the job offer, I accept but by the way can't start till December

    It's a crappy situation to be in but there were never so many jobs on offer in my vicinity - typical.

    I've been onto asti but frankly found them terrible. All I could get was a wishy washy answer that they couldn't give me an answer because I was trying to predict something that may or not happen. The girl was also adamant on the phone I'd have to inform potential school of my being unavailable - I have already decided not to do that during interview stage at least. ( ethically wrong perhaps but I don't want to put myself out of the running straight off)

    Surely given the high number of female teachers this has arisen before? Can anyone advise me - basically I want to know if offered a job, can that offer be redrawn because I am unavailable to begin work immediately due to being on maternity leave.

    Hate this uncertainty every year :-(

    Happywithlife sorry to hear your hours are not bring renewed :(
    In my old school (asti) One girl I worked with was covering a mat leave until June had her baby at the end of June, she interviewed for a job for the September (career break) and started in the September. Both jobs were in the same school.

    Our tui rep told our staff not to mention anything about not starting in sept when they are signing contracts (this is when their contracts are renewed).
    Do you have anyone in tui who could ring for you?

    The only thing I will say is I would look at the long term plan. If you can take a job and not start etc the school might not be too impressed. I know on paper they can't discriminate against you because of maternity leave but you know yourself!!!


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,372 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    The main thing is to ensure its done to the best of everyones interest. I.e. if you are not going to mention it, then make sure you inform the school at the earliest suitable convenience and not the night before you are starting.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,371 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    I'm not sure any of this is actually answering the initial query.

    It's all very well going into interviews and not mentioning maternity leave and not saying anything until the job is offered and accepted, but is the OP actually entitled to continue her maternity leave in a new job?

    As in, she is entitled to 26 weeks but if she resigns from one school to take up a new position next week are the other school obliged to pay her maternity contribution?

    Now, that might be a moot point given that all money effectively comes from the Dept of Education ultimately, but when you consider CIDs, schools are considered individual entities (except in the case of ETBs where you are employed by the ETB and not the school).

    So the question should be if the OP is offered a job in the near future, is she entitled to continue her maternity leave and if so will she only the the social welfare rate or will it be paid by her new school?

    To be honest I'm not sure this is a union issue OP, you'd be better off ringing the social welfare, they would probably know better about the situation with moving jobs during maternity leave.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    Thanks for the replies
    Rainbowtrout re that last point I'm defintely getting social welfare rate until either the 26 weeks are up or I go back to work - whichever cones first. Social doesn't care really if I have a job or not as my credits mean I'm entitled to it till the end of my mat leave so no point ringing them.
    The driver - I absolutely would tell school as soon as possible - I'd imagine it would be during the call to say I got the job even.
    Millem that's defintely a concern I have - that if I were offered a job and allowed to finish out my mat leave before starting I feel I'd have serious bridges to mend with management - not a great start to any job :-(

    No clearer tonight on my original question but it's still all hypothetical at the moment anyway


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  • Registered Users Posts: 15,371 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Thanks for the replies
    Rainbowtrout re that last point I'm defintely getting social welfare rate until either the 26 weeks are up or I go back to work - whichever cones first. Social doesn't care really if I have a job or not as my credits mean I'm entitled to it till the end of my mat leave so no point ringing them.
    The driver - I absolutely would tell school as soon as possible - I'd imagine it would be during the call to say I got the job even.
    Millem that's defintely a concern I have - that if I were offered a job and allowed to finish out my mat leave before starting I feel I'd have serious bridges to mend with management - not a great start to any job :-(

    No clearer tonight on my original question but it's still all hypothetical at the moment anyway

    ya I thought that would be the case, that's what I was getting at, that a new school wouldn't be obliged to pay you maternity leave as you were not in the job with them when you took it.

    I would also be concerned about starting a new job on maternity leave. You can say all you like about equality legislation and a principal will follow it, but accepting a job during the first week of September and immediately saying you won't be there for the next three months is going to be awkward and I imagine that there are going to be some principals who are not happy about it, despite you being entitled to it etc.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    ya I thought that would be the case, that's what I was getting at, that a new school wouldn't be obliged to pay you maternity leave as you were not in the job with them when you took it.

    I would also be concerned about starting a new job on maternity leave. You can say all you like about equality legislation and a principal will follow it, but accepting a job during the first week of September and immediately saying you won't be there for the next three months is going to be awkward and I imagine that there are going to be some principals who are not happy about it, despite you being entitled to it etc.

    I know :-(
    Then again the thoughts of missing out on what could be a long term job for the sake of a few weeks is torture :-( There's just no way I'd be able to go back in the next couple of weeks


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,371 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Maybe it might be worth not looking at job adverts and just getting on with the maternity leave for now and in November looking for a maternity leave from Dec-May.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,729 ✭✭✭Millem


    Maybe it might be worth not looking at job adverts and just getting on with the maternity leave for now and in November looking for a maternity leave from Dec-May.

    Rainbowtrout I would do this! Happywithlife you could be entitled to job seekers to for 9 months? (Worse case scenario) while looking for a subbing job. Then get a contract next September that will hopefully be your own hours? I think there is another retirement date at the end of may/June next year.


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