Maternity Q for non-CID holders

happywithlife · 06-01-2014 8:21pm #1

Hi there am sure someone else must have been in this position before - I've searched the board but can't find an exact match to my question. My apologies if it's there and I missed it.
I'm teaching in a secondary school this year on my own hours, contract to run till august. Thing is, I'm expecting a new arrival mid summer. :-)
Have rang asti but couldn't get much info from them.
What happens re maternity leave? I'd potentially be on leave till dec but obviously my current contracts only runs for this academic year - I have no idea yet, if the hours will be there next year again. Can the school potentially offer me hours for next year before the end of this school year - would the principal even know if the hours were going to be sanctioned? If so I presume it'd be straight forward enough and a sub would cover my mat leave.
But what happens if the hours aren't there or I'm not offered a new contract? Do I get mat leave from the dept till my contract ends and switch to social welfare maternity benefit at that point? Or what happens?
Sorry for the confusing post and multiple questions - had assumed union would have been Able to clarify some or all of this today but no joy :-(
TIA

Millem · 06-01-2014 8:32pm

One of my friends were in a similar situation she was with tui. She got her hours for next year but Unions advise was say nothing to management and sign contract (management can't ask you if you are pregnant and she would of been 6months pregnant when contract was signed) so happy days she is getting may leave from dept. I don't have a clue what would happen if hours weren't there! One thing though they actually kept on her replacement

so next year I presume they could be competing for hours.

happywithlife · 06-01-2014 8:38pm

Thanks
Thing is though I'll be well showing by the summer 😀
But also my antenatal appointments are all morning appointments so I actually have to inform management tomorrow as I have an appointment coming up soon, which means I'll have to miss my morning classes.
Actually that raises another question - anyone in management know do I take the whole day off or just the morning? Due to time tabling it should only miss a couple of classes in the morning and make it back for my afternoon classes.

Millem · 06-01-2014 8:42pm

happywithlife wrote: »

Thanks
Thing is though I'll be well showing by the summer 😀
But also my antenatal appointments are all morning appointments so I actually have to inform management tomorrow as I have an appointment coming up soon, which means I'll have to miss my morning classes.
Actually that raises another question - anyone in management know do I take the whole day off or just the morning? Due to time tabling it should only miss a couple of classes in the morning and make it back for my afternoon classes.

I am on maternity leave at the mo and management expected me back in afternoon (although I didn't make it back as we got delayed so just rang).

Pwpane · 06-01-2014 9:57pm

Millem wrote: »

I am on maternity leave at the mo and management expected me back in afternoon (although I didn't make it back as we got delayed so just rang).

Am I wrong here? Isn't it the case that if you miss part of a day, you are written down by the DES as missing all of the day and as such it is classified as certified sick leave and a sub is paid for the day.

I seem to remember an easing of this reasonably recently in that you could come back to class after the appointment and ask the school to record your partial absence. This would only matter in the case of a dispute about the total amount of your certified sick leave with the DES who would only then take account of the partial nature of the absence.

Of course management would prefer classes to be taught rather than minded but I'm sure substitution is still claimed for the whole day.

Anyone know?

TheDriver · 06-01-2014 10:12pm

Maternity appointments aren't considered in your sick entitlement hence why people need to state this reason if they don't want their 13 weeks used up unnecessarily.
It would be expected that if you have a morning appointment and its over, then you would be back for the afternoon and vice versa. Not that it bothers me but I have seen people taking the mick over the years. I have also seen people taking time off for mat appintments yet no documentation produced i.e. they made it up....
Suppose its like a doctors apt or dentists apt, you don't take a full day off if you have a teeth cleaning at 9am.

Partial absences are recorded because people could be missing 1 class regularly for things like tests

TheDriver · 06-01-2014 10:18pm

happywithlife wrote: »

Hi there am sure someone else must have been in this position before - I've searched the board but can't find an exact match to my question. My apologies if it's there and I missed it.
I'm teaching in a secondary school this year on my own hours, contract to run till august. Thing is, I'm expecting a new arrival mid summer. :-)
Have rang asti but couldn't get much info from them.
What happens re maternity leave? I'd potentially be on leave till dec but obviously my current contracts only runs for this academic year - I have no idea yet, if the hours will be there next year again. Can the school potentially offer me hours for next year before the end of this school year - would the principal even know if the hours were going to be sanctioned? If so I presume it'd be straight forward enough and a sub would cover my mat leave.
But what happens if the hours aren't there or I'm not offered a new contract? Do I get mat leave from the dept till my contract ends and switch to social welfare maternity benefit at that point? Or what happens?
Sorry for the confusing post and multiple questions - had assumed union would have been Able to clarify some or all of this today but no joy :-(
TIA

Congrats, enjoy every minute!
Regarding mat leave, its only while you are on contract so unless you have one for next year, your mat leave only extends to 31st Aug and base welfare after that. However the hours may not be there and the school can't do anything unless it knows for sure.

happywithlife · 06-01-2014 10:31pm

TheDriver wrote: »

Congrats, enjoy every minute!
Regarding mat leave, its only while you are on contract so unless you have one for next year, your mat leave only extends to 31st Aug and base welfare after that. However the hours may not be there and the school can't do anything unless it knows for sure.

Thanks! So I'd get mat leave from dept till aug and just switch to basic social welfare after that yes?
I can appreciate the principal may not even know till aug what hours they'd have to play around with. The joys eh?!

Pwpane · 06-01-2014 10:35pm

TheDriver wrote: »

Maternity appointments aren't considered in your sick entitlement hence why people need to state this reason if they don't want their 13 weeks used up unnecessarily.
It would be expected that if you have a morning appointment and its over, then you would be back for the afternoon and vice versa. Not that it bothers me but I have seen people taking the mick over the years. I have also seen people taking time off for mat appintments yet no documentation produced i.e. they made it up....
Suppose its like a doctors apt or dentists apt, you don't take a full day off if you have a teeth cleaning at 9am.

Partial absences are recorded because people could be missing 1 class regularly for things like tests

It makes sense that maternity is treated differently.

How are doctor/dentist appointments treated though? How are they treated for substitution purposes i.e. who covers the absences and how is it written down for the DES?

Millem · 06-01-2014 10:50pm

TheDriver wrote: »

Maternity appointments aren't considered in your sick entitlement hence why people need to state this reason if they don't want their 13 weeks used up unnecessarily.
It would be expected that if you have a morning appointment and its over, then you would be back for the afternoon and vice versa. Not that it bothers me but I have seen people taking the mick over the years. I have also seen people taking time off for mat appintments yet no documentation produced i.e. they made it up....
Suppose its like a doctors apt or dentists apt, you don't take a full day off if you have a teeth cleaning at 9am.

Partial absences are recorded because people could be missing 1 class regularly for things like tests

I remember reading somewhere that you need to give management 2 weeks written notice of ante natal appointments, I said this to my vice p and he said it was grand and just give him photocopy of appointment letter (which I did). He said the same as you if in morning come in after lunch and vice versa. I think s and s was used to cover my classes?

TheDriver · 07-01-2014 10:49am

maternity and certified absences are all covered by subs i.e. schools can employ someone in that teacher's place. However sometimes schools may use S&S to fill this in and use this paid cover sometime else due to a number of operational reasons.

TheDriver · 07-01-2014 10:49am

Millem wrote: »

I remember reading somewhere that you need to give management 2 weeks written notice of ante natal appointments, I said this to my vice p and he said it was grand and just give him photocopy of appointment letter (which I did). He said the same as you if in morning come in after lunch and vice versa. I think s and s was used to cover my classes?

he is entitled to employ a sub for your classes for maternity appointments

whiteandlight · 10-01-2014 12:34am

Fairly sure maternity is one of those areas where the school would not want to screw up and refuse a new contract because you are pregnant as they would be taken in the courts. Its discrimination.

Maternity Q for non-CID holders

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