Career vs Starting a family

Hazelnut Button

I'm at that point in my life where I would like to start a family. However, I'm only qualified 2 years. I have a part time contract lined up for this year and I know that the next few years will be similar and I will probably be moving from school to school covering maternity leaves and whatever else I can get. I'm wondering is now the right time, career wise, to have a baby? Or will having a baby massively impact on my career progression?

I suppose I'm just looking for other people's advice and experiences.

Pinkycharm

Hazelnut Button wrote: »

I'm at that point in my life where I would like to start a family. However, I'm only qualified 2 years. I have a part time contract lined up for this year and I know that the next few years will be similar and I will probably be moving from school to school covering maternity leaves and whatever else I can get. I'm wondering is now the right time, career wise, to have a baby? Or will having a baby massively impact on my career progression?

I suppose I'm just looking for other people's advice and experiences.

I had a baby when I literally had nothing only a few days here and there subbing. It was hard but I had an unbelievable childminder who would take him as soon as I got the calls in the morning times. It was hard though, I won't sugar coat it but I wouldn't take the decision back for all the money in the world. While I was pregnant I completed my masters and did a diploma in adolescent counselling. when I interviewed for my own hours, I was asked what my greatest achievement was and I told them it was having my son, educating myself to the highest level I could so that I could provide for him and buying a house with with my life savings so that I could give him a home.

I was phoned 4pm that evening saying I had the job.

Work will always come and what's made for you won't pass you!

I'm only 27 so if I can do it you can too!

Boober Fraggle

I don't think anyone can really answer that for you, everyone's circumstances are different. Can you afford to be out of work? Would a baby make you less able to move around for work than you are now? What sort of childcare would you have in place when the time comes to go back to work? Your age could be a factor too, but only you can decide how much of an issue it is!

Maternity leave will make you less available for employment, so will impact on your career prospects in the short term.

kronsich

Both myself and my wife are in the lucky position of being permanent teachers. We both landed jobs straight out of college out of pure luck. We now have a three week old baby, our first. I must say that the security of the permanent jobs is great and she will now have lots of time off to mind our little one.

However, I am close to a number of principals and understand that it is playing with fire to in any way penalise a woman who chooses to have children. If you do choose to have a baby, read up on the asti and TUI websites and know your rights. CID or not, you should not be penalised for becoming a Mum. You say you have a part time contract? If these hours are not part of a maternity or career break contract, they are your hours and should be available to you during your maternity leave (unless the school loses allocation).

evolving_doors

Its probably more pressure for a woman, but tbh theres never a good time to have kids as its just going to be tricky anyway. You probably want to be financially secure for the child but at the end of the day a child doesn't care about money until their a lot older, all they need is your attention.
After having kids we laugh and say we should have had them way earlier as we're crawling around the house like geriatrics trying to keep up and stay awake with barocca tablets.
Family and friends support goes a long way too if you can get it.
I know people who put career first and then when they wanted to have kids were told the chances were slim and they should have tried sooner, so theyre down the IVF path now going into their late 30's. It might seem a bit extreme but consider a chat with your GP about it!
Some principals and schools are great with support and I was very lucky that my colleagues jumped in at the drop of a hat when things cropped up (and things always do).
Its like swimming at an Irish beach, you'll be standing at the edge for ages saying will I won't I but then when you jump in it'll be grand... cold ...but grand.

Millem

kronsich wrote: »

Both myself and my wife are in the lucky position of being permanent teachers. We both landed jobs straight out of college out of pure luck. We now have a three week old baby, our first. I must say that the security of the permanent jobs is great and she will now have lots of time off to mind our little one.

However, I am close to a number of principals and understand that it is playing with fire to in any way penalise a woman who chooses to have children. If you do choose to have a baby, read up on the asti and TUI websites and know your rights. CID or not, you should not be penalised for becoming a Mum. You say you have a part time contract? If these hours are not part of a maternity or career break contract, they are your hours and should be available to you during your maternity leave (unless the school loses allocation).

I am in the same position, got my permanent job a year after college at 23. I received my full wages for all my time off with my baby and he will almost be 8 months when I go back to work I didn't have to take any unpaid leave because of our summer hols.

OP is age against you or on your side? If it is going against me, starting my family would be my priority. Sometimes you wait for the "perfect" time but who knows when that will happen. I find the years just fly by.

Childcare is so so expensive I don't know how people manage it on very few hours. Maybe you might have family to help out?

Hazelnut Button

Wow thanks for all the replies. So insightful and exactly what I'm looking for. I'm early 30s so I know I have a bit more time but as mentioned above I don't want to leave it too late in case there are any issues. I would also like to be young enough to go out and kick a ball etc.

My fear is that the gap on my cv will be a disadvantage and that I may be viewed less favourably if I have a young child in that they might think I'm more likely to need time off if the child is sick etc...

TheDriver

Gaps on cv due to travel or children are in no way frowned upon. Its a wonderful enriching time and from my experience, all the support will yield happier teachers.
if you have own hours etc then mat leave is your entitlement. However new rules mean you only get 6 months even if it includes holiday times.

Moody_mona

TheDriver wrote: »

Gaps on cv due to travel or children are in no way frowned upon. Its a wonderful enriching time and from my experience, all the support will yield happier teachers.
if you have own hours etc then mat leave is your entitlement. However new rules mean you only get 6 months even if it includes holiday times.

I know you know a lot more than me but that's not entirely true. As a secondary teachers you can end up off for nine months if the baby is born at the start of December. I'm only being pedantic, just the one sentence of yours sounds a bit misleading.

TheDriver

I thought its 26weeks, no matter what holidays occur during that time. This started may 2013. However maybe you're referring to the 26 weeks conveniently ending on 1st day of summer hols?

mdolly123

Gotta decide which takes precedent at this moment in time. One or other will inevitably take a backseat, I'd imagine family comes first, did for me and career stalled for while.

rainbowtrout

It is 26 weeks no matter when it starts. The most 'advantageous' time to go on leave now is the start of December to have the maternity leave run out at the end of May and go straight into 3 months holidays.

Not a bit misleading.

TheDriver

I find people saying they get 8-9 months off is misleading because it makes ill informed colleagues they will get 9 months no matter when it starts. It is 26 weeks and if timed well, can suddenly end up on summer hols after it.

highly1111

I'm 33 and I've 3 kids under 5. I'm not permanent, don't have my own hours. I did my dip in 2009 when my baby was just 15 weeks old. Straight after my dip I got a maternity contract and put my little boy in creche. Then I got a few sick leaves, another maternity cover and then a 1 year career break. I was pregnant for some of the career break and my second son was born just after the contract ended. We both wanted a 3 and we decided to try very quickly after number 2 and there's only 15 months old between my youngest 2. So they're 5, 2 and 1. The decision behind this is that there were (are) very very few jobs and so we may as well go for it with the babies! So after a 2 year gap I'm now going back to work in September to cover the academic year for a maternity in the very first school I worked at. Basically what I'm saying and what my advice would be is that I'd go for the family route - have all your babies while you can - the job market is still so uncertain I think that now is the ideal time to have our families and hopefully there'll be more work in coming years. You've some experience under your belt and no principal in the world will hold it against you for taking a break to have children. My interview for the job I'm going back to was quite relaxed as I knew the principal having worked there before and TBH he seemed more than happy that I've had my family!! I kept my toes in the water by lecturing one evening a week private college in town - something that I took on while doing my dip for financial reasons. Maybe you could do something similar - SEC work etc??

I'm lucky enough that my husband earns enough so that I have been able to stay at home but I do now have to go back to work. From a childcare point of view we're getting an au pair which is the most pragmatic option for us.

This is just my story but absolutely no regrets with the route we took. Despite the fact that 4 years post grad I still don't have one hour to my name and next summer I'll be on the hunt again with a lot less experience than other 09 graduates but honestly I'm not worried - and I wouldn't change a thing.

Millem

Moody_mona wrote: »

I know you know a lot more than me but that's not entirely true. As a secondary teachers you can end up off for nine months if the baby is born at the start of December. I'm only being pedantic, just the one sentence of yours sounds a bit misleading.

You have to go 2 weeks before due date so the best time is if the baby is born end of dec. that will bring you up right to last day of school. This is what we did. I think my maternity leave started the 3rd of dec?? If the babys due is start of Dec you leave end of nov but you will have to appear back end of May to get paid for summer hols. In fairness not that there is really a "best time"!! And obviously Woman ovulate on different days etc! And sometimes it just doesn't always work out like that! You only get 26weeks end of story.

In my head my cut off age for having babies is 35 max. Tbh we are hoping it will be more like 33 I want to have a gap between them as I want to let my body recover between births plus I want to enjoy them and not look back and remember a blur of nappies!!

On the other hand I work with people who having babies in their forties and also having them close together

mirrorwall14

I'm pregnant but have some job security (not full time permanent). However OP I would advise you to go and read some of the trying to conceive forums. While I was dead lucky (got pregnant in one week) that's just not the case for many people. The odds of getting pregnant are actually pretty crap month on month (20-25%) and tbh if I was over 30 Id go for it. There just is no way to know, what if it takes you two years or more to get pregnant? I had planned on waiting a bit but I'm actually delighted I got pregnant even if it was a little unexpectedly

Moody_mona

rainbowtrout wrote: »

It is 26 weeks no matter when it starts. The most 'advantageous' time to go on leave now is the start of December to have the maternity leave run out at the end of May and go straight into 3 months holidays.

Not a bit misleading.

TheDriver said you only get six months. You get 26 weeks maternity leave but can have up to nine months off. Which is why I said that I found that one sentence of his misleading, and why I chose the language of my comment. I also noted that I was being pedantic but wanted to make it clear.

TheDriver wrote: »

I find people saying they get 8-9 months off is misleading because it makes ill informed colleagues they will get 9 months no matter when it starts. It is 26 weeks and if timed well, can suddenly end up on summer hols after it.

I specified a time to start, I didn't claim you could take that time off regardless of when a baby was born. I was wrong in my original post, Millem's calculations are more correct than mine.

I also thought teachers, like other workers, were allowed 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and that these days had to be taken before the start of the maternity leave. This only applies if you did not get this many holidays already in your working year. Open to correction in that, but it's another way that the leave might not be just 26 weeks.

Regardless of all of my off topic rubbish, I would favour having a family sooner rather than later.

rainbowtrout

Moody_mona wrote: »

I also thought teachers, like other workers, were allowed 20 days annual leave plus bank holidays, and that these days had to be taken before the start of the maternity leave. This only applies if you did not get this many holidays already in your working year. Open to correction in that, but it's another way that the leave might not be just 26 weeks.

Regardless of all of my off topic rubbish, I would favour having a family sooner rather than later.

I haven't seen that anywhere. Have had a few friends take maternity leave. They got the bank holidays but nothing else.

Probably because no matter what time of year you take maternity leave you'll still end up with 20 days holidays in the year.

E.g. Worst possible leave for overlapping with holidays would be April - Sept assuming Easter holidays falls in April. In the academic year you started your leave you would have had the October midterm, Christmas holidays and February midterm before going on leave. Four weeks.

Moody_mona

Not four weeks, because there are bank holidays in the October and Christmas breaks. They're extra. It's twenty days holidays plus bank holidays (9 is it?). So worst case scenario, would be starting in March I think, you'd have had five days at Halloween, ten at Christmas, five at February and then you miss everything else. So you're entitled to take nine days at the start of the maternity leave. As far as I know it has to be taken at the start, can't add to your end.

It's circular 0009/2013 and there's a bit of info from it here: http://www.tui.ie/news-events/maternity-leave-revised-circular-issued.2765.html

mirrorwall14

According to the advice I got in recent thread and from the TUI it is 26 weeks and that's it. No bank holidays, no additional annual leave or anything like that.

Millem

mirrorwall14 wrote: »

According to the advice I got in recent thread and from the TUI it is 26 weeks and that's it. No bank holidays, no additional annual leave or anything like that.

Yes you are right we only get 26 weeks. The bank hols or any school closures days that you would have built up are taken during the next school closures. When I rang the dept to enquire about this I was told "we get so many hols anyway"

Legally I don't know how they get away with it. They said those days are taken during school closures (in my case June/july).

I was "officially" back to work on the 3rd June which meant I was allowed to superintend.

I would advise anyone who is pregnant to ring the dept not the union in relation to their maternity leave dates if they are in doubt. You can actually go early on your maternity leave, I can't remember the exact figure but it is maybe at 20something weeks pregnant because if you don't you end up losing it anyway.

All of the extra adding days into your maternity leave during school time finished in 2013.


Sorry to derail this thread! Just to say all of these dates are only really useful if you are going to get your full salary while on maternity leave. If you are getting paid per hour the max you will receive is €232 per week. If I was in that case and money was an issue I would work right up 2 weeks before.

rainbowtrout

Moody_mona wrote: »

Not four weeks, because there are bank holidays in the October and Christmas breaks. They're extra. It's twenty days holidays plus bank holidays (9 is it?). So worst case scenario, would be starting in March I think, you'd have had five days at Halloween, ten at Christmas, five at February and then you miss everything else. So you're entitled to take nine days at the start of the maternity leave. As far as I know it has to be taken at the start, can't add to your end.

It's circular 0009/2013 and there's a bit of info from it here: http://www.tui.ie/news-events/maternity-leave-revised-circular-issued.2765.html

9 bank holidays ? Are you having a laugh? I want to move to the country you live in!

Bank holiday Monday in October
25&26 December
1st January

That's all there is in those four weeks

rainbowtrout

Millem wrote: »

I would advise anyone who is pregnant to ring the dept not the union in relation to their maternity leave dates if they are in doubt. You can actually go early on your maternity leave, I can't remember the exact figure but it is maybe at 20something weeks pregnant because if you don't you end up losing it anyway.

.

Ya someone I work with was having a baby in April and went in December. They took whatever period would carry them to the end if the school year but went about 4 months before the baby was born.

Millem

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Ya someone I work with was having a baby in April and went in December. They took whatever period would carry them to the end if the school year but went about 4 months before the baby was born.

Exactly then they have the summer too but will be back at end of aug/start of sept

TheDriver

I think they have changed the time you can take beforehand to only 4 weeks but need to find circular

Millem

TheDriver wrote: »

I think they have changed the time you can take beforehand to only 4 weeks but need to find circular

What:mad::mad::mad: I swear to god I feel like leaving the union! We are being completely discriminated against! First losing out on hols and bank hols, then pregnancy related sick leave, now this!!! What next......

Moody_mona

rainbowtrout wrote: »

9 bank holidays ? Are you having a laugh? I want to move to the country you live in!

Bank holiday Monday in October
25&26 December
1st January

That's all there is in those four weeks

No rainbowtrout I'm not having a laugh. I'm having a conversation, or at least attempting that. When I said nine bank holidays I meant it a school year, as in you should be allowed to take twenty days annual leave plus nine bank holidays. I said "nine I think" because I wasn't sure how many there were in a year.

rainbowtrout

Moody_mona wrote: »

No rainbowtrout I'm not having a laugh. I'm having a conversation, or at least attempting that. When I said nine bank holidays I meant it a school year, as in you should be allowed to take twenty days annual leave plus nine bank holidays. I said "nine I think" because I wasn't sure how many there were in a year.

You won't be off for all nine bank holidays while on maternity leave.

Hazelnut Button

I'm still waiting to get my contract for this year. How does maternity leave work when you're not permanent? If I got pregnant in the next month or two, baby would be due mid summer. This would mean I could keep working until end of academic year. Am I right in saying that the summer hols would be included in the 26wks? I assume my contract is only a year initially so where does that leave me come august/September? Will my leave continue until the 26wks are up? Or will it end when my contract ends?

TheDriver

Millem wrote: »

What:mad::mad::mad: I swear to god I feel like leaving the union! We are being completely discriminated against! First losing out on hols and bank hols, then pregnancy related sick leave, now this!!! What next......

Sorry, my mistake. Found the circular. You can take 22 weeks before the baby is born if you so wish. I was thinking of another circular. Joys of summer brain.

TheDriver

Hazelnut Button wrote: »

I'm still waiting to get my contract for this year. How does maternity leave work when you're not permanent? If I got pregnant in the next month or two, baby would be due mid summer. This would mean I could keep working until end of academic year. Am I right in saying that the summer hols would be included in the 26wks? I assume my contract is only a year initially so where does that leave me come august/September? Will my leave continue until the 26wks are up? Or will it end when my contract ends?

it depends on your contract. If you have a career break contract that ends next Aug and say that person returns. Also your mat leave runs til Oct. you will get your DSP amount until Oct and your DESk will stop at start of Sept because you no longer have a job. However if its your own hours, then you can take leave from them once the allocation doesn't dry up.

Hazelnut Button

As far as I'm aware they are my own hours but I'll wait until I get the contract to confirm that. In theory I would like to minimise the time away from work. It would be great if the hours where still there next year and I could go back to them at the end of the 26wks. Anyway no point worrying about that yet.

Thanks again for all the advice. It has been extremely helpful.

Millem

TheDriver wrote: »

Sorry, my mistake. Found the circular. You can take 22 weeks before the baby is born if you so wish. I was thinking of another circular. Joys of summer brain.

Thank god!!!!

Millem

Hazelnut Button wrote: »

I'm still waiting to get my contract for this year. How does maternity leave work when you're not permanent? If I got pregnant in the next month or two, baby would be due mid summer. This would mean I could keep working until end of academic year. Am I right in saying that the summer hols would be included in the 26wks? I assume my contract is only a year initially so where does that leave me come august/September? Will my leave continue until the 26wks are up? Or will it end when my contract ends?

When do you sign your contract? One of my friends were in this position. She is actually covering 2x11 hour job shares. She signs her contract in June. The unions advice was say nothing about being pregnant and management can't ask. She went on maternity leave in mid sept and arrived back before Easter. If the hours are still there you are entitled to them.

If it was a case of your hours aren't there and you are still on maternity leave then I am guessing you just continue getting the €232 off government and it is not topped up.

Gosh it's all very calculated but if I was you I would plan on having my baby in October so I would be back for Easter. That way your sub will have left the premises (so they won't be competition). You will still have nearly two months work and then hopefully the contract is renewed!

Moody_mona

rainbowtrout wrote: »

You won't be off for all nine bank holidays while on maternity leave.

I didn't say that either!! You are entitled to twenty days annual leave and nine days bank holidays per academic year. If you do not get this many holidays because of maternity leave, you are able to take them before your maternity leave begins. As per the circular and union information I posted on the previous page.

Hazelnut Button

I only got the job last week so not sure when I get my contract. I'm not pregnant now. But I am considering trying soon. I know what your saying about trying to have a baby in October and it makes a lot of sense. Same for those who suggest December to maximise time off. However at the end of the day there's only so much planning one can do. I could get pregnant straight away or it could take months so no point worrying too much about when the baby would possibly be due. Financially, I can't afford to be out of work too long.

Millem

Moody_mona wrote: »

I didn't say that either!! You are entitled to twenty days annual leave and nine days bank holidays per academic year. If you do not get this many holidays because of maternity leave, you are able to take them before your maternity leave begins. As per the circular and union information I posted on the previous page.

Honestly you don't get those days added on.

TheDriver

you do get to take them but apparently to coincide with school closure. Remember mid terms are not "holiday" time but rather school closure where you are not required to be present.

Millem

TheDriver wrote: »

you do get to take them but apparently to coincide with school closure. Remember mid terms are not "holiday" time but rather school closure where you are not required to be present.

Exactly they are not "added" onto your maternity leave. It is like you said previously 26 weeks.

Moody_mona

Millem wrote: »

Honestly you don't get those days added on.

I understand that you've gone through this and I don't have the personal experience of it, but I've been through these Circulars. Can you find me one that says you can't take them before your maternity leave and must take them during school closures please. I'd really appreciate it, thanks a mill.

This is what I'm taking from section 8 of the circular I already mentioned.

Statutory Annual Leave/Public Holiday Entitlement
8.1 In general full time employees are entitled to 20 days annual leave. Employees who work less than full hours are entitled to annual leave on a pro rata basis.
8.2 Any entitlements in respect of public holidays occurring while on maternity leave will be addressed by additional annual leave.
8.3 These annual leave entitlements are to be taken on existing school closure days that occur in the leave year in question i.e. both before and after the maternity leave period. Annual leave entitlements are to be taken at a time outside of the period of maternity leave. 8.4 When availing of statutory maternity leave and there are not enough school closure days in the leave year to absorb all annual leave entitlements, it is permitted to take the necessary days immediately before the maternity leave in the same leave year. Alternatively, teachers will be permitted to carry the balance forward to the following leave year but must then take these days during school closures.

Millem

Moody_mona wrote: »

I understand that you've gone through this and I don't have the personal experience of it, but I've been through these Circulars. Can you find me one that says you can't take them before your maternity leave and must take them during school closures please. I'd really appreciate it, thanks a mill.

This is what I'm taking from section 8 of the circular I already mentioned.

Statutory Annual Leave/Public Holiday Entitlement
8.1 In general full time employees are entitled to 20 days annual leave. Employees who work less than full hours are entitled to annual leave on a pro rata basis.
8.2 Any entitlements in respect of public holidays occurring while on maternity leave will be addressed by additional annual leave.
8.3 These annual leave entitlements are to be taken on existing school closure days that occur in the leave year in question i.e. both before and after the maternity leave period. Annual leave entitlements are to be taken at a time outside of the period of maternity leave. 8.4 When availing of statutory maternity leave and there are not enough school closure days in the leave year to absorb all annual leave entitlements, it is permitted to take the necessary days immediately before the maternity leave in the same leave year. Alternatively, teachers will be permitted to carry the balance forward to the following leave year but must then take these days during school closures.

This is what the dept who told me. They pay my wages not tui. Tui told me I could take them before maternity leave. Thank god I didn't or else I would have had to come back at the end of May. My bank hols were apparently taken after the sate exams. Any of these days as mentioned before are taking during school closures. It would be extremely rare (if at all) that any of these days are taken before due to the number of school closures in a year. Tbh moody mona I feel like I am repeating myself a lot. As you said I have gone through it

If you are pregnant and are going on maternity please ring the dept/vec who pay your wages.

Moody_mona

The above is a circular from the department. I know you're repeating yourself, sure so am I, I would just love to see it written down that you can't take these days, that's all.

Moody_mona

Just looking at your dates, you said you went on mat leave on the 3rd of December, that means in your school year you got Halloween break plus the whole summer. That more than accounts for 20 days plus nine bank holiday.

I'm referring to someone who, in their school year, does not receive this many days off because it occurs during their maternity leave.

Millem

Again I would say ring dept and ask them regarding your maternity leave dates. There are only 30 something school weeks so I would say it is extremely rare there wouldn't be enough school closures.

rainbowtrout

Millem wrote: »

Again I would say ring dept and ask them regarding your maternity leave dates. There are only 30 something school weeks so I would say it is extremely rare there wouldn't be enough school closures.

So would I. As I said earlier, the 'worst' possibly maternity leave dates for overlapping holidays is probably April - September if Easter falls in April. If you look at if from a calendar point of view, a woman taking those dates would have the first week of January off, a week in February, St. Patrick's Day, A week in October, a week at Christmas, possibly a couple of days extra depending on what day Christmas falls.

Even if Easter fell badly, unless the baby was due during those two weeksand a woman was legally obliged to go on maternity leave during the Easter holidays, anyone with a bit of common sense would work until Easter, take the two weeks holidays and then go on leave. That would push maternity leave into October.


@ TheDriver: what exactly constitutes holidays for a teacher if midterm is deemed 'school closure'. What's the official line on holiday time?

Millem

This thread is heading in a strange direction!!!! It could be renamed......how to maximise your maternity leave!!! Lol lol

I already have a baby so I personally would prefer dec, jan, feb and all of march and come back at end if August then have sept off! (Obviously I would have to be the minimum amount of weeks to take the maternity leave!) I would save so much €€ in childcare which in fairness I could save and then take 4 weeks of parental leave off in sept

Inspector Coptoor

As far as I know, holiday time is end of terms, so:
Christmas
Easter.
July
August

icescreamqueen

Just to add to this thread. I was due back to work at the end of March 2014, after having my baby. I then took parental leave of 12 weeks to take me up to the end of June. I was paid for the Easter holidays and for the summer holidays. It can be handy to take parental leave if it suits you and if you time it well in blocks, you'll get paid for the holidays. Good to know this as my principal didn't have a clue

Millem

icescreamqueen wrote: »

Just to add to this thread. I was due back to work at the end of March 2014, after having my baby. I then took parental leave of 12 weeks to take me up to the end of June. I was paid for the Easter holidays and for the summer holidays. It can be handy to take parental leave if it suits you and if you time it well in blocks, you'll get paid for the holidays. Good to know this as my principal didn't have a clue

Icescreamqueen are you primary school teacher, our hols at the last day of May. Would you not just have taken your unpaid maternity leave instead? You get up to 16 weeks but they must be taken directly after your maternity leave. (Otherwise you lose it). I know you wouldn't get paid for Easter hols and you would have to come in the last week but otherwise you have used up 2/3s of your parental leave. A girl who had her baby at the same time as me is taking her parental leave in sept and she is not due back till January sometime.

Moody_mona

Millem wrote: »

Icescreamqueen are you primary school teacher, our hols at the last day of May. Would you not just have taken your unpaid maternity leave instead? You get up to 16 weeks but they must be taken directly after your maternity leave. (Otherwise you lose it). I know you wouldn't get paid for Easter hols and you would have to come in the last week but otherwise you have used up 2/3s of your parental leave. A girl who had her baby at the same time as me is taking her parental leave in sept and she is not due back till January sometime.

Not everyone can afford unpaid leave.

Can I ask about the coming in for the last week bit of your post? Could you explain it, I wasn't aware you had to do this, thanks

Millem

Moody_mona wrote: »

Not everyone can afford unpaid leave.

Can I ask about the coming in for the last week bit of your post? Could you explain it, I wasn't aware you had to do this, thanks

Parental leave is unpaid, but lasts until child is 13. Unpaid maternity leave must be taken directly after your paid maternity leave. If you come back last week you get paid for the whole summer. So the difference would only be 1 weeks paid wages (and not even because of tax).

You get 18 weeks parental leave. You can take in blocks until the child is 13 or 16 if child has long term illness/disability.

What would you like me to explain?