Role changing whilst on maternity

[Kekei]

I'm a secondary school teacher and I'm due to go on maternity this sept. today whilst discussing my working days when I return I was told that there won't be a timetable as a science teacher for me so it sounds like I'm going to used for cover from may till July. I'm not happy about this as I'm employed as a science teacher not a cover supervisor. Also this also brings up my next worry that the following school year what will I be then? I've recently been graded as outstanding by Ofstead and I love my job as a science teacher. Not a cover who will be just walking in and pickIng up any old lesson. I feel that my school are using my maternity to save on teacher hours as they are restructuring the timetable and increasing group sizes. I'm so angry and wondered if anyone else had any experience of your job role being changed whilst on maternity. Where do I stand against my school?

 

[My_First]

If you only take the paid minimum they will have to offer you job the same as when you left. The paid min being 29 weeks. If you take the extra unpaid 3 months then they can offer you an equivalent and it doesn't have to be the same job. I can't seem to get the link on my phone but if you google returning wo work after maternity and look at the direct gov website it explains in more detail.

 

[littleblonde]

the paid is 39 weeks not 29 weeks. They have to keep your job open to you and your pay cant change. Do you have a union you can check it with x

 

[My_First]

Typo, sorry..My bad..

 

[mrsbeano]

I think its 6 months of ordinary maternity leave and then the rest is additional maternity leave. If you just take the OML and return without changing anything like your hours they have to give you your job back as it was before you left.

They have to pay you the same when you go back, regardless of OML or AML.

x

 

[babyfan82]

I'm a secondary school teacher and I'm due to go on maternity this sept. today whilst discussing my working days when I return I was told that there won't be a timetable as a science teacher for me so it sounds like I'm going to used for cover from may till July. I'm not happy about this as I'm employed as a science teacher not a cover supervisor. Also this also brings up my next worry that the following school year what will I be then? I've recently been graded as outstanding by Ofstead and I love my job as a science teacher. Not a cover who will be just walking in and pickIng up any old lesson. I feel that my school are using my maternity to save on teacher hours as they are restructuring the timetable and increasing group sizes. I'm so angry and wondered if anyone else had any experience of your job role being changed whilst on maternity. Where do I stand against my school?

Hi! I'm a primary school teacher and my school did exactly the same to me. I was due to go on ML in November and they timetabled me as a cover teacher from September until I left. They used the excuse "we thought it would be easier on you as there is less planning, assessment...blah blah" and because they used this excuse that they were "helping to make my job easier" I didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to complaining about discrimination. I have to say I hated every minute of it, marking other people's books for hours every night and not knowing from one week to the next which lesson I would be teaching. When I went back I was back to a class based teacher (I double checked this with my head before I left as I wouldn't have returned had they kept me covering) but it wasn't a class I had any choice in and was well out of my comfort zone. I'm still in it now and just about getting used to it but I'm not particularly happy. Hey ho. Schools can be horrid when it comes to being pregnant. What really irritated me was that another lady there was due a month after me and she got to keep her class and go back to her original class.
I know its not much of a helpful answer but just letting you know I've been there. If you're just covering from May to July I would just bite the bullet and do it but sit down with your line manager and discuss what will be expected of you on your return to work. If they will still have you covering, at least you'll be prepared and can start job hunting nice and early if necessary. I've been pregnant 3 times at my school and each time they've used my pregnancy as an excuse to do the crappy jobs that no one else wants.
But then again I'm planning my fourth and final baby -
Certainly don't have any guilty feelings about going off again there!!!