ALL TEACHERS ARE ENTITLED TO ONE YEARS’ MATERNITY LEAVE CONSISTING OF 26 WEEKS ORDINARY AND 26 WEEKS ADDITIONAL LEAVE. YOUR ENTITLEMENT TO OCCUPATIONAL PAY AND/OR STATUTORY MATERNITY PAY (SMP) DEPENDS ON YOUR WORK PATTERN PRIOR TO LEAVE BEGINNING.
For those who are entitled Occupational Maternity Pay is currently as follows:
(a) 4 weeks’ full pay
(b) 2 weeks’ 90% of a week’s pay
(c) 12 weeks’ half pay + SMP
(d) 21 weeks’ SMP only
You are not required to take the entire entitlement but:
(1) you may not work for the 2 weeks following birth
(2) you must supply a Fitness to Return to Work certificate from your GP should you wish to return before the end of 26 weeks.
Process
Leave may not begin more than 11 weeks prior to expected date of birth. By the end of the 15th week prior to expected date your employer should be informed and Forms TR160 (available from Teachers’ Salaries Branch) and Form MAT B1 (issued by your GP) should be submitted to your employer.
Full details and advice may be obtained by contacting Ulster Teachers’ Union.
Adoption Leave / Pay
Leave may be up to 39 weeks and for those entitled paid as follows:
1. 4 weeks’ full pay.
2. 2 weeks’ 90%
3. 6 weeks’ half pay + Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP)
4. 27 weeks’ SAP.
Please contact Ulster Teachers’ Union for full details and advice if considering taking time off when an adoption is imminent.
Leave other than due to illness or Maternity / Paternity
Permanent, full time teachers are under contract to be available for work on 195 days in a school year. Any leave is granted at the discretion of the Board of Governors (BOG) and any request should be submitted in writing to the BOG through the Principal. The Department has issued guidance to BOGs as to which requests might be granted. Some leave may be granted with pay and others without. A teacher is not at liberty to take leave of absence either paid or unpaid without the written permission of the BOG.
Department of Education Recommendations to Boards of Governors
Teachers’ Leave of Absence not exceeding 3 days.
(a) All requests for leave of absence, paid or unpaid, should be put in writing to the Board of Governors.
(b) All leave is granted at the discretion of the Board of Governors.