I have pondered whether to speak out on this topic for several months. We are a positive brand with a hard-earned reputation. We are proud of what we have achieved—specifically, the thousands of families who have secured a longer, better maternity leave because of our support. We have no interest in getting into public rows. However, we also refuse to sit back while teachers are led into costly mistakes. Teacher’s SPL began almost ten years ago as one person helping others, c

We wish the answer to this one was yes... but sadly it is not. In the last month alone we have worked on the following cases: A school who didn't pay the summer holiday full pay owed, then claimed to have calculated what was owed, but gave a figure that was £700 lower than it should have been. A school who said thay had overpaid a member of staff two years ago and had been claiming back money ever since to pay back thousands.... we did the maths and it turned out that all alo

Occupational pay refers to the pay that you receive on top of statutory maternity pay. For teachers governed by Burgundy Book conditions this is 4 weeks at 100%, 2 weeks at 90% and 12 weeks at 50% + SMP. The following advice applies to those who are on burgundy book terms and condition/ or whose employers have adopted these terms within their own trust/academy policy. This advice also applies to how your employer should work out your 90% paid weeks. Some employers may adopt a

It's coming up to that time of year where Teacher's go through the appraisal process. For many of us that means a move up the pay scale ladder, and a pay increase award to keep teacher's pay in line with inflation. But how does this affect your pay if you are on maternity leave? Today's blog will look at everything you need to know! Do I get pay increases whilst on maternity leave? Parents taking leave must not be disadvantaged by it. If you are on maternity/paternity/shared

Today's blog covers a sensitive topic, and is one we hope you will not ever need. However, it is important that we cover it and provide information for those who want to know/ or find themselves in this position. The team at Teacher's SPL will always provide support for those finding themselves in these situations - please just drop us an email and ask. Miscarriage, Stillbirths and Neonatal Deaths There are a few important distinctioins to be aware of here. Firstly, if your b

This is a question we get asked a lot. Occasionally we also have to help clients whose employers have suggested that they work in the holidays - either with planning tasks or physically coming in to the building. Ultimately, your headteacher cannot ask you to work in the holidays if it is not something that you would normally do, or a task that all other staff in similar roles are being asked to do specifically over that time period only. Equally if it is voluntary (like holi

Over the years we have heard from several teachers who were aggrieved that their employer/ HR had not told them about Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and how it could have benefitted them. They felt wronged and wanted to know if HR's failure to mention it to them was grounds for a backdated claim. Unfortunately the answer is no - a lot of the responsibility lies with the employee (and SPL can never be backdated!) This weeks article looks at the role of the employer; what responsi

A guide on the key things to look out for when reading your shared parental leave policies regarding pay.

Today's blog will guide you through the process of support that we offer to Teachers wanting to take Shared Parenal Leave to maximise their income during their maternity/ adoption leave year. Unsure about whether you need a support package or what it involves? This should answer your questions! We offer four main types of package: A - our most popular option, this includes a personalised SPL plan, all the paperwork you need to apply, and follow up support if required. B - The

All you need to know if you are a teacher whose baby has had to receive neonatal care in the first 28 days of their life.

SPL, combined with returns for the holidays, allows you to stay off until the day before baby turns 1 Can teachers use shared parental leave to stay off work for longer than on maternity/ adoption leave? It all depends on when you start your leave - but if you are taking a week or more off work before the baby is actually born/ child is placed then yes you will be able to extend your leave up to babies first birthday/ one year from matching date. When you curtail your materni

If I had a pound for every time I have heard this myth… I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog! It persist like some kind of folk lore amongst teachers – this idea that you must return to work for a day, a few days, a week… in order to be paid for the upcoming school holiday. Similarly we are frequently asked if it’s ok to start your leave on the first day of a term, or whether you might lose your pay for the holiday just passed if you don’t go back in for at least one day.

There are two eligibility thresholds for SPL - a higher one for the parent who wishes to use SPL, and a lower one for the parent who is sharing responsibility for the child but isn’t intending to take any shared parental leave themselves. The higher threshold is the same as the one for maternity leave - you must have completed 26 weeks of work with the same employer by the qualifying week (15 weeks before the due date). The government website has a handy eligibility checker

This is a topic that is close to my heart - as my first baby was due in the summer holidays. I remember the feeling of injustice at having worked the whole school year - more than earning my six weeks summer holiday pay - but facing the reality that most of that pay would end up being my 6 weeks of the only decent part of my occupational maternity pay offer! That’s what led me to discover SPL and its benefits in the first place, so ultimately it was a blessing in disguise, bu