Transcript LEWISHAM NUT REPS TRAINING - NUT

Lewisham Conditions of Service
Maternity Leave
Lewisham operates a different (in fact more generous!) maternity scheme to the
national scheme applying to most teachers. So DON’T rely on National leaflets/website.
Ante-natal care
 Managers must undertake a risk assessment of the work area and taking appropriate
preventative measures to eliminate any risks.
 They must also give reasonable time off to enable an expectant mother to receive
antenatal care.
Maternity Leave
 Lewisham employees are entitled to be on leave up to 52 weeks from the date of
childbirth - conditional upon the employee undertaking in writing to return to work for
a period of at least three months (or for the pro rata if the employee returns part time).
Commencement of maternity leave – and returning to work
 Maternity leave may commence at any time between the 11th week before the expected
week of birth (EWC) and the actual birth itself. You must take at least two weeks leave
after the birth. SCHOOL HOLIDAYS ARE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT
 Pregnancy related illness, which occurs after the 4th week before the EWC,
automatically triggers the commencement of maternity leave.
 You must give 8 weeks written notice of the date that you intend to return to work.
Maternity Pay
Maternity pay is linked to your length of continuous Local Authority
service (not just in Lewisham but in previous Local Authorities too but supply agency employment probably WON’T count).
Less than 1 year’s service as at the 15th week before the EWC:
 2 weeks full pay with the remainder of leave taken on nil pay. If you have over
26 weeks service at the 15th week, you should be entitled to Statutory
Maternity Pay.
At least 1 year's continuous service at the 15th week before the EWC:
 The first 6 weeks will be paid at 90% of your normal pay less deductions in
respect of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).
 The next 20 weeks will be paid at half pay, providing you have given a
written undertaking to return to work for a period of 3 months (pro
rata if returning on a part-time basis). If you do not return to work, you will be
entitled to SMP only.
 You will not be paid for any further period of absence on maternity leave
although SMP may be paid for a further 13 weeks, making a total of 39 weeks.
Sickness Absence
The maximum sick pay a year*, in working days, is:
 Absence in:
FULL PAY HALF PAY (+ entitlement to statutory sick pay)
1st year
25 days 50 days (in 2nd & 3rd term)
2nd year
50 days 50 days
3rd year
75 days 75 days
4th-7th year
100 days 100 days
8th -13th year
111 days 111 days
14th -19th year 122 days 122 days
20th plus years 133 days 133 days
* Holidays and weekends do not count against these days, although sick pay is of course paid
to teachers during this time. (The rules are that if you are absent sick on the last day of term
on full pay, you are paid in full for the holiday period on top of the entitlement for working
days set out above). In other words 50 days = 10 working weeks.
 The sick pay year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Teachers absent due to long-term
illness, however, aren’t able to simply claim the subsequent year’s allowance from 1
April. The new allowance only starts once they have recovered and are back at work.
Medical Appointments
 Council guidelines state:
“ As a general guideline, where employees are able to influence the
time of appointments, these should be arranged in the employee's own
time.
Where this is not possible and it is evident that the employee cannot
attend in their own time, then reasonable time off with pay should
be given.
Employees are expected to provide evidence of such appointments
where requested, e.g. appointment card, letter of appointment ”.
Compassionate Leave
It is important that teachers are aware of their contractual rights –
retained under the 1996 Lewisham ‘harmonisation’ agreement:
ENTITLEMENTS – there are some situations where the contractual
“harmonisation” document states that paid leave has to be granted as
an entitlement to teachers:
 Death of member of immediate family* - up to three days paid leave.
 Serious illness of member of immediate family* - up to three days paid leave.
 Funeral of member of immediate family* - up to 3 days, depending on
distance away.
 Wedding of member of immediate family* - up to 2 days, depending on
distance away.
 Moving Home - 1 day’s paid leave for household removal.
Note that “immediate family” is defined as: parent, partner, child,
brother or sister. For other relatives or friends, leave is only
discretionary – see below.
Other Leave queries: (and what about Eid?)
ADDITIONAL DISCRETIONARY SPECIAL PAID LEAVE
 Up to ten days a year with pay may be granted (pro-rata for part-timers).
While such leave is at the discretion of school management, the contractual
“harmonisation” document states, “It should be acknowledged that teachers are in a
unique position as they do not receive an annual leave entitlement as other Council staff
do... it would be hoped that requests for special leave would be given full consideration by
headteachers and that such requests would not be unreasonably refused... Where a
request for special leave is refused, the headteacher should provide the
teacher with written reasons for this where requested to do so”
ATTENDANCE AT INTERVIEWS
 There is a separate provision granting up to six days with pay in any one
year for attendance at interviews to seek another appointment.
EMERGENCY LEAVE TO CARE FOR CHILDREN & ADULT DEPENDANTS
 There is a separate provision to request up to 5 days leave a year for unpredictable
emergencies such as a child’s sudden illness, breakdown of childcare or closure of your
child’s school. Again this is discretionary but the contractual “harmonisation” document
again states that discretion should be applied more widely to teachers.
National Conditions of Service
The ‘Burgundy Book’
Resignation dates:
 End of May for the Summer term
 End of October for the Autumn Term
 End of February for the Spring Term (to ‘April 30’).
Union Facilities:
 Accreditation – new NUT credentials to be issued soon
 Union notice board facilities as an entitlement
 A room for meetings provided reasonable notice is given
 Use of photocopying equipment – but NUT to pay the bill!