Teachers-when to take leave???

[onlyone]

14 weeks paid leave I wish we where all this lucky

[bethany3003]

Hi there everyone,

I need some urgent advice. As I am extremely stressed at the moment!

I am also a teacher, currently teaching k/1, in an isoslated rural school. I am currently 35 weeks pregnant (nearly 36 weeks) and have been feeling fantastic up until today when I had a big blue with the principal. I'm not due to go on leave, until I am 38 weeks, which is 2 and a half weeks away. Last term I asked my principal if I could use some of my incentive leave (which I get for working in an isoslated school in NSW) to travel to a friend's wedding. The leave I required is on the Monday and Friday before my maternity leave starts. My principal had not confirmed with me whether he was able to get a casual for the days I wanted off, so I asked him about it again today. He basically told me I was rude and incosiderate for wanting to take leave just before my maternity leave starts. Unfortunately, my friend is having a shot gun wedding, because she too, has fallen pregnant and wants to get married before she has the baby. So I didn't get much notice, otherwise I would have taken maternity 1 week earlier. In addition, to calling me rude he also questioned my priorities as a mother to be, going away three weeks before the baby is to born. Which I had already checked with OB and he said, as long as we had plently of stops I should be fine. In the end, he basically told me that if I wanted the time off, I have to amend my maternity leave and start it now. I have felt physically sick and have had diarrhoea since leaving his office this morning and don't want to go back to work now becuase he was so horrible to me and has made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome at work. What do you think I should do? There is no one I can talk to at work because there are only three teachers in the school and one of them is an older lady who thinks I should have stopped working at 30 weeks.

[mrsmac]

I replied to this and its vanished Here goes again!
I think you should take your mat leave now to get away from this guy! He is very lucky that you have been good enough to stay this long he should be making it easier for you not adding pressure and stress.

[onlyone]

leave NOW enjoy yourself you don't need this kind of crap

if your a good teacher look for another job when you are ready to go back to work, don't let them take control........ sorry employers most of the time are idiots

[cheekyfrog]

Bethany, I'm also in a western district school and they've been very supportive. I can't believe what an ass your principal has been to you! You have every right to take your personal incentive leave days, you'll lose them if you don't because they don't accrue. If he can't find a casual, then the class gets split until he does. It's not a biggie. Are you in the Riverina region? Ring staffing in Griffith. Oh your principal deserves a big boot up his whatsit.
Hope you were able to get somethng sorted since you posted.

[sakoon]

can someone help me. I just found out im pregnant, 7 weeks. I will be due 1st March 2009. I am a highschool teacher working in NSW private school. This is my first baby so i know zilch about maternity leave. Im thinking of stop working at the end of term 4. Does this mean i will get 6 weeks holiday pay AND 14 weeks maternity? are holidays counted or not. Confused by some of the posts above.

[mrsmac]

In the public system it would be better for you to take mat leave from Day one of term1 next year so that the holidays are not counted as part of it. Not sure about the private system.

[AliBaby]

can someone help me. I just found out im pregnant, 7 weeks. I will be due 1st March 2009. I am a highschool teacher working in NSW private school. This is my first baby so i know zilch about maternity leave. Im thinking of stop working at the end of term 4. Does this mean i will get 6 weeks holiday pay AND 14 weeks maternity? are holidays counted or not. Confused by some of the posts above.

Hi Sakoon, I am in a similar boat to you but work in the public system. I am due the 27th February 2009. I spoke to employee services about leave last week. I am taking leave as of the 27th January 2009 (the first day that school returns) so that I can take advantage of the 6wks paid holidays over Christmas/New Year. This way I will actually finish work at 30 wks (I teach kindy so am very happy about this)! I am going to take the 28wks half pay (I will still get full pay for the April and July school holidays as these fall in this period) and take advantage of the lower tax rate.

So in answer to your question....Yes u will get 6wks holiday pay and then 14 wks maternity pay if you take leave as of the first day of term 1 2009.

Hope this helps and good luck!