I'm a High school PDHPE teacher in NSW. I am currently on part time mat leave and about to return to full time leave after a term of 3 days per week, to take advantage of the second year of extended leave and casual teach close to home. (I've found a 2 yo and 10 month old, getting to childcare by 7am and an hour drive to school to start by 8 all too much for all of us!)
I will explain what I know about NSW award. I have just been through weeks of phone calls and frustration to find out what our rights are under this new award. (they are still calling it new even thought it's now been in for over a year and expires in less than a year - then we will need to strike again!!) - Yes, after being passed around for weeks and not getting answers I am cynical and ****ed off! Call both Federation and the Department to get answers. If you call Newcastle for leave advice, a good person to talk to is Kathleen (not sure of her last name). She seems to know stuff.
You now can work up to your due date, prior to Jan last year it was 34 weeks. I worked to 34-35 weeks with both of mine and felt I could have worked longer, but my leave coincided nicely with terms so did it that way even with the new award. It really depends on how you are feeling. If you put in your leave for close to EDD and couldn't make it you could take sick leave or maybe change your mat leave if time. (After learning stuff - I would take sick leave, we have a pretty generous amount.)
We now get 14 weeks full pay (used to be 6 weeks full to cover the 6 weeks they made you take prior and 6 weeks half pay after the birth). You can take this as a lump sum, full pay for 14 weeks or (I think) half pay for 28 weeks. You need to state this on your mat leave form though. You can have 12 months mat leave and, with approval, extend this for another 12 months if you wish, with right of return to your current school. When you go back you can do part time with your Principal's approval up until your child is of school age. (have a good casual organised, that is happy to job share and does a good job - it makes it hard for your Principal to say no. It also helps if you are not timetabled to teach seniors - this is a common argument for not allowing it.)
My advice - talk to other new mums at school if there are any (our school must have fertility drugs in the water - 10 babies in the last year!), ask Federation for the fact sheets they have on Mat leave and email Teacher's Leave your questions and they will respond back via email - you then have answers in writing. I have found this the best as the answer you get depends on who you talk to and then next time nobody knows anything about it - if you have an email you have proof (and there is a policy that they must respond within 24 hours, so you get a quick answer). I emailed and finally got a (DRAFT) copy of the award provisions, so I can make informed decisions.
Good luck. If you need any help I can tell you as much as I know if you contact me. I'm not sure how you can contact me without me posting my email address - it's do-able I think. Otherwise, post asking me to contact you and I will try and find a way.
I am so cranky about the struggle to find info I'm writing letters complaining to both Federation and DET.
By the way - to get around the not sitting at your desk thing - sit on it. You can still see them and have an intimidation factor, but get a bit of rest too. My little ferals would have swung off the fans if I sat down (and they were nicer to me when I was pregnant than normally).
Hi Sim,
Thanks for posting some very useful information. I know it was a while ago but it is still useful.
I'm just wondering about this holiday leave/maternity leave and how it works as we are trying to fall pregnant at the moment. I work in NSW as a primary school teacher and am teaching kindy this year.
If all goes well I will be due at the earliest 30th Dec 2008 which is school holidays (fingers, legs and everything else crossed).
Would this mean I could finish the year with my class and work up until the last day of term 4 and then start my maternity leave on the 27th Jan 2009 (first day school goes back next year) or would I have to put in maternity leave from the EDD?
I am hoping I can take advantage of having the 5 and a half weeks paid holiday leave plus the 14 weeks paid maternity leave after that.
Your help is very much appreciated.
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.
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.
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
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Here goes again!
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