Advice on LSL to Maternity Leave

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  burtie on 01/09/2018 - 20:12

  I know a teacher who took 3 successive bouts of maternity leave (with a very small amount of unpaid leave mixed in) without any issues at all. She’s now gone back to work just one day a week. That suggests to me you wouldn’t have issues.
  When I was going on maternity leave with my government job, I just emailed HR and asked about my options. They were really helpful and I didn’t need to discuss my plans with my immediate boss until I knew what I was going to do.

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  [Deactivated] on 01/09/2018 - 21:36

  Government are awesome for maternity leave.

  My wife is currently on maternity leave with our second child and works for a state government department. She is taking (not sure on the exact order) work maternity leave at half for 26 weeks (she gets 13 weeks at full pay but taking it at half pay makes more sense as she takes home $200/wk less than she would at full pay), then she is taking federal government maternity leave which is mininium wage for 18 weeks, then Long service leave, there is no return to work in all this. Whats amazing is that she builds up annual leave while on half pay on all of this, and she has heaps of AL.

  You should just contact your HR, my mum worked was a teacher so I know how terrible how that might be.

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  [Deactivated] on 01/09/2018 - 23:42

  +2

  just wondering if men get the same rights for paternity leave?

  • 

    Donaldhump on 02/09/2018 - 08:56

    I asked an employee for 3 months unpaid and it got rejected on the grounds your employed because you have work to do, then a colleague 2 years later got a year off maternity. I intended to quit but delayed it to the day she started her mat leave. It’s off topic but there are double standards.

    • 

      CLoSeR on 02/09/2018 - 09:11

      @unclesnake Was the 3 months unpaid for the purpose of parental leave or just a career break?

  • 

    CLoSeR on 02/09/2018 - 09:10

    +2

    Yes they do, if they are the primary carer they are usually entitled to a period of paid paternal leave and unpaid leave.

  • 

    [Deactivated] on 02/09/2018 - 20:48

    no we do not I understand different empoyers offer different things but it would be nice if we could get the 18 weeks minium wage from the government instead of the woman.

    • 

      CLoSeR on 03/09/2018 - 11:27

      +1

      You can if you are the primary carer.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 03/09/2018 - 23:00

        Not quite. From the centerlink website it would have to be under exceptional circumstances

        Who can receive it
        You must be:

        the birth mother of a newborn child
        the adoptive parent of a child, or
        another person caring for a child under exceptional circumstances

        Exceptional circumstances
        Exceptional circumstances must apply for you to be eligible for Parental Leave Pay without the birth mother or adoptive parent being eligible.

        If the birth mother or adoptive parent is unable to care for the child, another person may claim Parental Leave Pay. This is usually in situations such as severe illness or a serious accident.

        In exceptional circumstances you may be able to get Parental Leave Pay if you have had a child come into your care within 52 weeks of their birth or adoption and:

        you’ll care for the child for at least 26 weeks
        the child hasn’t been placed into your care as part of a decision made by a state or territory child protection agency
        the child’s birth mother or adoptive parent and their partner are incapable of caring for the child for at least 26 weeks or other approved circumstances exist where it is reasonable that they care for the child.
        If you’re eligible under exceptional circumstances, you may be eligible for up to 18 weeks of Parental Leave Pay while you take time off work to care for the child. If someone has already started to get Parental Leave Pay and you haven’t met the work test or income test, you may still be eligible for the portion of Parental Leave Pay that was remaining when the initial primary carer stopped being eligible.

        https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centre…

      • 

        em on 04/09/2018 - 16:18

        @seano2101: You can transfer it: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/services/centre…

        If you’re the birth mother or adoptive parent, you may be able to transfer some or all of your Parental Leave Pay to another eligible person. This could be because you:

        return to work, or
        are no longer the primary carer for your child
        You can transfer your Parental Leave Pay to:

        your partner
        the other legal parent of your child, or
        the partner of your child’s other legal parent
        To transfer your payment, you and the person you're transferring to must first claim, and be eligible for, Parental Leave Pay.

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  alz on 02/09/2018 - 06:53

  Depends on the award, some allow mixure of both. You need to contact HR (blacktown) and you head teacher won't know :)

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  buzymum20 on 02/09/2018 - 08:22

  +1

  To get the best and correct advice, ask the Union. As a recently retired teacher, I speak from experience. Union advice on my resignation and how it was handled, saved me around 4 weeks of pay. The office manager told me I couldn't return from long service leave prior to Christmas then resign late January that I'd have to continue my long service leave. Checked with the Union and she was incorrect. They do give the correct and unbiased advice for you. Have seen other incidents over the years where schools have given what they thought was the correct advice, but found they were incorrect. Not just one school too, but a few over my career. So check with the Union before doing anything.