Before starting any job, most of us are keen to find out what we are entitled to, and the same can be said for education staff keen to learn about teacher sick pay, maternity pay, and general employee rights.
Every year thousands of new and existing education staff join the teaching workforce in the UK. From full-time teachers in primary and secondary schools to teaching assistants and support staff, they all make a huge contribution daily to the development of children and young people in the UK.
We have put together this guide of everything you need to know about a career in education. From teacher sick pay to maternity leave for teachers, you can get answers to all of the most frequently asked questions about a career in education.
Do teachers get full sick pay UK?
If you’re looking for any information on teachers’ sick pay and your sick pay entitlements, then you should always refer to the Burgundy Book scheme. This is a national agreement on conditions of service and can provide you with all the information you need. Most local authorities follow the conditions of the Burgundy Book scheme, and it is largely incorporated into individual teachers’ employment contracts.
Although you should note that teachers working in free schools or academies should check whether their school follows the Burgundy Book scheme conditions and should request a copy of the sick pay scheme from your school.
What is teacher sick pay?
Teachers are entitled to national sick pay on a sliding scale entitlement set out in the Burgundy Book. This means that the longer your length of service, the more teachers’ sick pay you are entitled to.
The first year of service: Teachers are entitled to full sick pay for 25 working days. After they’ve worked there for longer than four calendar months, they’re also entitled to half pay for 50 working days.
The second year of service: You’re entitled to full pay for 50 working days and half pay for another 50 days.
The third year of service: 75 working days of full pay and 75 working days of half pay to follow.
The fourth year onwards: 100 days of full pay followed by 100 days of half pay.
The sick leave year usually runs from 1 April to 31 March, so this is when each year of service period starts date and end date. But we recommend you check your employer’s sick leave policy to double-check this.
Teachers are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP) for up to 28 weeks in any spell of sickness absence. SSP will form part of the full sick pay paid out to teachers, but when teachers move on to half sick pay, they will also be paid SSP.
Please note that you may not be eligible for sick pay and maternity pay any earlier if you suffer from a pregnancy-related illness. This will largely depend on the expected week of childbirth and your employer. If you want to learn even more about Teacher’s Pay Scales & Salaries, make sure you check out our Blog.
Am I entitled to maternity pay as a teacher?
Once again, if you’re keen to find out about maternity leave for teachers and teacher maternity pay, then you should check whether the Burgundy Book scheme makes up part of your contract. If not, then you should request more information from your employer.
Occupational maternity leave for teachers
To qualify for occupational maternity pay, you must be:
- Covered by the Burgundy Book
- Employed for a minimum of one year and 11 weeks when the baby is due.
You can be paid Occupational maternity pay for a continuous period of up to 39 weeks. The teacher maternity pay you receive will be broken down throughout that period.
Weeks 1-4: 100% of salary paid
Weeks 5-6: 90% of salary paid
Weeks 7-18: 50% of salary paid + the standard Statutory Maternity Pay rate (around £151.97 per week- this is based on the average weekly earnings)
Weeks 18-39: standard Statutory Maternity Pay rate paid.
For more information on what you are entitled to and how much this equates to based on your salary, check out this maternity pay calculator for teachers here.
You and your partner may also be eligible for shared parental leave depending on when you return to work. You should check with your employer about maternity leave and pay and your partner’s employer for other maternity schemes.
What is the Teachers Pay Scale 2022 23?
The Department of Education and Skills designed the Teachers Pay Scale, allocating different bands to teachers based on their position, experience, and location. This is then used to determine a teacher’s annual salary. While there has been some discussion this year over the teachers’ pay scale 2022/23 and the need for a teacher pay rise in line with inflation and the hard work of teachers all year round.
Still a bit unsure about your teachers’ pay? Check out our Teacher’s Pay Scales & Salaries blog to learn more.
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