Maternity Cover - Notice period - General - HR in Schools and Academies

2 Maternity Cover - Notice period

Adele | 0 Posts

15 Oct, 2024 11:38

Hello all - I am new to schools and I am employed by a local authority, I have to be honest, schools terms and conditions feel like a bit of a minefield that I am struggling to get my head around

We are changing the way that we onboard our employees and have taken the opportunity to look at the contract that is sent out. We have an issue with fixed term contracts where the cover is for maternity / sickness where we haven't been stating an end date but relying on "something occurring or not occurring to end the contract" i.e. a person returning from sickness will end their contract. We have not be issuing any notice and an employee could be told on Friday that the employee is coming back from work and they wont be needed on the Monday.

My questions are:

Is this standard for Burgundy book employees (is it covered in the book and I have just missed it?)
Do employers give notice on Maternity cover, as the person off on maternity has to give us 21 days notice, do you then give the employee 21 days notice rather than the 2 months ending at the end of a term?
Do your contracts reflect this at all and how is this term written into the contract?

Our system has to have an end date of employment and this is pulled through into our contracts.

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Nina Waters | 0 Posts

15 Oct, 2024 13:40

I'm not going to be much help to you Adele, because I work in an independent school so am not bound by the Burgundy Book.

However, we would always appoint someone on a fixed term basis for the full year of anticipated maternity cover, unless the person has told us they are intending to return sooner. We then also include a line noting that the role is for maternity cover, and could therefore be ended sooner than the agreed end date if the permanent roleholder gives notice of their intention to return early, with X weeks notice.

Hope that helps.

Nina
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Teresa | 0 Posts

15 Oct, 2024 15:27

When I worked with schools, we did the same as Nina. In terms of wording it was along the lines of 'this contract is to cover maternity leave which is due to end on x date. This contract therefore gives notice that the contract will end on that date unless otherwise agreed, or the person on maternity leaves gives notice that they wish to return to work earlier than that date. In this case you will be given at least 21 days notice of the earlier end of the contract'
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