Maternity leave - work perks!

pinkshoes

I will be going on maternity leave in December.

With my job as a teacher I have a tablet. This is used for showing things on screen in lessons (sometimes), planning lessons, taking notes in meetings, checking emails etc..., and personal use.

The tablet belongs to the school (so no dodgy stuff permitted on it!) but it is my responsibility to take care of e.g. i treat it as if it is my own, It comes home with me. I have had it two years so far.

Obviously if I left the school, I would have to give it back, but going in maternity is NOT the same as leaving permanently, so can they make me hand it back whilst I am off?

(It would be very useful for lots of personal use as well as keeping an eye on school emails when I am away so i know what is going on).

agrinnall

Well as it belongs to the school they can ask you to return it at any time whether you're working or not. Would it be so difficult for you to buy your own tablet for personal use, and presumably work emails are sent to an address that you'd be able to access from any device?

sangie595

pinkshoes wrote: »

The tablet belongs to the school

Question answered. It belongs to the school. So whether you can keep it during maternity leave is up to them.

pinkshoes

I cannot afford to buy my own tablet unfortunately.

I am expecting twins so will have to replace my car for something that will fit three child seats, plus buying a second set of various things which we weren't expecting. I have just downgraded my own phone contract to a £5 a month one to minimise monthly outgoings. Money will be tight for the next couple of years!

I was thinking more along the lines of you are still supposed to receive the same 'benefits' (perks) when on maternity leave e.g. They have to keep paying my pension, so wondered if the tablet would be included in this.

If it was my own tablet, I certainly would not set my school email up on it! Pearsonally I see it as a benefit to the school if I have use of it, as I am quite sure I will get subject related emails from the kids wanting help with exams, that i am happy to help with.

chrisbur

It is my understanding that all contractual benefits you receive while working should continue during maternity leave, except for cash payments.
So a car or phone are definitely covered but have not seen any mention of computers but I would say that they must fall into the same arrangement as a phone or car.

Not sure though whether these benefits have to be in your contract or if something that is just common practise but not in the contract would count.

nearlyrich

Our contracts say you keep company car but give back the fuel card whilst on Mat leave, my colleague currently on Mat Leave still has her laptop. I think if you have a 2 year old tablet it's probably not worth that much to the school and you will be going back so will need it again. I would see what they say and if they don't mention it keep quiet.

sangie595

But this is very simple. Does your contract say you are entitled to a tablet. No? Then you are not. This is not a benefit or a perk. It is not something that you get personally, that you happen to maybe use for work also. It is for work and you happen to be able to use it for personal things because you have it for work.

And actually, neither a car nor a phone are "definitely covered" - it depends on the terms of employment.

If you want to own your own tablet and not set up work email on it, that is absolutely your right. As it is the schools right to say you have no right to set up your own accounts on their hardware

So it is down to you to negotiate this - maybe you can convince them it is in their interest. But equally, they may need the tablet for your replacement - there is not reason why they would want to purchase a new tablet for the lessons of your replacement, and then have one spare when you return. As you rightly point out - these things cost money. You cannot afford one. They may not be able to afford another one.

pinkshoes

sangie595 wrote: »

But this is very simple. Does your contract say you are entitled to a tablet. No? Then you are not. This is not a benefit or a perk. It is not something that you get personally, that you happen to maybe use for work also. It is for work and you happen to be able to use it for personal things because you have it for work.

And actually, neither a car nor a phone are "definitely covered" - it depends on the terms of employment.

If you want to own your own tablet and not set up work email on it, that is absolutely your right. As it is the schools right to say you have no right to set up your own accounts on their hardware

So it is down to you to negotiate this - maybe you can convince them it is in their interest. But equally, they may need the tablet for your replacement - there is not reason why they would want to purchase a new tablet for the lessons of your replacement, and then have one spare when you return. As you rightly point out - these things cost money. You cannot afford one. They may not be able to afford another one.

Oddly, I will have to dig the contract out that we signed when we got them, but I am sure it says that it is for both work and personal use, that we can download any apps we like (so long as they are not gambling, p*rn etc...) and make full use of it. They specifically said they were not just for work when they were given out. there is also no schook account to use for downloads - we had to sign up our own account and register our own credit card if we wanted to download anything.

Might have to look into it some more, and will certainly talk to the school about it, but just wanted to find out some facts first.

TELLIT01

The obvious question is will it be required by the teacher who is covering your role while you are on maternity leave? If it is, then is it reasonable to expect the school to pay for another one? I would say it isn't.

Sncjw

Would the teacher replacing you not need one for class then?

FBaby

Personally I see it as a benefit to the school if I have use of it

But not so much as if they have to buy another one to provide for the teacher who will replace you. The rate of sickness/maternity level is probably around 2% or more, so quite an additional cost to the school if everyone gets to keep their ipad, which the school would rightly see as an unnecessary cost.

You could look at it from the other side, if you came into a new school, and were told that you wouldn't be able to benefit from an ipad like all the other teachers because there is only one available and it is with the teacher on maternity leave, how would you feel?

Congratulations with the coming birth, twins, waouh!