UK Working Weeks

Blatchford

zagfles wrote: »

Thsi is bog standard practice, it's the same for TAs in local authority state schools who work term time only. They get school holidays off, but they only get about 6 weeks paid, the rest is unpaid. Don't believe the conspiracy theories! Local authorities are reputable employers (usually!)

No. Actually term time working is a very different thing. The entire process is formulated differently, because they work, effectively, approximately 30 weeks per year only, their holiday is calculated on a part-time basis (because they are part-time employees), and then their pay is divided into equal parts over the year. That is not remotely what is being described here. Here we have someone who is employed over 52 weeks, as a full time (not term time) employee, but whose contractual conditions include a short period of unpaid leave within the year. Term time employees don't have periods when they have imposed unpaid leave, they simply have different working patterns.

zagfles

Blatchford wrote: »

No. Actually term time working is a very different thing. The entire process is formulated differently, because they work, effectively, approximately 30 weeks per year only, their holiday is calculated on a part-time basis (because they are part-time employees), and then their pay is divided into equal parts over the year.

Where has the OP said that's not the case for his wife?

That is not remotely what is being described here. Here we have someone who is employed over 52 weeks, as a full time (not term time) employee, but whose contractual conditions include a short period of unpaid leave within the year. Term time employees don't have periods when they have imposed unpaid leave, they simply have different working patterns.

They have unpaid leave taken into account in the salary calculation. For instance, in approximate terms, 39 working weeks, 6 weeks paid leave, they'd get 45/52 times the FTE salary. Then also a factor reflecting hours, for instance if they do 30 hours a week it'd be something like (30/37) * (45/52) * FTE salary.

They changed this about 10 years ago in our LA because of these equality assessments where they had to compare eg TAs with binmen and make sure they were comparing like with like. So the FTE is compared based on a full working year on full time hours (37 IIRC).

It sounds like the OP's wife it's the same, except it seems there is some school holiday working required, so the unpaid leave is a bit less than pure term time working. But exactly the same principle.

Blatchford

zagfles wrote: »

Where has the OP said that's not the case for his wife?.
.

Well, apart from everything they have said in the entire post, nowhere. So if we ignore everything the poster has said, the fact that other employees are on different terms, then I suppose we could compare it to your local authority, despite the fact that it isn't a local authority, and it isn't a term time contract, and there's nothing in common between the two situations.

I'll leave it up to the past to decide whether you know what your are talking about.

Btw, it wasn't a conspiracy theory. That's the way the law used to work. You're possibly too young to remember. Laws change.

zagfles

Blatchford wrote: »

Well, apart from everything they have said in the entire post, nowhere.

It sounds the same to me, from what the OP has written. I'll see what he comes back to as to whether the pay is reduced and equally spread over the year, just like LAs do, or if there's 1.6 weeks where she gets no pay at all.

Mountain365

Again, thank you for everyone who has replied to my original questions.

Just to clarify, my wife is not a term time employee only.

zagfles

Mountain365 wrote: »

Again, thank you for everyone who has replied to my original questions.

Just to clarify, my wife is not a term time employee only.

Yes, that is clear from the number of weeks she works. Schools have more than 7.2 weeks holiday. But the basis on which she is paid could be similar to term time only workers, as it's unusual for employees to get as much as 7.2 weeks paid leave.

Which is why I asked whether her pay is equally spread over the year, or if there's actually 1.6 weeks when she gets no pay at all.

getmore4less

zagfles wrote: »

Where has the OP said that's not the case for his wife? They have unpaid leave taken into account in the salary calculation. For instance, in approximate terms, 39 working weeks, 6 weeks paid leave, they'd get 45/52 times the FTE salary. Then also a factor reflecting hours, for instance if they do 30 hours a week it'd be something like (30/37) * (45/52) * FTE salary.

They changed this about 10 years ago in our LA because of these equality assessments where they had to compare eg TAs with binmen and make sure they were comparing like with like. So the FTE is compared based on a full working year on full time hours (37 IIRC).

It sounds like the OP's wife it's the same, except it seems there is some school holiday working required, so the unpaid leave is a bit less than pure term time working. But exactly the same principle.

6 weeks paid holidays for 39 working weeks is very generous well above statutory which would be 4.7 weeks

zagfles

getmore4less wrote: »

6 weeks paid holidays for 39 working weeks is very generous well above statutory which would be 4.7 weeks

Yup - though not as generous as the OP's wife colleagues who apparently get 7.2 weeks paid holiday!

Mountain365

In the contract it states that she will not be paid for 1.6 weeks of holiday, but, as you surmise, this is calculated and spread over the whole year.

zagfles

Mountain365 wrote: »

In the contract it states that she will not be paid for 1.6 weeks of holiday, but, as you surmise, this is calculated and spread over the whole year.

So it works on the same principle as LA term time only contracts - some leave is paid and some unpaid but pay is spread evenly over the year. So in itself I can't see an issue, they're just doing what most schools do.

As to why colleagues are getting more paid leave, something to take up with the management although they might have worse other terms, maybe they are paid less. Or do they get actually less holiday?