Leaving a teaching job

[torqueofthedevil]

Hi, my brother is leaving his job as a TA.

I don’t fully understand, but he was saying that they are paid 10 months of wages split across 12 months. This is because they don’t technically get paid for the holiday period but to help with monthly bills etc. their pay is split across the year. This essentially means that each month they are paid a little bit less than they’re really owed and they will get this back across the summer holidays.

He now has another job offer, but apparently has been told that if he was to leave now he would lose the money that is owed to him this summer. Is this correct? He feels the only way to get out of this is to quit after the last day of term in summer, and then he will be entitled to all the money he is owed across the summer holidays . It seems unbelievable that this would be legal. It would also lead to a difficult situation for the school where all staff that are planning to leave would be simultaneously handing their notices in on the last day of term which would lead to logical / recruitment issues for the school

[Truckosaurus]

I believe teachers are well know for timing their resignations to coincide with the summer holidays. (I think they have to give a terms notice, so everyone resigns at Easter)

My sister ended one of her maternity leaves early to work the last week of term (or so....) to qualify for full pay over the summer.

I guess the other thing to look at is whether your brother in owed some holiday pay if they've not taken the legal minimum number of holiday days for the year (but maybe half terms etc add up quickly).

[mrmistoffelees]

torqueofthedevil said:

Hi, my brother is leaving his job as a TA.

I don’t fully understand, but he was saying that they are paid 10 months of wages split across 12 months. This is because they don’t technically get paid for the holiday period but to help with monthly bills etc. their pay is split across the year. This essentially means that each month they are paid a little bit less than they’re really owed and they will get this back across the summer holidays.

He now has another job offer, but apparently has been told that if he was to leave now he would lose the money that is owed to him this summer. Is this correct? He feels the only way to get out of this is to quit after the last day of term in summer, and then he will be entitled to all the money he is owed across the summer holidays . It seems unbelievable that this would be legal. It would also lead to a difficult situation for the school where all staff that are planning to leave would be simultaneously handing their notices in on the last day of term which would lead to logical / recruitment issues for the school

Yep this is standard for a TTO contract.

[Countdown]

torqueofthedevil said:

I don’t fully understand, but he was saying that they are paid 10 months of wages split across 12 months. This is because they don’t technically get paid for the holiday period but to help with monthly bills etc. their pay is split across the year. This essentially means that each month they are paid a little bit less than they’re really owed and they will get this back across the summer holidays.

That isn't the case. Schools definitely don't hold money back "to help people with their budgeting".

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

Countdown said:

That isn't the case. Schools definitely don't hold money back "to help people with their budgeting".

as the husband of a head teacher and having some knowledge of this matter, it is true that in order to allow TA's to be paid monthly, when in fact they work for only 10 months, the total remuneration for 10 months is divided by 12, so that each month the TA can draw a salary.

They don't miss out on any salary. It's a bit like those firms that pay 4 weekly, and those that pay on the last day of the month. You still get paid you full annual amount, just in different amounts and times across the year.

As to the OP, it helps a lot with school budgeting if he leaves before the summer. As the money saved can be used to buy books etc. Good on him for leaving so soon.

[Truckosaurus]

Indeed. The whole '10 months pay spread over 12 months' is just some spiel to make the poor hourly rate look better than it is.

[LE62NDE]

I'm not sure of the arrangements for TAs (so this may not be a helpful contribution: sorry), but teachers get paid for the summer holidays, although I've heard the 'pay for ten months spread across 12' argument before. If a teacher resigns by Easter then they technically leave on August 31st; if they resign after this date their school can insist on them working until December, as a full term's notice is required and you can't leave at half term. So if your brother resigns now he may lose some entitlement. TAs are, I think, on a shorter notice period (maybe a month?).

If you brother is a union member he would do well to ask them if this is allowed.

[Sheepshanks]

LE62NDE said:

I'm not sure of the arrangements for TAs (so this may not be a helpful contribution: sorry), but teachers get paid for the summer holidays, although I've heard the 'pay for ten months spread across 12' argument before. If a teacher resigns by Easter then they technically leave on August 31st.

I'm a step away from this too, as it's my daughter who is a teacher, but my understanding is it's correct they (teachers) are paid for 10 months, spread over 12. I think there's some technical holiday pay reason for that as they "only" get about 6 weeks paid holiday so it would otherwise leave them quite a few weeks unpaid.

She has changed jobs a couple of time over summers and it's correct that she finishes 31st Aug, so there's no gap in her pay.

As you say, the drill could be different for TA's although if the pay is averaged, rather than only paid during term-time it would be hard to see why.

[torqueofthedevil]

Truckosaurus said:

Indeed. The whole '10 months pay spread over 12 months' is just some spiel to make the poor hourly rate look better than it is.

I get that they can word it however they like, but ultimately you get what you get paid annually, however you like to divide it up.

BUT, this is a bit different because of you work to the start of the summer holidays, they do continue to pay you even if you have left. So there is an element of this being reserved to pay you over summer even if you’ve left.

Interesting point that maybe this isn’t paid unless you hand in your notice before Easter. Will suggest he speaks to Union. No chance to do it before Easter so probably best to just tell them now so they can recruit for next year and say he’ll work till summer and hope he gets his summer wages.