[MummySmiles]

Hi all- posting in here due to traffic.

Have been working in the same government position since December 2011 from contract to contract (none which were broken). I am 17 weeks pregnant at the moment, which work are not aware of. I have 8 weeks left of current contract. If they extend me another 6 or 12 months (which they most likely will do as they have been doing), would i be eligible for maternity leave paid by the organisation?

My partner thinks i should take it & then inform them i am pregnant. However, i feel this is dishonest & may present myself in an undesired manner.

What do you think/ what would you do?

[lovealpacas]

You would need to check your workplace agreement. And you are contractor or non-ongoing employee? At my workplace you have to be an ongoing employee for 12 months before you qualify for mat leave, regardless of how many contracts you have had.

[InsertAwesomeHer...]

I worked on contract for a uni when I fell pregnant with ds2. My contract ended mid December so I took mat leave 1 day before my contract ended. My employment agreement stated that because I was fixed term I would get paid out all my mat leave on a pro data basis. So they pay 20 wks, I'd been fixed term for 11 months so I got about 18 wks paid out in one go. It really depends what your employment agreement states though. Read it and it should tell you.

[beljane]

Ok, I have just been through this, (Qld Public service) and I was entitled to paid maternity leave until at least the end of contract, more if renewed ( I went on leave in August and my contract was ending in December, they renewed me while I was on leave)

As far as telling them before contract renewal, I don't see a problem with it as they would need a VERY good reason to take that risk when they are dealing with a pregnant women and in my experience, Govt departments just won't take the risk.


from someone who understands how "temporary" contacts work in government

[MummySmiles]

I am a non ongoing employee, as are most people in the office- whose contracts just get rolled over again and again, because the person that 'owns' the permanent position, is off doing another job somewhere.

I know i will be eligible for it as i have been employed by contracts for the previous 12 months (as per in my agreement). I guess the thing i am most worried about is coming across as dishonest if i dont tell them before i sign the contract?

should i wait for a contract to be drafted, then tell them, then sign
Or
Should i tell them and wait to be offered a contract or not

[beljane]

Also, what I did was send a confidential email to HR when I found out I was pregnant to find out my entitlements. They are obligated to keep it confidential and as they usually don't make the decisions on who gets their contract renewed (At my work place it is my Manager who decides, then seeks approval from the Director....then HR do up the paperwork) it would have no bearing.

[beljane]

I am a non ongoing employee, as are most people in the office- whose contracts just get rolled over again and again, because the person that 'owns' the permanent position, is off doing another job somewhere.

I know i will be eligible for it as i have been employed by contracts for the previous 12 months (as per in my agreement). I guess the thing i am most worried about is coming across as dishonest if i dont tell them before i sign the contract?

should i wait for a contract to be drafted, then tell them, then sign
Or
Should i tell them and wait to be offered a contract or not

I would tell them, like I said, they would have to present a very good argument for not renewing your contract as they just don't "go there" when it comes to pregnant women, lest it be seen as discrimination.

(FYI for others reading.....unless you have worked on contract like this it is very difficult to understand how it works as it is COMPLETELY different to the private sector)

This post has been edited by beljane: 09/02/2013, 09:12 PM

[MummySmiles]

Thanks Beljane. I get what you are saying with the discrimination, but i was under the impression they DON'T HAVE TO renew my contract, becasue that is just what it is. Surely, they could make an excuse- ie... position no longer being continued, no need ect?

[jayskette]

Unless you are the world's luckiest contractor and actually have employer sponsored mat leave in your contract... in which case I'd LOVE to know which agency you work for!

[MummySmiles]

im not a contractor. I am an employee who's not ongoing - my position is renewed every 3-6 months depending on how long they extend it for.