How much leave do you get (with caveats)

Billysboots

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It would be interesting to see how the leave time allowances are split between private and the public sector.
As A rough guess, I would imagine the public sector allowances are much greater.

That’s a slightly dangerous game to play, given the fact leave is only a very small part of a package of remuneration and entitlements.

Regardless, from what I’ve seen of the replies here the two sectors aren’t wildly different.
 

Swango1980

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Then I would suggest they are not doing their jobs properly. My other half teaches so does my son in law. Teachers generally have 2 or maybe 3 weeks downtime in the summer, the rest is spent on admin and lesson prep.
I'd imagine judging how over half a million teachers in the UK do the job properly, or not, is dangerous by judging them against one or two individuals we know personally and what they do. They are all individuals, they all have individual responsibilities and I'm sure there are many many ways in which the job can be done "properly".

Some teachers may remain focused on the job and do some sort of work throughout the entire summer. Others may cram it all in within the last week of summer. Yet both teachers may be generally considered brilliant teachers, or they may both be considered poor teachers. Some teachers may have less overall responsibilities, some may be head of year, head of department, head teachers, etc. There could be a difference between primary and secondary school teachers.

At end of the day, I only raised teachers because officially they get a lot more leave that a lot of the rest of the work force, and so I ruled them out simply as they could quote high leave allowance that could not be matched by, say, an office worker (although I should have probably ruled out the retired while I was at it, given some of the responses :) ). What teachers choose to do, or not, in that leave is up to them. Personally, I'd hate to be a teacher, because I know the leave is "tainted" by having to do work within that period. I'd hate the fact that you need to work outside work hours, even during term time, to plan and mark. And I'd hate that leave is during the most expensive time to go on holiday. So I certainly wasn't ruling them out because I thought they got loads of leave and have an easy life.
 

PJ87

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I'd imagine judging how over half a million teachers in the UK do the job properly, or not, is dangerous by judging them against one or two individuals we know personally and what they do. They are all individuals, they all have individual responsibilities and I'm sure there are many many ways in which the job can be done "properly".

Some teachers may remain focused on the job and do some sort of work throughout the entire summer. Others may cram it all in within the last week of summer. Yet both teachers may be generally considered brilliant teachers, or they may both be considered poor teachers. Some teachers may have less overall responsibilities, some may be head of year, head of department, head teachers, etc. There could be a difference between primary and secondary school teachers.

At end of the day, I only raised teachers because officially they get a lot more leave that a lot of the rest of the work force, and so I ruled them out simply as they could quote high leave allowance that could not be matched by, say, an office worker (although I should have probably ruled out the retired while I was at it, given some of the responses :) ). What teachers choose to do, or not, in that leave is up to them. Personally, I'd hate to be a teacher, because I know the leave is "tainted" by having to do work within that period. I'd hate the fact that you need to work outside work hours, even during term time, to plan and mark. And I'd hate that leave is during the most expensive time to go on holiday. So I certainly wasn't ruling them out because I thought they got loads of leave and have an easy life.

Also add that teachers aren't all employed when the schools are closed

I looked at my wife's contract before. She had zero holiday and was unemployed when the school was closed
 
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Also add that teachers aren't all employed when the schools are closed

I looked at my wife's contract before. She had zero holiday and was unemployed when the school was closed
This is true for lower level staff like TA's and HLTA's. They get paid for approx 40 weeks but pro rata'd over 12 months.
 

PJ87

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This is true for lower level staff like TA's and HLTA's. They get paid for approx 40 weeks but pro rata'd over 12 months.

Always easy to look at what someone else has got as amazing until in their shoes ofc.

I mean today my wife is dealing with a tragic situation (won't go into full detail but let's just say a parents worse nightmare) and they are telling the students (infant school) today so there will be lots of tears
 

GreiginFife

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No wonder the Scottish "government" are looking to save money and reduce staff with that amount of leave!
60 days is only 5 less than teachers.
Bear in mind that not all civil service bodies are ministerial (i.e. not under Scot Gov purview). They are essentially self maintaining bodies and so can act as appropriate without impacting the public purse.
 

Reemul

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My wife is a deputy head.

All teachers get 13 week holiday. They get paid for 28 (20 days + BH) days of them and not for the other 37 days. Their salary is pro rata over 12 months.

If I was to get another 37 days holiday unpaid which is just over 7 weeks not getting paid would have quite an effect on my yearly salary.

1 thing I will add my wife is responsoble locally in Dorset for Teacher Direct which is the training scheme for new teachers. Around 40% of teachers quit within 5 years. They all come in thinking ooh weekends off and 13 weeks holiday, it's gonna be so easy and then leave :)

I have worked in retail and finance for 35 years and no way would I want to be a teacher, crap job, treated like rubbish by parents who are all experts and even people without kids are experts in teaching and telling them how lazy and skiving they, long hours and so on. Stuff that.
 

PNWokingham

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I get 28 days. Been with firm 15 years and it started at 25 and added some for age - not sure what current policy is as we were taken over. We can carry over 5 and buy or sell 5 for the next year in December (i always carry over 5 and now usually sell 5, which are paid pro rata over the subsequent 12 months). One annoying feature is that we have to take a 10 day break if we want to or not. I have taken to working the 3 days between Christmas and New Year as many others in team wanted this time off as several are foreign born and go home to families - but working from home over these 3 days does not take much effort as markets are essentaillly closed
 
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PJ87

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I'll add the caveats I remember now lol

Other grades have block leave. So they have leave cycles which are set in stone so you can see when you leave is for years to come but don't get when you want. You can swap tho only if others want

Our grade we can book when we want however the following rules. No leave on nights or weekends. Mutual agreement so when we are leave covers we get less nights and weekends to work. We simply swap our weekends off

Used to not be able to take Xmas or new years week off .. but we voted to change that

Only 2 weeks off In summer unless others don't use there's so everyone gets a fair crack at school holidays .
 

Voyager EMH

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It would be interesting to see how the leave time allowances are split between private and the public sector.
As A rough guess, I would imagine the public sector allowances are much greater.
I imagine that plenty of commercial firms give the statutory minimum annual leave in order to maximise profits.
Civil Service and Local Authority workers usually get more than the minimum.
I would like to know the actual figures for where all the 28 days (inc BHs) workers are. I'm sure there will be some very large employers in that list.
 

GreiginFife

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I imagine that plenty of commercial firms give the statutory minimum annual leave in order to maximise profits.
Civil Service and Local Authority workers usually get more than the minimum.
I would like to know the actual figures for where all the 28 days (inc BHs) workers are. I'm sure there will be some very large employers in that list.
My experience of even big firms is that the minimum (if used) will be the starting point with additional "service reward" days. Whilst they look to maximise profits, most balance this out with staff retention to a degree.

The biggest difference in private to public sector that I have seen is in pensions and benefits. Average private sector pension is 5% employee and 4% employer. Public sector this is several magnitudes higher in most cases (current client is a 20% contribution from employer).

Public sector bodies also tend to have some sort of flexi-leave scheme in operation whereas (again my experience of multiple clients) is that this is very much minority in private sector (as it costs). Again, current client, staff can utilise up to 30 hours per month (either pre-banked or worked back on debit).

I think this is where the big differences are.

(for reference, I have worked with 16 private sector firms and 7 public sector bodies).
 

jim8flog

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The biggest difference in private to public sector that I have seen is in pensions and benefits. Average private sector pension is 5% employee and 4% employer. Public sector this is several magnitudes higher in most cases (current client is a 20% contribution from employer).
I bet the public sector is the only area where you will still get a defined benefit pension as well (unless you were in one when the company changed it's pension scheme).
 

jim8flog

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Lower salaries for serving the public too.
I reckon that is something of yesteryear.

There definitely was a time when when you worked in the pubic sector you gave up a better salary for better terms and condition e.g a better pension but I would wonder if that applies now.
 

KenL

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I reckon that is something of yesteryear.

There definitely was a time when when you worked in the pubic sector you gave up a better salary for better terms and condition e.g a better pension but I would wonder if that applies now.
Given what most of my pals earn in the private sector I'd be surprised. No large bonus either when you work for a civil service style establishment either.
 

GreiginFife

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I bet the public sector is the only area where you will still get a defined benefit pension as well (unless you were in one when the company changed it's pension scheme).
I can’t speak for rUK but final salary pensions in Scotland were phased out years ago, pretty much all of the clients I have worked for no longer support final salary schemes.
 
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