Pregnant Wife on fixed contract

[capedcrusader87]

Hello, my wife is a secondary teacher on a fixed 1 year contract. This is her second year at the school. Rather than being given a permanent contract in September she was given another fixed.

The school was was a LA School however last year the process of becoming an academy has started so she is now in an academy.

we are expecting our first baby and she has been told that she only gets maternity pay until the end of her fixed contract. She is also worried that as there have been rumours her department is being cut (drama) there won’t be renewing her contract especially now she is pregnant.

Is is there any advice or protection she can get?

[ULA]

Your wife will have all the rights that any employee has, and cannot be treated any less favourably because she is on a fixed term or temporary contact.

If her contract ends and is not renewed, then consideration will need to be given as to the reasons why. If there is no longer a need for her to do the work, for example because the project has ended, then this is a redundancy situation and if she has 2 year’s continuous service with the academy she will be entitled to a redundancy payment. If the job still exists, and her contract is not renewed because of the pregnancy or maternity leave, the dismissal will be discriminatory and automatically unfair. A woman who is dismissed while pregnant must be given written reasons for her dismissal.

[capedcrusader87]

Thank you. So in theory if she goes on maternity on in May/June, provided her contract is renewed she should get full maternity pay?