TERM TIME WORKING is aimed at further supporting a family friendly working environment by seeking to make available attendance patterns which enable employees to balance, in so far as is possible, both work and domestic obligations. This particular policy allows working parents/guardians to match working arrangements with the main summer holidays of their children, or provide care for a person with a disability who resides with them during the leave and requires care on a continuous or frequent basis.
The following is a synopsis of the policy and its detail:
Periods of Special Leave (Unpaid):
Ø A continuous period of 13 weeks starting the first week in June (Post primary)
Ø A continuous period of 10 weeks starting the fourth week of June (pre school or primary school)
Eligibility to Participate
Ø Employees must have one year continuous service with employer at date of commencement of term time working
Ø Have one or more dependent children aged 18 years or younger at date of commencement of term time working. The dependent child must be of pre-school age or attending primary, post-primary, second level vocational education or a special needs school.
Or
Ø Be the primary carer for the period of the Term Time leave of a person who resides with them and who has a disability and requires continuous or frequent care.
Applications should be supported by copies of birth or medical certificates as appropriate
Restriction on Taking Leave
Ø Participants will not be granted leave, (i.e. Annual Leave) for four weeks immediately before or after the period of Term Time Leave. This restriction does not apply to any form of statutory leave.
Ø However in certain circumstances a manager may grant leave within those restricted times where such leave does not result in additional costs or impact negatively on service delivery or other staff seeking to take leave.
Payment of Salary
Ø Term Time Leave is unpaid by its nature and those participating may apply for special administrative arrangements to have salary averaged over the year to include the period of unpaid Term Time Leave.
Ø Under P.R.S.I. rules there are no contributions during Term Time Leave as employees are not earning over the period
Ø It is the responsibility of the participant to ensure that all voluntary deductions are kept up to date during leave
Reckonable Service
Ø The period of term time leave is reckonable for the purposes of increments but not for pension purposes.
Sick Leave
Ø Participants may not avail of the Sick Pay scheme when on Term Time Leave
Career Breaks
Ø Those availing of administrative arrangements for the payment of salary over the 12 month period may not normally be granted a Career Break during the same tax year.
Ø If in exceptional circumstances a career break is granted any overpayment of salary arising from Term Time Working must be repaid prior to commencement of Career Break.
Promotion
Ø Participants will continue to be eligible for promotion while on Term Time Leave.
Ø In certain circumstances the promotional offer may be conditional on the person resuming duty at the promotional grade with immediate effect
Filling of ensuing vacancies:
The scheme is not intended to place an undue burden on those staff remaining in the workplace and as such:
Ø Where required and feasible temporary replacements will be recruited
Ø The non-availability of replacement staff may limit the extent of the scheme
Ø In that case there will be further exploration in relation to replacements or alternative arrangements
Ø All options explored must result in no cost increase
Ø Vacancies will normally be filled by:
•Temp replacements in basic grades
•Higher duty allowances (and subsequent filling of basic grade posts by temp replacements)
•The person carrying out the acting up assignment must be available for the duration of the Leave.
•Any recruitment of temporary replacements is contingent on remaining within agreed WTE compliment.