So P***** off!

[annaespana1]

I've been trying to sort out my maternity leave from school as head teacher needs to organise cover. We only get 16 weeks here (Spain) and so I decided 3 weeks before due date (struggling already) and 13 weeks after was the best I could do. I was under the impression that my school holidays were additional, so the Xmas hols and Easter (its dead early next year) would be extra- aparently NOT!
I am due on Xmas day and would have to be back at work on the 24th of March- my baby will not even be 3 months old!!
If they let me exclude hols I wouldn't need to go back for another month.
To make things worse my hubby or I have no family out here and so we'll need to have child care (nanny or nursery) sorted- but its too soon- he'll be far too little!! I can't believe that this is right.

 

[ella]

That is soooo harsh! Its the same in the states - by brotherl ives there. There is really nothing you can do though??? Is additional unpaid leave an option?

 

[annem]

i'd love to move to spain but they don't seem to have fair maternity rights

i read somewhere on here some tricks to get longer mat by being signed off for something unrelated to preg. I'm sure the other spain girls will explain it better in their posts!!!

 

[Babylicious]

 

[annaespana1]

I've been trying to sort out my maternity leave from school as head teacher needs to organise cover. We only get 16 weeks here (Spain) and so I decided 3 weeks before due date (struggling already) and 13 weeks after was the best I could do. I was under the impression that my school holidays were additional, so the Xmas hols and Easter (its dead early next year) would be extra- aparently NOT!
I am due on Xmas day and would have to be back at work on the 24th of March- my baby will not even be 3 months old!!
If they let me exclude hols I wouldn't need to go back for another month.
To make things worse my hubby or I have no family out here and so we'll need to have child care (nanny or nursery) sorted- but its too soon- he'll be far too little!! I can't believe that this is right.

 

[ella]

That is soooo harsh! Its the same in the states - by brotherl ives there. There is really nothing you can do though??? Is additional unpaid leave an option?

 

[annem]

i'd love to move to spain but they don't seem to have fair maternity rights

i read somewhere on here some tricks to get longer mat by being signed off for something unrelated to preg. I'm sure the other spain girls will explain it better in their posts!!!

 

[Babylicious]

 

[Squiglet]

The only way to leave before your maternity leave is to have an understanding gp who will sign you off before then...

Then you take your baja de maternidad as normal from the day you pop the baby.. After that, you have your 3 months... You could be lucky and get signed off a little bit longer if you gp is really nice (mines not, she's an absolute witch..) also you can take up to a year off, but after 3 months its unpaid..

You should still be entitled to your holidays as that isn't interfered with by your maternity leave, although schools might be different. You should really go to your local UCT union and speak to them about what your rights are... They cost about 40€ for a consultation with their lawyer.

As for child care, you are entitled to 100€ a month from the town hall to cover child care expenses... but you are right, there is little to no child care in Spain...The Spanish government expects you to either give up your job now that you are a mum, or your parents are expected to step in... and if you don't have family you're basically screwed as child care is quite limited.

Don't forget as well that Zapetero has also introduced this new maternity bonus for 2.500€ which you can claim upon the birth of your baby... that should be able to extend your maternity leave a little longer. I think that's why he did it...

 

[paradysso]

what would happen if your werent fit to return to work?

i wasnt fit until alana was 6 months, i spent the first 3 months bed ridden.

thats so horrible, they only give such little time, and i thought the spanish were laid back

 

[Josephine_Beth]

Unfortunately, it's very unfait but a lot of women in countries such as spain, cyprus and greece etc go back to work after 40 days, because of this poo'y rule!

See if your GP is a caring one and see if they can write yoiu off?

 

[Squiglet]

In Spain it runs on things called "bajas" in order to be off work for medical reasons... If you were not fit to return to work after your maternity leave was up you would be given a general baja... And a medical reason would be given as to why you couldn't return to work... But there are no benefits here like in the UK, so unless you've paid into the system you get nowt... I've been paying into the system for 4 years, but it only entitles me to 3 months of benefits... So come October, I'm screwed financially because I have no money...

 

[Pregnopaws]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

 

[Squiglet]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

My dad used to work a civil servant in the UK training dogs.. and as a result collects a civil servant pension which, under UK law means he HAS to pay UK taxes no matter where he lives... but because he doesn't live in the UK he's not entitled to use the NHS when he goes over there, he has to register as an.....get this...


IMMIGRANT/ASYLUM SEEKER!!!! He's soo annoyed at that.. So if you think Spanish rules are odd.. that one takes the biscuit

 

[Squiglet]

In Spain it runs on things called "bajas" in order to be off work for medical reasons... If you were not fit to return to work after your maternity leave was up you would be given a general baja... And a medical reason would be given as to why you couldn't return to work... But there are no benefits here like in the UK, so unless you've paid into the system you get nowt... I've been paying into the system for 4 years, but it only entitles me to 3 months of benefits... So come October, I'm screwed financially because I have no money...

 

[Pregnopaws]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

 

[Squiglet]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

My dad used to work a civil servant in the UK training dogs.. and as a result collects a civil servant pension which, under UK law means he HAS to pay UK taxes no matter where he lives... but because he doesn't live in the UK he's not entitled to use the NHS when he goes over there, he has to register as an.....get this...


IMMIGRANT/ASYLUM SEEKER!!!! He's soo annoyed at that.. So if you think Spanish rules are odd.. that one takes the biscuit

 

[Squiglet]

In Spain it runs on things called "bajas" in order to be off work for medical reasons... If you were not fit to return to work after your maternity leave was up you would be given a general baja... And a medical reason would be given as to why you couldn't return to work... But there are no benefits here like in the UK, so unless you've paid into the system you get nowt... I've been paying into the system for 4 years, but it only entitles me to 3 months of benefits... So come October, I'm screwed financially because I have no money...

 

[Pregnopaws]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

 

[Squiglet]

Spain has the weirdest govt. I'm so glad DH works across the border in British Gibraltar where he pays normal social insurance stamps and taxes so that we can use the NHS there etc. (And even then we wouldn't have been entitled to it, unless we had a Gibraltar 'address' which fortunately we have!!)

You would be surprised at the huge amount of Brits living down here at the southern end of Spain; who work in Gibraltar, but reside in Spain. They pay one of the highest taxes in Europe and health insurance stamps to the Gib govt each month, but are not entitled to NHS treatment or any other family benefits. Its pretty shocking really.

My dad used to work a civil servant in the UK training dogs.. and as a result collects a civil servant pension which, under UK law means he HAS to pay UK taxes no matter where he lives... but because he doesn't live in the UK he's not entitled to use the NHS when he goes over there, he has to register as an.....get this...


IMMIGRANT/ASYLUM SEEKER!!!! He's soo annoyed at that.. So if you think Spanish rules are odd.. that one takes the biscuit