Appendix 7
Grant of Maternity Leave to Female Teaching Staff
1. The Director may grant maternity leave to teachers/workshop teachers/ laboratory technicians before and after giving birth to a child. Maternity leave shall be the aggregate of :
(a) a period of 4 weeks immediately before the expected date of confinement;
(b) a further period, if any, from the expected date of confinement to the actual date of confinement;
(c) a period of 6 weeks immediately after the actual date of confinement; and
(d) a further period, not exceeding 4 weeks, on grounds of illness of disability arising out of the pregnancy or confinement.
The actual amount of leave granted before the expected date of confinement and after confinement should be based on the recommendation of a registered medical practitioner, but in no case is a teacher/workshop teacher/laboratory technician permitted to resume duty before the expiration of 6 weeks following confinement. Not more than 6 weeks paid leave should be granted following confinement.
2. Female teachers/workshop teachers/laboratory technicians who have completed 40 weeks of resident service prior to the commencement of maternity leave may be granted full pay maternity leave up to a maximum of 10 weeks. Such maternity leave benefits are, however, limited to 3 surviving children only.
3. Teachers/workshop teachers/laboratory technicians with less than 40 weeks of resident service may be granted maternity leave without pay for up to 10 weeks.
4. When more than 10 weeks' absence is recommended by a registered medical practitioner, additional maternity leave may be granted by the Director as no-pay leave to bring the total absence up to 6 months. Further leave without pay on the same terms may be granted at the discretion of the Director.
5. The following categories of teachers / workshop teachers / laboratory technicians will also be eligible for full pay for any part of the maternity leave which falls within a major school holiday, i.e., Christmas, Chinese New Year, Easter and Summer Vacation : -
(a) Teachers / workshop teachers / laboratory technicians whose ante-natal leave exceeds 4 weeks or post-natal leave exceeds 6 weeks and the excess portion of maternity leave falls wholly or partly within a major school holiday;
(b) Teachers / workshop teachers / laboratory technicians who have already had 3 surviving children and whose maternity leave for the fourth one falls wholly or partly within a major school holiday; and
(c) Teachers / workshop teachers / laboratory technicians who have less than 40 weeks' resident service to qualify for full pay maternity leave and whose maternity leave (for the first to third child) falls wholly or partly within a major school holiday.
6. Maternity leave is not counted as sick leave.
7. A teacher / workshop teacher / laboratory technician is not entitled to maternity leave whilst absent from duty for other reasons.
8. Applications for maternity leave may be forwarded after the pregnancy has been certified and shall be supported by a certificate from a registered medical practitioner; stating that the teacher / workshop teacher / laboratory technician is pregnant, and specifying the expected date of confinement and the date on which the maternity leave is to commence.