The International Schools Review Forum

Hi

My partner and I are recruiting for new jobs to start in August 2017. We also want to start a family. What are schools' attitudes to maternity leave towards the end of the first year of contract? Would we be insured etc?

Schools have widely differing approaches to this.
Some flatly say that there will be no maternity leave or benefits until you have completed at least a full year of employment (not a school year, a calendar year). Some schools manage to get away with this even in countries with laws that would seem to forbid it.
Others are in countries where familial benefits are extensive and the law requires you get them all, starting with your first day of employment.
Lots fall in the middle somewhere.
So you're going to need to explore carefully and find out about each school individually.
Which could be a pretty awkward conversation to have at interview, so you'll need to be more creative in your research.

Thanks for the insight Sid. Its not a deal breaker, but wanted to find out more.

I generally agree with @Sid, policies vary and some of those policies run counter to what the labor law and regulations are. Its important to read your contract and policy handbook.
I would advice that you dont file for maternity leave until after the first reportable day at your IS. It will be very late for your IS to replace you and hire another IT, and their ability to dismiss you is more difficult. If you do it before then the IS may argue that you werent employed over the summer holiday.
Whether your covered or not depends on the IS and the region you are in. If you are in a region with social insurance you will be covered. If your IS retains you, you will be covered, but if they dismiss you you will lose your health insurance.