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Accessible on the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s website, the series of seven videos provides information relevant to a teacher’s specific jurisdiction of employment.
The aim of the videos is to provide better service to members, said Lisa Everitt, an executive staff officer in the Teacher Welfare program area who was involved in creating the videos.
“It allows them some flexibility in how they get their information,” she said.
Staff officers in Teacher Welfare handled more than 900 calls about maternity and parental leave in 2014. The aim of the videos is to arm teachers with the knowledge they need to discuss the issue in greater detail if and when they choose to call.
“Once they’ve gotten that basic information, they can call us with the specifics of their situation,” Everitt said. “It leads to a more productive conversation on the phone.”
Since maternity leave is a complex issue, another benefit of the videos is that teachers can repeatedly refer back to them, Everitt said.
“And we do kind of live in this visual world.” ❚
The videos are presented along with a list of frequently asked questions and a special brochure entitled Everything You Need to Know About Maternity Leave. All this information is available at www.teachers.ab.ca > For Members > Salary, Benefits and Pension > Leaves of Absence > Maternity Leave.
