Sick of being treated as an inferior since going P/T

[TartyMcFarty]

I went back to work as a teacher last September after maternity leave, in a 0.5 job-share arrangement. Since then, all my requests for CPD have fallen on deaf ears. The in-house 'provision' always falls on a day that I'm not at work.

Last year I found that my colleague and I had been shunted out of our classrooms into the 'dungeon' on the ground floor. This year it seems we're to lose even that to a new, additional colleague. The message seems to be that it's too inconvenient to expect the full-timer to work in various classrooms, but it's fine to ask a P/T-er to do so. DH and I are TTC #2 at the moment, and I hate to think how I'm going to manage lugging resources through crowded corridors, over several floors if I do get pregnant. It does strike me as ridiculous that the size of the teaching staff should increase when there aren't adequate classrooms anyway, but that's beside the point.

The point of this whinge is that I'm so about my inferior status as a part time employee. Do mums just generally have to suck this up? If there were any jobs to apply for at the moment I'd be there like a shot. Grr!

[cjbartlett]

What's CPD?
I haven't found it as bad as you
I have to try really hard to keep up to date with what's going on - I oftencheck
My work email at home because of this

[CaptainMartinCrieff]

Do you require CPD to maintain a standard of practice? For example I need to maintain my CPD to maintain my registration status... My employee has an obligation to support me in this...if yours do too and they're not you need to speak to your line manager and maybe even get someone more senior involved.

[ObviouslyOblivious]

If you google part time worker rights (sorry if I link it will be to the mobile site (iPhone)) you will find the direct.gov page that specifically mentions you have a right to training:

"Training and career development
Part-time workers mustn't be excluded from training and career development opportunities. Wherever possible, training must be organised at times that suit most workers, including part-timers."

Hope this helps in some way

[TartyMcFarty]

Thank you. This year's CPD arrangements are slightly different, and thanks to the goodwill of two of my colleagues in staying behind on a different evening (this has nothing to do with SLT), I'll have access to training for this half-term at least. I'm interested to see that I could do inset and take time off in lieu too.

I remember having to argue my case last year, when having completed twilight sessions along with the rest of the dept, it seemed that I wasn't entitled to the time off in lieu because the day allocated to this wasn't one that I worked. I was made to feel grasping and awkward, and will no doubt have that same issue this year. I think this is partly an issue because some members of staff take it on the chin, so it sets a difficult precedent.

This time, I had a PPA timetabled for a slot when I'm not even working. SLT tried to fob me off with moving it to a new dept planning period, so I'd either have ended up doing departmental work in my own PPA time or being further marginalised from CPD opportunities. Again, I've really had to assert myself to avoid losing out.

The classroom issue is just the latest in a succession of things that make me feel unvalued as an employee. I'm astonished at the inequality that just seems to be the norm where I work.

[BerylStreep]

I can sympathise.

I was reading a thread the other day where a teacher was giving off about PT teachers, and I was a bit at the level of self-righteous animosity shown. I know it would just be easier if we all buckled down and either worked full-time or resigned [tongue in cheek]. It would mean people don't need to think creatively about how the job can still be achieved. I work pt, and whilst most of my colleagues are supportive, my manager is unsupportive, (read harassment), despite me delivering on all my objectives and significantly exceeding all my targets.

Lots of people just don't appear to recognise that flexible working is a legitimate choice, with loads of benefits for the employer, society, our children and the pt worker themselves.

Research has shown that PT workers are often more productive then full time equivalents (wish I had a reference, but I don't), and if flexible work practices are embraced and encouraged, an employer can find themselves with motivated, loyal staff, save money and have greater flexibility. There is also the argument that flexible working has the benefit of staff retention, which reduces recruitment & training costs and adds to overall stability.

Sadly, many people overlook this, and instead display resentment,

I think the benefits of PT working should be more widely advertised and promoted. There are lots of sectors where it appears to be well established, retail, hospitality, health-care come to mind, but some areas just seem to find it too difficult to change their outlook.

[TartyMcFarty]

That's what I thought, which is why I pushed for it. Didn't help to endear me to SLT though. Thanks Beryl, plenty of food for thought there.

[donthateme]

If the thread to which you are referring berylstreep is mine then I suggest you read it again and either point out the 'animosity' or back off!!

My thead was clearly criticising the senior management for agreeing to a part time job arrangement which clearly impacted negatively on other colleagues. I have no issue with whether people work full time or part time, as long as their arrangements don't adversely affect their colleagues. Thats not resentment or animosity- its about treating people equitably.

To the op- a risk assessment will be done if you are pregnant and if carrying resources is an issue, then arrangements should be put in place. This wont necessarily mean a permanent classroom though- it could be that someone else does the carrying. The other member of staff might be pregnant or have other health issues anyway Which is why she has been allocated the room.

The time of in lieu thing- it's worth checking but tbh I would be surprised if a school agrees to this if they end up out of pocket. Eg if you attend Inset on a day off, and then end up taking one of your teaching days off in lieu, the school will have to pay for cover. Additional costs should not be incurred for the school- at the end of the day it's less money to go around for everything else.

Ime employers want good reliable employees, end of. It is not in their interests to be constantly recruiting, which is hugely expensive and time consuming and can be destabilising. I don't think employers mind what hours people work as long as the job gets done effectively, communications are efficient and prompt and no one gets unfairly dumped on by anyone else.

I think the issue with some part timers feeling undervalued or overlooked is that they want to be part time but then get upset if training or meetings happen on their days off. Frankly that's daft. The workplace will continue to function all week- training and meetings etc etc will continue to happen, and surely if you're part time you just accept this and make sure you keep in the loop as far as possible.

As for part timers being more productive- sorry, but the reality is that there are some fabulous workers full or part time, some mediocre and some crap. Its the height of irony to come on here erroneously claiming someone else is belittling part timers and then start saying that part timers are more efficient than full timers! Honestly!
At the end of the day most adults are parents and most parents work- probably mostly full time. It doesn't have to be a battle- just get on and do the job you've been appointed to and let others get on with theirs.

[donthateme]

Oops- time OFF.

[donthateme]

Actually re reading the op, you define it as a job share, which is technically one post. Therefore the time in lieu thing shouldn't be an issue. You and your job share partner should simply be splitting the work between you and liaising with eachother as appropriate. The job is still technically one full time post.

Ime job shares can work very effectively in teaching, because then the split classes which I describe in my other thread aren't a problem to colleagues. The classes are split only between the two people who are agreeing to it and want it, and as long as their liaison is watertight and the pupils aren't disadvantaged then theres no problem. Part time also works well (obviously!) when the school only has part time hours available in a certain subject. The problem with my situation (and which I reiterated time and again in my thread ) is with our senior management who have agreed a part time job which seems unworkable, where the part timer will never be at work when there are staff Meetings and where other colleagues (ie me!) are getting dumped on. That's really poor management and the sort of thing which risks part timers getting a bad press. Its better for employers to just be upfront if a certain Part time situation is unworkable because if they may crap decision like this then ultimately it will backfire on people who want part time because they then might be viewed as a 'problem' !

[TartyMcFarty]

Spent a sleepless night worrying about this. I have a suspicion I might be being managed out. Probably sleep-deprived paranoia but it wouldn't surprise me. Whatever, it's a complete morale-killer.

donthateme you make some interesting points but I don't have time to respond now.

[donthateme]

Sorry you're feeling so anxious. But if this is a job share arrangement which the school has agreed, why would they then be acting in an underhand way?

Try to consider each issue separately. Being allocated a bit of a rubbishy teaching room is pants, but frankly happens in many schools simply because the fabric of a lot of schools isn't great. If you feel you and your job share partner are being unfairly treated compared to colleagues then log your reasons rationally. RE: the pregnancy issue... Woah! You're not pregnant yet; cross that bridge when you come to it. You may well be fine and just need a hand carryin heavy resources in your last couple of months which the school should organise through your risk assessment.

Re: inset. It's very normal for schools to stick to a regular pattern. Our inset days are normally Fridays, meetings are scheduled for Mondays,'any twilights tend to be Wednesdays. When you have a staff of around 100 its far simpler to have a system. Also parents are a lot happier if inset falls on the same day - I can imagine the complaints if we sometimes did Tuesday, or weds etc! Being in a jobshare surely you and your partner simply attend things on your work days and pass on any information as needed to eachother. The problem with attending inset on your day off is that you will either expect to be paid (which means the school are paying two people for the same day when tehnically the job share is one post) or you will want a day in lieu which again means the school will have to pay for cover. If schools find that having part timers works out as more expensive than a full timer, this is exactly the sort of thing which will backfire on part timers because they could be viewed as less desirable.

Try to rationalise the situation and don't take it personally when things happen on your days off. As I said, the workplace will function all week- it doesn't mean you are being overlooked, just that life goes on!

My posts have not been critical of your situation at all op . My situation is quite different because a really poor management decision has meant a colleague has been allowed to change to a part time contract which causes large amounts of extra work to be dumped on her colleagues. And then to add insult to injury berylstreep starts accusing full timers of animosity towards part timers!! Nonsense. If I wanted a part time job id go for one- perfectly happy with my current job, salary and pension thanks, just don't appreciate being treated unfairly!

[PotteringAlong]

Yanbu about the cpd

Yabu about the classroom situation. Think yourself lucky you've never had to do it before - if the fabric of your school building is such that someone has to do it then it has to be someone - why, logically, shouldn't it be you?

[donthateme]

Just to clarify: I agree with Pottering about external CPD. Your requests should be treated on the same basis as anyone elses. It doesn't mean you will always get it- most schools have a very tight CPD budget, but you certainly shouldn't be discriminated against.

In house inset is different though- the school will set the schedule and obviously if some staff are part time then it may not fall on their work days. You just need to stop seeing it as a personal issue. I have occasionally heard part timers complain about the same thing and Its illogical. What do they expect the workplace to do'- stop running on their days off?!