Job description query

[Piggywaspushed]

I will try to be as clear as possible without outing myself! Feel free to ask questions!

The scenario : until four years ago, I had a role in my school which was an established role with an established job description and a role done by 4 different people in the school.

I was then moved sideways into a completely different part of the school into a competely new, and unique role. There was a rather nebulus job description and title created after a while : it meant I had very little to do with otehr people within my organisation; it was more outward facing. A year later, for reasons I have never been quite clear on, I was reassigned to another (parallel) role in the same area of the school but one which perhaps brought me more closley into the sphere of influence of the school and others in the team. This was again a new (for which read fabricated) job title with no previous encumbent or job description. My line manager does not work at the school. (complicated). This situation progressed to me being 'accused' (can't think of a better word) several times of not doing my job. After I pointed out many times that I didn't have a job description , eventually one has been drafted (think enough rope to hang herself thing!). This was drafted in some sort of committee apparently after consulting other similar schools , without my knowledge, by everyone else within the team in the school. None of these is my line manager or performance manager. we do not have HR.

I objected when I was shown it to nearly all of it (in a rare meeting with my LM). My LM acknowledged he did not know what some of it meant, and aslo eventually agreed that over half of it was admin, requiring well developed typing,admin and IT skills (to be clear, I am a teacher, not an admin person)

I have made notes, beleiving I would meet my LM again to discuss and clarify. he has now told me I need to pass amendments to two other people (not senior to me within team) so they can all discuss again (without me!)

The issues definitely arise from a job without portfolio being created. if done to its full capacity it would be done in most other schools by a deputy head (I am not SLT). As it stands, much of it would trample on the work of others if done in the true spirit of its title and I think they would rather invent work for me to do which is visible but not front of house or influential.

There is a kind of question here somewhere for someone who knows these things! Which is, who would normally construct someone's job description for a completely new role? But the other question is : am I right that this all sucks a bit...?

[curiositycreature]

In my organisation, job descriptions have to go through a relatively thorough sign off process with lots of layers. Someone from HR will always be involved, plus senior management. Not always immediate line management.

Perhaps more importantly, when we move role within our organisation, we need to sign relevant documentation. Our basic T&Cs won’t change, but we sign to say we approve of the job role (although I’ve never actually seen a JD for any of the roles I’ve moved into!!). I assume the only signature your organisation have is when you started?

I would request a meeting with someone relatively senior to put some of your concerns to them? Who does your HR in absence of a formal department? (ie who pays wages, handles recruitment, deals with maternity leave etc)

But yes! This sucks! You’re school should look after you, whatever that involves. And everything you’ve said doesn’t sound like they are.

[curiositycreature]

Wrong YOUR.... sorry grammar folk!

[Piggywaspushed]

The payroll is done by finance. The other stuff is done by the head's PA. There are some HR somewhere in the LEA.

I have separate job descriptions for each role I have. But we do have to sign them. The mistake they made was not creating one for the post I took up most recently, and then seekign to crticise.


The absence of an on site line manager is clearly a very big issue. Him aside the only other person definitely senior to me in the pecking order of my particular area is the head. But his remit is not in my area (again, complicated) but in me as an employee.

No judgement form em on grammar : i cannot type for the life of me! Hence the laughable nature of my new JD

[SassitudeandSparkle]

I know you've mentioned the LEA but is this an academy chain? I'm getting a sense that it might be more of a business manager (formerly the school bursar) type of role sounds like the ideas for the JD may have come from other schools because that job can encompass many fields nowadays not just finance and I can see why this would be confusing!

I wouldn't expect the employee to be involved in drafting the JD. Who actually does it depends on the organisation and I appreciate that you may not want to give too many details for confidentiality reasons.

I am also getting a slight sense that you feel they are trying to move you out of the way a bit - have you fallen out with them, or have they raised performance issues in the past (not including the most recent round of accusations, as you term them)? To move someone into a role that is not yet fully defined seems a little premature and I'm wondering why they did that.

[Piggywaspushed]

No, not an academy chain. And no, not a bursar etc. Definitely a role allied to teaching. I am glad you got that worng as it means I have been sufficiently non -outing!!

And, yes, your final pragrah is spot on. My treatment over this is rather ilustrative. They give me jobs to shut me up as it were but then won't just leave me ina corner to fester. they do have to keep accusing me of doing nothing. Which is ironic when I am given nothing to do. Hey ho. I ahven't fallen out with anyone. My face has never really fitted. Performace issues have been a constant theme of my employ, sadly.

I am made to feel a little like I am imagining I am treated badly, hence my OP. To be clear, I don't necessarily expect to write my own JD . I would expect to be given one, however,at the ouset and be givena job where the devisor of the role had a very clear idea of what it actually shoudl entail. It does smack of desperation that they have now stuffed a load of admin into it (we have an administrator in the team!)

[Piggywaspushed]

Now you can see how bad my typing is!!!

[LadyLapsang]

You sound quite passive in all this and they sound like they are slowly edging you out. Have you tried applying for a new job?

[Piggywaspushed]

Multiple times. The level I am at is where the log jam is in teaching. I have applied for over 50 jobs in the last 8 - 10 years.
When I try to be assertive, rather than passive I am treated as difficult, or as if I am making a fuss.
DH said I should just accept the job description and do it all badly. But that is not my approach to work.

[SassitudeandSparkle]

I did wonder if you were someone I know on another thread who is a teacher!

OP, the measures that the school have taken so far do look like they are genuinely trying to tackle performance issues which is why I asked if that had been raised earlier. With a large employer (some schools probably would fall under this category) there is often the space to move an employee if they are not doing well in a role. I used to work in HR and that's what we'd do, give someone at least one more chance in a different role/department/manager.

There is no problem with creating a role for someone. Ideally, there will be a need for the role first and the job description will have been drafted accordingly, which seems to have happened with the first couple of jobs. It would appear that they moved you out of your previous role before they were really planning to (if they were planning to move you at all which may not be the case) and you may already be aware of their reasoning behind that.

If you are in the Union, have you ever spoken to them about this? The school do seem to be making an effort to come up with roles for you , even if they are not ones that you would pick yourself, and I recognise how demotivating that will be for you.

[Piggywaspushed]

I have spoken to the Union. They are not very efficient or effective, sadly.

I take your points on board and will work on the new JD. Personally, I don't believe thye have my best interests at heart, but I wil behave as if I believe they do. I think the trouble is they have given me a job tile and a role for which there is no need!

Their problem is perception. They perceive some people are not doing well in roles because they believe each other, and seek no further feedback. My first job mentioned in my first post,I was very good at! Honest!

[SassitudeandSparkle]

I can well believe it, you seem to have been at the school for a while and they seem keen to keep you. What reason did they give for the first move?

Sorry to hear that the Union have not been much help, it does depend on the rep is there a regional one you can try instead of the local

Does your school have a Board of Governors? (no need to reply if this is outing).

[Piggywaspushed]

They never gave a reason. I was told about an 'amazing opportunity' that would add to my attratctiveness when seeking promotion (outside of the school). I got the real hard sell.
I don't think they are keen to keep me. They want me to leave. Which is bizarre as teaching is in a retention crisis.
Yes, it does. Typically it tends to follow the head's lead.
It is regional union that have been useless. On my to do list is to change union!