AIBU? Working during annual holiday

No, I do not check emails or teams whilst on annual leave. Neither does DH. If there is something absolutely urgent, DH will get called but it's rare. And he earns much much more than £40k.

Are teachers taught martyrdom at university as part of their training? It doesn’t need to be a big deal. It is not a parents responsibility to know your working days or when you are or are not contactable, especially when teachers regularly say they have to work during holidays.

Unless you’re contracted to work during the holidays, put an out-of-office on saying you won’t be returning until after the holidays. Something along the lines of:

“Thank you for your email. I’m currently on holiday and will return after the school holidays on <add date>. Emails sent outside term time will be automatically deleted and should be resent during term time.

If your query is urgent or relates to a safeguarding matter requiring action during the holidays, please contact <insert contact email >.”

That's not correct. Teachers can be directed for 1265 hours over 195 (term time plus INSET) days. So they can't be required to to anything specific on any other day.

Yes, there's a clause saying additional hours outside these must ensure lessons are planned and mock exams are marked and a million other things are done, so often things are done during school closure in an attempt not to be working late every weeknight, but this can't be stipulated.

No policy can set deadlines out of directed time, so parent emails should be dealt with during term time.

Generally not the ones in the pay range OP is talking about. Sure, there is a cultural expedition in some roles but most people are not contractually obliged to work during their annual leave.

This. Assuming you’re not the safeguarding lead who might well have to check/respond to emails throughout the holidays. I’m a teacher and I had a WhatsApp from another teacher regarding the loss of something on a trip which arrived home after school finished so I made a couple of calls, located said item, organised for it to be returned. Normally, tho, I don’t even look at emails until a couple of days before we go back.

The holidays aren’t annual leave. And yes, plenty of jobs do expect you to be available during AL

Don't check your work email then you won't know.

What on earth is that important that parents are emailing a teacher during the summer holidays. Fair enough a principal or the office for something major but why a teacher?

Why have parents got your email address?

The school holidays aren’t all “annual leave” though are they? I thought you had 6 weeks annual leave and the rest was just “non-directed time” as a teacher?

Iv sent teachers emails but don't expect as response until sept.

Dont reply to emails. Set holiday reply with date your back and it may take a week to reply even then etc

If you get stopped politely ask them to make an appointment with reception in September so you can give it your full attention.

And that’s probably why the parents email - they are aware of that

I can't believe some people still, with all of the information out there, still don't realise teachers use their long holidays to prepare for term time, write reports etc. Do people think teaching time is literally the only part of the job?! It's probably about 50% at most.

My teacher son works in the holidays, probably four weeks out of the summer, not on parents emails though. I think it's common for teachers to use holidays for planning and marking.

Nope . No way. End of. I have a senior role that has high expectations and pay to compensate. circa £80k. I am paid that amount to work effectively in my contracted hours. I don’t care if you are a colleague a client or a customer. I don’t work when I’m not paid for it. Used to when I was young and stupid and the piss was taken.
Now I am old and much smarter. No one ever lay on their deathbed lamenting the fact they didn’t spend longer at work.

If i'm off sick i still do what needs to be done as i WFH anyway most of the time so it doesnt kill me to fire up laptop and do the necessary but i don't stay logged on all day.

No, never had maternity leave and never will.

I bet people do accost the GP around town - not that it's reasonable to do so but I would absolutely bet it happens! I think if you're doing a community-facing role in the community you live in, you have to expect it comes with the territory and have a polite way to say "this isn't the time or place for this conversation".

Not when you're on annual leave.,

I think it's a bit pointless trying to make comparisons between totally different types of work - "would you do this in a 9-5 job?" is irrelevant really.

But to the extent it's comparable, I think there's a distinction between "non-working hours" and "annual leave". In my own experience of various office roles it would be relatively uncommon (unless a person was very senior) for a person to answer emails when they were actually on holiday (booked annual leave to go away) but pretty common for people to answer emails outside of working hours, including on weekends or an a day they're not contracted to work if part-time.

I think the fairer comparison for a teacher on school holidays is whether a person would respond to emails on an evening or on the weekend, not whether they'd be logging on to email while they're sat by the pool.

I am teaching in a private school currently and yes we do. We are allowed to put an out of office on for 2 weeks of our choosing in the summer (but not results days or the last week of August, we are all expected in school those days).
Outside those 2 weeks we have to respond to any email from a parent within 24 hours, the same as in term time.
We can also put on the out of office for a week at Easter, half of any half term and 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year. So that is our 'annual leave' time.
Our salaries are below state sector before anyone says 'that's why you get paid more'.

It's not 'annual leave' though, it's school holiday time, so the title is misleading! If you are properly away on holiday, then no you should be responding but it's a little different to just be in school holidays.
Check the school policy about contact from parents during school holidays and go from there.
Most teachers do some school work during holidays. Those with more responsibility/leadership roles also have to work during 'school holidays '! It's just part of the job!

Absolutely yes lots of jobs come with this expectation. It shouldn’t happen but it absolutely does yes.

Her response is relevant because OP specifically asked about people in other jobs.

If I emailed a teacher during the holiday (which I’ve never actually done) it would be because that was when I remembered whatever it was, so I sent the email before I forgot. I wouldn’t expect a response until term time. I don’t think anyone is unreasonable for emailing at a time that is convenient for them, that’s a benefit of email, the unreasonable part would be if they expect a response, but tbh I’d just ignore that expectation if it were me (I think the same when I’ve seen teachers complaining about evening emails - that might be the time when a parent isn’t working or looking after their children, don’t check your emails in the evening, and just reply the next day!)

You can't do anything much if you bump into parents in town, other than "must dash, but remind me when the new term starts"

As far as emails go, is this your work email address or private? Surely if it's via a school email then you are under no obligation to respond, so put the OOO on and ignore till end of August.