Upset over my job

[Whitewinetonight]

One of my jobs is a midday supervisor at a school. I've done it for years, love it, the kids have their moments but generally are lovely, physically hard work putting away lots of heavy tables and chairs in 10 mins, but I'm positive over this in that it's exercise.

I've been looking forward to going back as I'd be spending time with Year 6 and it'd be good to see some before they move on (albeit nervous as there won't be social distancing and hygiene can't be kept up).

I logged onto the school forum yesterday and couldn't believe what I read. Midday supervisors will be cleaning mainly the toilet areas instead. I understand it makes sense to keep bubbles as low as possible, but we won't be allowed near the children apparently and I'd have never signed up for a job cleaning toilet areas (sorry I know someone has to do it).

I feel like my lovely job has just gone. I've been searching online, looking in shop windows today and with the current climate there isn't even one job for me to consider, and I doubt they'll be many this year with so many losing their jobs.

Was that info on the school forum an official communication from the head? It's very poor that they would communicate such a sweeping change to your role in that way.

If you're in a union, please speak to them for advice.

Presumably this is a short term change just for the next few weeks? These are exceptional circumstances OP.

It's the way it is OP, teachers and TAs will be supervising lunches and cleaning toilets at our village school as there are no midday supervisors at the moment, the catering company is only sending one adult to serve lunches and has furloughed their mds staff.

OP, you are rightly upset. You are mourning the loss of a job you enjoyed in an atmosphere that made you happy.

My own organisation has completely restructured and I don't work with a single person I worked with previously and our job is 50% different that pre Covid.

All because we are now operating in a new world and we are going to have to adapt somewhat.
Perhaps these changes for you are short term. You should ensure you get to discuss with the head. If you are in a union ensure you discuss with them and if cleaning is to be part of your daily job, ensure you have the correct PPE and other necessary equipment.

Worth also making a call to www.acas.org.uk

You are right to be upset and mourning the job you had. My lovely job in the nhs is unrecognisable now and I haven't even been redeployed!

If it's any consolation, I think a lot of the things that are planned to be in place in schools and other workplaces will actually be realised to be unworkable after a few weeks (this happened in hospitals way back at the beginning) and different plans emerged. I would hold tight and wait and see what happens when you go back.

Teacher and TAs are being expected to clean toilets too, all our jobs in school are changing drastically, if they haven’t already. But it’s temporary, only until the end of July and I’m sure things will look a lot more normal when we go back in September.

You are mourning the loss of a job

It's a job. You don't mourn for a job, especially one which will be back soon enough unless the OP flounces.

Thanks everyone. I know someone has to do it, for some stupid reason I didn't see it coming (thought we might be deep cleaning tablets and chairs as we'd have used them in our old roles).

A draft of what's proposed is on the school forum. No one has been in touch. I think I'm the only one who has access to the school forum (hard to access and newer staff don't have access). I can contact a couple ahead of going back to forewarn them, but the others won't know until they get back.

Will things really be better in September.