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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Teachers and ta's. Are you expected to go into work when your own children are sick

79 replies

cassgate · 15/01/2014 13:51

Just that really. I am currently working at my dc's school as a paid ta at lunchtime. I also volunteer a couple of days a week whilst I study for the level 3 diploma in specialist teaching and learning in schools. I am also used as supply ta cover as and when required. My problem is that my ds is currently off sick with a sickness bug. Started early hours of this morning and last episode of sickness was at 8.30 this morning. I am supposed to be working this week to cover sickness but obviously I called in this morning to say ds was ill and neither of us would be in. I am not however sure what I should do about tomorrow. Ds can't go in even if he is well as per the 48 hour rule but I am in two minds as to whether I should try and get child care so I can still go in. Normally, I would only be working lunchtime so I would go in and get someone to take ds for me for an hour but I am supply this week so not sure what is expected really. What happens at your school?. Are you expected to get child care in place to look after your sick child or is it just a given that you will be off until they are better. Any guidance appreciated.

OP posts:

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 15/01/2014 13:53

I can't speak from experience as I don't work in a school but would imagine it's the same for any working environment...if your child is sick you need to (if you can) make provisions and go into work. I could be wrong though.

Original poster

cassgate · 15/01/2014 13:54

Sorry this should be in primary education

OP posts:

emmamummy123 · 15/01/2014 13:57

I'm a teacher and at our school we have a certain number of days we can have off every school year to look after ill children. It's now two days (used to be four!), and any days we take off after that two are unpaid.

What happens in reality is that if you need more than two days you ring in sick yourself instead of saying your child is ill - then you still get paid!

mistermakersgloopyglue · 15/01/2014 14:01

Yes we are expected to be in our place of work, same as any other profession. There have been a couple of ocassions where I have had to have a day off because there was literally no one else to look after him, but the expectation is that you make every effort to be in work. I think you get 5 days a year for this sort of thing?

Brokenpurpleheart · 15/01/2014 14:02

We get half a day paid for a sick child, it is thought that we can sort out childcare in half a day. After that it is unpaid.

lilyaldrin · 15/01/2014 14:04

In my LA we have a limited number of carer's days a year - you are supposed to use the first day to sort out childcare for the rest of the time your child is ill, so you're not really expected to take two days off at a time.

I have heard of some academies that only give staff a couple of hours carer's leave in order to sort out childcare for the day!

ifyourehoppyandyouknowit · 15/01/2014 14:07

Not a teacher but I use holiday allowance for covering when DS is sick. No nearby family and friends who also work means even if you gave me all the time in the world I still couldn't come up with alternative childcare for a sick child.

Original poster

cassgate · 15/01/2014 14:08

Thanks everyone. I think I am in two minds because I am only contracted for lunchtime which would be easy for me to cover childcare wise. Any extra supply cover is paid on a time sheet basis. I just don't want to damage my prospects of getting a permanent job in the future by not going in and covering the supply side as well. This is the reality I suppose of going from being a sahm to a working on. I

OP posts:

fairylightsatchristmas · 15/01/2014 14:09

I am a teacher in a private school. If one of the kids is sick I (or DH) will take the first day off but then try to get cover for any subsequent days (my parents). If the CM is sick, I have on occasion, brought one of the kids in with me - I teach senior and they were quite fascinated by the toddler in the corner .

SilverApples · 15/01/2014 14:10

Yes, as a teacher I've been expected to have appropriate childcare in place, and to go to work. If it has been a short-term emergency, then some teachers have had a day off, but it is very frowned on by SLT.

WooWooOwl · 15/01/2014 14:46

I'm a TA/LSA, and I find it's a bit of a grey area.

I'm paid a pittance so I'm not about to break my neck to be in work if my child is ill, but I like my school and the children there and I have a lot of respect for my colleagues, and I know it does place a lot of pressure on other staff if someone is unexpectedly away.

I would always try and get childcare from either my mum or the dcs Dad, but all the staff support each other and cover for each other if we have sick children because we are all parents who know the score and know that no one would take the piss.

It seems ridiculous that we are in the position of having to try and get our husbands to take time off work so that we don't let the school and it's children down when just about all of our husbands earn significantly more than we do.

We are still paid if we are ill ourselves, but do not get anything if our children are sick and we have to take time off. That annoys me because it just leads to people lying to the head about why they can't come in.

OrangeMochaFrappucino · 15/01/2014 14:47

How can you get childcare in place though? Cm/nursery can't take a sick child. My husband and parents work. No one is going to take a vomiting child because they don't want to catch it themselves or have it spread to their kids. Teachers can't book holiday or flexi -time so occasionally they are going to need to stay home with poorly offspring.

lilyaldrin · 15/01/2014 14:51

Your husband works - but surely you work too? If there are two parents you at least only have to take half the time off each.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 15/01/2014 14:54

I would apologise and say that you can only do your lunchtime shift (as you say you can cover that) but won't be able to do supply as you can't organise extra childcare for your sick child. Say you are very sorry and you hope it won't stop you getting supply in future.

Suddengeekgirl · 15/01/2014 14:56

jelly - that was my problem when I was teaching. Nearest family were over an hour away and all worked. Childcare was me or dh. We took it in turns to be off with poorly dc.
My HT was not at all happy but I couldn't help dd getting every bug going when she started nursery.
I ended up having unpaid time off as I used my caters allowance.
One of the many wonderful ways in which I was expected to put school's needs above those of my family.
I'm not teaching anymore and won't be going back. :(

Original poster

cassgate · 15/01/2014 15:15

WooWoo- That's exactly it. I want to be a ta because I enjoy it and I love the school and all the staff. I am fortunate that financially I don't have to work and have been a sahm for the last 10 years. Now the dc's are growing up I want to do something with my time and ta seemed the logical choice. I started by volunteering in school and loved it so have progressed from there. Dh supports me in my choice but because he earns significantly more than I can ever hope too as a ta or even a teacher for that matter it is always going to be me who has to stay home if the children are ill. For now I have enlisted the help of the in-laws who can have ds tomorrow but only until 1.30pm as fil has hospital appointment in the afternoon. Have spoken to the school and they seemed ok about the fact that I could do morning and lunchtime but would need to leave after lunch. I will have a chat with the head tomorrow to find out how the land lies with this situation in the future.

OP posts:

lilyaldrin · 15/01/2014 15:18

If it is always going to be you taking time off for sick children because your husband's job is too important, maybe you should stick to a bit of volunteering or take up a hobby and leave actual jobs for someone who will take it seriously.

WooWooOwl · 15/01/2014 15:33

That is a ridiculous thing to say lily.

Original poster

cassgate · 15/01/2014 15:52

Lily - As it happens this is a very rare occurrence as both my dc's have had 100% attendance for the previous 3 school years (yes I am just lucky that both children are rarely ill and that could all change as is the case now). Are you seriously suggesting that because I may need to take a couple of days off every couple of years to look after an ill child that I am not taking it seriously. I have had very good feedback from the teachers I have worked with during my volunteering, hence the reason why I was asked to do paid ta cover at lunchtime and supply cover. Last night for example I stayed (unpaid) to supervise homework club, which would have been cancelled otherwise. What is that if it's not taking it seriously.

OP posts:

SilverApples · 15/01/2014 15:55

That's why day-to-day supply suits some parents so well, the agency can always send someone else.

halfwildlingwoman · 15/01/2014 15:57

Oh my god I hope it's more than two days. I've used those in the last month (bloody illness-ridden January)

SilverApples · 15/01/2014 15:58

No, two days.

hootloop · 15/01/2014 16:02

Yes you would be be expected to go in, this is another reason I have not yet gone back to work.

JodieGarberJacob · 15/01/2014 16:05

Us TAs have now had our terms and conditions changed so that the first two days of sickness are not paid. If you are off any longer with a sick note then you are paid from the 3rd day. Bastards.

Our HT thinks it is unfair so has said that if she can cover us by shifting other TAs around we get paid but if she needs to employ someone else to cover the 2 days then we won't.

uptheanty · 15/01/2014 16:08

Should you be going into a school for any reason when your home has sickness? If it's vomiting or something similar, i'm sure they won't want you to spread it around!!

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