Making up time off if you're part time

[mindthegap79]

This is a hypothetical AIBU as I've never actually been off sick in years. I was a full time teacher and am going back to work after maternity leave in a few weeks. I'll be going back part time. I just wondered, what are the rules/what's the etiquette for making up days if you're off sick when you're part time? I've always been a workaholic but my priorities have changed since having a dc. If I were off sick or dc was poorly, would you expect me to make up the time if I worked for you? I sort of feel that morally I should, if I could get childcare, although legally I suppose I wouldn't have to. Also, what if something important happens at work on my day off? I'd probably try to get childcare and come in if I could, but do I have to? And what about bank holidays falling on my working day? Should I make the time up? Seems unfair on part time colleagues working different days if I don't!

Argh, sorry for the long post and all the questions. Thanks for any advice.

For comparison with Brian, I'm 0.6, but I have to work 5 days a week. As I don't have days off I can't argue that I can't attend parents evenings as I don't work that day so I attend for all year groups that I teach (all but Y10 and 12 which is almost the same as a full timer). I only attend 3 out of 5 INSET days. I miss all staff meetings as they happen on an afternoon I don't work. It was suggested that I attend pro-rata, I suggested that they pay my extra childcare costs and the matter was quietly dropped.

I work p/t in the same role I had before the dc came along. Professional office and field based.

Sick - if I am sick on my working days, then I am sick. Treated like anyone else.

Bank hols - I get 5 extra days leave a year (on top of pro rata annual leave) and have to use a day's leave if a BH falls on my working day. It works in my favour because I don't work Mondays, and at least 4 Mondays a year are BH.

Something important - I do occassionally go to work on one of my non work days of I can rearrange childcare. Examples include - a national director and cabinet minister coming to see a construction project I had been heavily involved in. No one was stealing my glory on this! Also, department wide training (had initially been arranged for one of my working days but had to be postponed. There's about 90 of us and one of my normal non working days was the most convinient date for the majority). Also, the lead a site visit, again with senior person from several 100 miles away, to get scheme certified. The other most appropriate person was abroad on leave and the certifying person had limited availbility to travel.

On occasions I work on non working days I either accumulate time in lieu (costs me childcare for that day, but additional time in lieu is handy for half terms); or swap working/ non working days that week.

Noble - I think you should only "have to" attend 60% of parents evenings - it's a tricky situation though. I can't deny that I resent trekking into school on a day I am not being paid for but never going really isn't a good situation for anyone so it's a compromise I'm prepared to make.

Technically I could also insist on only going to 60% of meetings, but that doesn't bother me as I pay for extended childcare that day anyway. I might revisit my stance later in the year!

I also have a vague feeling that they got ten years of me as a childless, full time worker who came in for open evenings and so on, and If I work until my currently projected retirement age I have another 32 years ahead of me, so the odd missed meeting or parents evening is just a small part of a long working life.