To want to wriggle out of the preschool committee

[Lottie5]

Am a SAHM and dd (3) had started the local preschool. The chair of the preschool committee is a super-mum, she manages to be on tons of committees despite having two small children and she invited me to join the committee ( as I had "lots of free time"!) Anyway fast forward a few months and it's doing my head in!! I spend nearly every evening doing work for the committee and every time I run into this woman she gives me a new job to do!! What started as a nice way of helping has become a chore!! Has anyone else ended up on a committee they regretted?! Seems a bit too soon to wriggle out if it!!!

[ChutesTooNarrow]

Preschool hell your situation sounds horrendous and I feel for you. I have seen our insurance and believe that committee members are covered with no financial liability. I will ask to view it again. Moving to cio has been proposed.

I don't believe I guilted the op by pointing out it would cause an issue if she left the committee short. It is something to think about but obviously the op should not put the preschool above her time, mental health and finances.

[PreschoolHell]

chutes please do check. I phoned the PLA and they confirmed they do not cover either of these things, and that we would find it very difficult to find any insurance that would. CIO really really is the only way to ensure that committee members are fully protected.

[ChutesTooNarrow]

Yes, you've worried me and I will be raising it asap. We've always said as a committee that the current model is unworkable long term but I will put some urgency into changing. I really hope you get the best outcome from your awful situation, I really feel for you.

[PreschoolHell]

The policy may say "legal cover" or similar, but this generally only covers solicitors fees. Dig down into the small print and catalogue what you are and are not covered for.

The other issue is that although you may feel your staff wouldn't want to sue the committee for redundancy money, they may have no choice. Any government schemes will not pay out as there is a legal entity (the members of the committee) who have assets and can be sued. If your staff have redundancy payment insurance, they may well be required to sue you to get as much money as possible legally before their redundancy insurance will pay out.

I appreciate that you are open and above board with your committee members, but there are many who aren't and are sleepwalking into horrible situations with no idea what they could be facing.