AIBU to talk to her about this work-related issue?

[Joolsy]

As part of my team's job, we invigilate exams for individual students who need to be in a separate room. Mainly just to keep an eye on the student, sort out any minor problems, be there for toilet breaks etc. They can be up to about 3 hours long. In previous years we've been allowed to take a book to read into the room. Our new boss however is putting a stop to that. The team have weekly meetings, which I'm unable to attend due to school pickup, but I hear about it from the team members the next day, and at the last meeting she apparently came down very heavy hard on the team when a few people said could she reconsider this as up to 3 hours with nothing to do except sit there can be very hard. She has not spoken to me about it, I've only seen the minutes of the meeting but AIBU to speak to her myself about the fact I feel it's unreasonable? Or speak to HR? The guidelines are that books should not be allowed but we've always been allowed to read in the past. I feel I may go insane just sitting there staring into space.

Chap fell asleep when I was doing an exam - that was blimming distracting for all and a bit funny

I agree with you because I think I would nod off if I was in that position. I don't think you'll get anywhere though for precisely the reasons that have been stated.

For he exams invigilators are certainly allowed to read so it's not that shocking.

Make up lists in your head or plan your next holiday. If you can write that will help! I'm not sure what I would do with all that time, to stop myself yawning/falling asleep.

I spent several years doing Special Circumstances invigilation at university. Yes, three hours of invigilation is tedious but do it according to the guidelines or do something else.

Is it worth double checking whether the rules are as rigid when you are only supervising one person? After all, if you are supervising 30 you can't give the same degree of attention to every student and, if, say, one of them were taken ill you would be much more distracted than you would be if you were reading or something similar. And I'd have thought there is a distinct danger of the invigilator dropping off to sleep under this system.

I think that supervising individual students is a reasonable exception to the otherwise-sensible guidelines about not books. For an exam hall full of people, you need your eyes open and on the room. For a single person taking a paper on their own - really not so much. I would approach the new boss in these terms. Past practice doesn't matter. But I think it's reasonable to ask her to consider the specific circumstances a valid exception to the guidelines for large exam halls.

Isn't there a difference between rules and guidelines though? surely there's some scope for common sense (eg "read but pay attention") with guidelines that there isn't with rules?