To be late on the first day of work?

[Zumbumba]

DH has a new job as head of a department in a school. At interview, he forgot to mention that we have a wedding to go to in France the Sunday before school starts. Because of where it is, we cannot get back on the Sunday, but are on the first Eurostar into Paris on the Monday morning. He is due in school at 8.30am. He will be there at 9.30, 10am at the latest.

He had agreed the time off with previous school but forgot about the wedding when interviewing and contact day at new school. WIBU to be 1-1.5hrs late on the first day of a new job? He is planning to contact the school about it tomorrow (or rather, Friday post A level results). The other option is that he says nothing, misses the wedding and flies back on Sunday morning. And I travel home with our 8mo alone.

He is convinced people will judge him against this and will set an unfavourable impression. I am not convinced anyone will even remember beyond the first day.

Has he actually been offered the job? If not, could he discuss it when he gets the offer call. Wouldn't this often be when you'd discuss things like pre-booked leave?

IME, the upside of teaching are the long holidays. The downside is that no lateness, absence or leave during term time is possible for anything other than the direst emergencies. the more senior, the less acceptable lateness or absence is, though actually a manager with some non contact time is probably more dispensible than the 'teacher in front of the class'.

What are you expecting the school to do? Book a supply teacher to cover his first 2 lessons??

Ah, sorry I see you say he has the job...please ignore me!

More than the late thing looking bad, or already makes him look really disorganised and unreliable since he has forgotten to tell them about it.

It would look really bad even on an inset day .

I think he should fly back on the Sunday-as a teacher it would look baaaaaaad on the first day...

Joining the chorus of 'No!! He can't be late!'

I would be careful if he's thinking of suggesting the organised inset isn't important so missable as it's likely the person he's saying this too is the person who has arranged it.

Sorry, cross post re covering the 'being in front of the class' thing, as I see it is an INSET.

My DS threw up at 5 am on the morning of my first day in my first teaching job. My parents drove 200 miles very early in the morning at no notice to get there to look after him (DH, who had been in his post longer, held the fort until they got here). No way could I have turned up late or been absent.

Travelling with a baby is fine, it's only France.

As everyone has said, no he can't be late especially on the first day. It makes an awful impression.

Even if it was prearranged it would look bad. But to have forgotten about it til this late stage is awful and would make me (perhaps wrongly) question their organisational skills in general, which is not an impression you want to give colleagues on your first day!

If you can't cope with flying with the baby on your own then you all need to come back early.

He can ask but it may be a no.

In case you hadn't noticed, teachers get plenty of annual leave, which more than compensates for the rigidity of their working hours.

Talk about taking the piss.

(My DH, like you, took a little while to accustom himself to the particular culture of teaching - what is acceptable in terms of e.g. lateness, absence, pre-arranged holiday etc in a 'normal office job' is ENTIRELY different from what is the norm in teaching)

Agree with others - he can't arrive late.

highinthesky was that really necessary?

He needs to come back sooner and not be late for the INSET. There will be lots of extras for him to do with being new.

I would also expect him to have been in school at least once in the week before the start of term, sorting out his classroom, etc....

Has he tried to contact the school? He may find the Head is in school,over the summer, and they may be prepared to authorise the late start (although TBH I think it's unlikely).

Could you fly home instead of taking the Eurostar?

@sooty - I think it is necessary to spell it out for those that don't take teaching seriously.

And I travel home with our 8mo alone

This line is telling. It absolutely is nowhere near a good enough reason for him to be late for his first day in a new job. If that's what your grumble is.

He should absolutely come home the day before and be on time on his first day. First impressions are everything!

Dear God! I'm amazed and horrified anyone would think pitching up on the first day of work 1 to 2 hours late would be acceptable

At least the responses here have shown some people do have professional pride.

He should speak with his Line Manager ASAP. At least then you'll know where you stand. They might even be fine with it?

People always talk about teachers having lots of holidays, which of course, we do, but the downside to that is that during term-time, it is virtually impossible to have time off. Things like medical appointments are difficult to manage, no-one goes off sick in my place unless they are actually at death's door (and even then, they're expected to set work at home from their sick bed!) and god forbid someone needs time for something like a family member's funeral or graduation.

A new colleague did this - for a perfectly good reason, for the first couple of days.
This coupled with her mediocre work ethic really tarred her.
She wasn't taken seriously for a while.
Don't do it.