To finish work on time

[tellow]

I'm a lunchtime supervisor. I'm contracted to work 11.30-1.30. I always blow the whistle to signal that it's time to come in at 1.25 its often 5-10min after that that I actually leave the building. Everyone does the same and never complains. Last week I blew the whistle at 1.20 to allow extra time that was needed to round up the reception class, obviously they aren't used to the routine or us and they keep running off etc. I get an email today complaining that the whistle is being blown to early. Obviously by blowing early the rest of the school re-enters school 5 min earlier than normal. I will mention it tomorrow but I feel this should of been obvious. Am I expected to stay even longer after my time has finished which we already do? How are we expected to blow the whistle at 1.30, line the children up and walk them in and finish at 1.30? AIBU?

Ask for more paid time.
It's the HT's problem to solve.
Obviously you can't unilaterally decide to shorten the break of all teaching staff by 5 mns.

Most round here are paid for 1hr 15 mins

They actually work longer hours

I think you have to be flexible when working with kids

I am very flexible but all these extra 5-10min add up possibly almost an hour unpaid work over a week and when you are paid so little it could make a difference. I do volunteer work there to so I'm not tight with time. I just don't like being taken advantage of or criticised unreasonably.

Speak to the HT regarding your hours.

I would be delighted to be on my way home at precisely my finishing time.

A couple of minutes here and there is nothing

I'm paid till 3.30. I always stay 5-10 mins late. You need to have a word with the head. It's so frustrating that this is still happening in schools because budgets are being cut left right and centre! Can you start ten mins later if there is no more money in the budget?

What is included in that 5 minutes? I don't think you can expect to be paid to go and pick up your bag and coat, for example. Does the Head want you to blow the whistle at 1.25 or 1.30? It's not clear from your OP. If you blow the whistle at 1.25 and it takes 5 minutes for them to come in but sometimes a few minutes longer, then I'd think you were petty to complain. If the Head wants you to blow the whistle at 1.30 but you still have 10 minutes of duties to perform, then that isn't fair.

I don't think there's many jobs where you can walk out the door the second your contracted hours say. As a teacher, I understand your frustration of unpaid overtime but I need my full hour 'break' to mark books, get resources onto tables for the afternoon, solve morning issues, lunch clubs and occasionally get a lunch break! Talk to them about paying another half hour a week to cover the 5 minutes or so extra day but bare in mind good will gestures often go a long way particularly if you want the job long term.

Yes, there's an issue here (most support staff work way more than the 5-10 minutes you are describing, out of the goodness of their hearts) but you will piss people off if you unilaterally decide to end break early.

It's should have been obvious
I mention this because you say you work with pupils

Sadly there are v few jobs where you actually finish on time.

As a lunch time support staff i guess you are on minimum wage. Therefore any time over that means the school is breaching minimum wages laws.

No you don't have to be flexible. You should expect to be paid for all the time that you work.

Speak to the head teacher. If no joy call acas. The government are very keen to prosecute for not paying minimum wage. They should be leading by example.

YABU.

I have worked for a company and was contracted to finish work at 5.30.
Anyone leaving the office before 7pm was in the firing line.

My OH works an extra hour unpaid every evening.
Many companies expect this.

...and were you on minimum wage when you stayed till 7 each night?

Yes

All the support staff at one of the schools I work at are working to exact time this year after having their hours cut. The TAs are walking in the building with the children and walking out with them at home time. The lunchtime supervisors used to bring the children into the classrooms and bustle them out of their coats and get them all on the carpet but now the teachers are collecting their lined up class from the playground.

You cut short the children's lunch/play time, so you can finish bang on 1.30? Does 5 minutes really make a big difference?

This is exactly the sort of thing employment legislation is for

And if you try to pull that card you are first out the door.

Then as far as I'm aware, that's illegal Cailleach. It doesn't mean op should do the same.

That's madness though Cailleach, to be exploited over so little. Unless min wage jobs were really hard to come by in your area (or it would lead to a better job) no one should work so long unpaid - you were working for less than min wage each day when you count that in. Definitely a union matter.

Definitely a union matter.

As I say- first out the door.

Cailleach666 I'm the same, but I'm a director in a professional fee earning roll, and this is completely not comparable. The OP is not trying to climb the greasy pole and get to the top of her career, she's facing the impossibility to do her job within the time allocated to her. My contract is to bill 7.5 hours of fees a day - this situation is akin to my company only paying me to work 7 hours and still expecting that billing.

"Today 06:43 Cailleach666

YABU.

I have worked for a company and was contracted to finish work at 5.30.
Anyone leaving the office before 7pm was in the firing line.

My OH works an extra hour unpaid every evening.
Many companies expect this."

And somehow your response to this is that the OP is unreasonable for wanting to work her assigned hours, not that THIS is unreasonable? Companies must love you. They say jump and you say how high!

I understand you making the decision to tolerate it as it's only your choice to make but to use this to advocate for everyone else sucking up shoddy employment practices is pretty bad. Race to the bottom. My own experience of the hell of zero hours contracts means I advocate strongly against them now and support anyone else working to end them. It doesn't mean I hear other people's employment problems and say 'well at my old job you started at 4 but could some days be sent home at 430 due to being quiet and with no pay so you should be thankful you have work to do at all'