To think school shouldn't have docked pay?

[WeasleyWoman]

Genuinely interested in your views. I work in a school and today we closed to pupils because of a severe weather warning - we are a special school, our pupils have a high level of need and transport more or less made the decision for us as there was a risk for the pupils on the roads coming in. School was open for staff though and we were all expected in. Fair enough except for those staff (and there are quite a few across our partner schools) who have children at the school. The vast majority of them couldn't come in as they couldn't get childcare for their children (with a very high level of need) at such short notice. School was very clear that staff couldn't bring their children into work with them - fair enough but now these staff will be docked a day's pay for a situation the school put them in. I know they might not find much sympathy amongst all the thousands of parents who lost a day's pay today because their schools were closed but what do you think was school, as their employer, bu?

Utterly unreasonable. I work in a school and would not be happy with this at all. At the end of the day it comes down to treating staff well. I also do not understand why staff should be expected in when the school have deemed the roads to be too dangerous for the children.

As you say, lots of us would lose a day (or more) if wages. I assume holiday pay is not applicable as you’d be off in the school holidays.
Yanbu to be pissed off at losing a day’s money but it’s the nature of the beast (boom boom).

Completely right to be pissed off. Why did the staff need to be there if the kids weren't?

There are loads of parents having to take unpaid leave because school closures.

I have lost many a day's pay when I could have got to work and but couldn't get childcare at short notice. I guess this is a little different to anyone else who has to go to work when their DC school is closed for snow. Some employers let you use holiday days or make the time up.
What the school could have done is to let those staff work an extra day at the weekend or school holiday to make up for it.

They should be paid either way. It's not their fault they couldn't be there and there is no need to take advantage of the day to make cost savings.

Neither DH or I can work today or tomorrow (and I yesterday as well), he gets paid regardless, I do not. It's ridiculous.

In theory they can dock pay and staff should have contingency arrangements in place. In this case it’s mealy mouthed and they’ll lose far more in goodwill than they’ll save in salaries.

YANBU

For most jobs, there is a possibility of using annual leave or working time back. That’s not really possible for teachers, especially if their children’s SEN and/or the nature of their job mean they couldn’t work from home for the day.

That's harsh as a lot of the non-teaching work that would be going on anyway could be done from home and doesn't require physical presence in the school.
Schools also rely on large amounts of non-directed time with no direct pay for the essential additional hours put in.

My son goes to a special school the whole thing has been a shambles , transport turned up as normal and picked the children up some buses took the kids straight back home , and school stayed open untill 1 pm , my son came home after 1pm it was his escort that phoned me not school and we don't know wether they are in tommorow or not either .

It’s harsh of them to dock pay but they are within their rights to do so.

Schools which insist staff come in on a snow day are really scraping the barrel IMO. Not the way to promote well being.

Check what your union says...normally if it's unsafe for pupils then it's unsafe for staff x

If there's not the opportunity to make up the hours then it's very fair. Why should the staff that worked be penalised for those who couldn't or didn't want to arrange childcare?

Harsh, but perfectly legal.

I think that's appalling.

If school is closed to pupils then it is ridiculous to expect staff (many of whom will be travelling to come in).

As it happens, my school was open yesterday - but I live 40 miles from it and could not get there. Myself and other colleagues did not get in and school eventually closed. One colleague spent 3 hours battling through snow, turning round and finally get back home safely. He should not have even attempted it. But we will be paid, at least.

A very unusual and unnecessary course of action on the part of the school imo (it's not like they had to pay for cover) and I would think entirely counterproductive in term of productivity overall, but entirely within the law. There is a right to unpaid leave for emergency childcare. That is all.

There was an article on the BBC about all this this week here

The ludicrous thing about this is many teachers will spend their snow day working at home! Finding childcare for children with high needs is v challenging even when you have months of notice, at short notice it is simply impossible. This kind of behaviour from a school that should know the difficulties only too well is ridiculous. They should also be as concerned about the safety of their staff's drive to work.

Lots of workplaces do this. But stupid as it obviously alienates staff

Surely if it's not safe for pupils then it's not safe for staff?
Very unreasonable of the school. A little goodwill goes a long way especially when this isn't even goodwill just common sense!

Its just how it is,no work,no pay..

Exactly as others have said, if it isn't safe for students, it isn't safe for staff.

Schools also rely on large amounts of non-directed time with no direct pay for the essential additional hours put in.

Exactly this! Schools literally run on good will or half of the things Just would not get done.
Just ridiculous

I think it's very petty and won't encourage staff to do things out of goodwill in the future. I know it's legal, but it seems very mean spirited.
Back in the 1980's we had a period of heavy snow with trains not running, roads blocked etc. I managed to trudge into work, albeit several hours late and was only at work about an hour before we all got sent home. I was paid a full day's pay. My colleague who couldn't get there because she had to use a train, lost a day's annual leave. I still think it unfair, even all these later. Work lost out ultimately though, as everybody in the office stopped doing all the unpaid overtime we'd done previously.

Completely unfair imo. I don't see the need for staff to be in if it was unsafe for pupils - I'm sure some planning work etc could be done at home.

Very stupid of the management consider how much schools rely on goodwill from their staff. To get, you've got to give.