AIBU - It is not my job!

[RatherMyBed]

Morning, I'm looking for some opinions about my current work situation.

So I'm a teacher in a small school, there's only 3 classes in total. Our current caretaker (site maintainance officer) is retiring next week and we have been informed that he will not be replaced.

It is expected that the staff will share the duty of opening up the school early and locking up at 5:30pm every day. Next week, I've volunteered to a couple of early mornings but that's all I can manage as my DH works shifts and we have children in nursery. We have no family to help with childcare. Apparently this is not good enough, we all need to pull together and everyone has it hard. I physically can't do anything more.

AIBU to think this is NOT my responsibility! AIBU to say that I'm happy to help next week but after that, I'm not going in early to open the school or staying late to lock up. It is not a teacher/TA's job and that a replacement needs to be brought in?

YANBU, surely the caretaker was there for safety reasons aswell? It would make me quite uncomfortable to close the school on my own but I'm speaking from past negative experiences

YANBU. You have enough work and do enough hours as it is.

What happens when it comes to voting days (if you close for them) and things like that? Whose responsibility is it then?

Do you have a contract? I don’t think they can just add additional out of hours duties to save money.

Is it in your contract? If not there's not much they can do!

Oh also raise the question of who grits the paths when it's icy, and who climbs up ladders to replace lightbulbs?

YANBU to not want to open or lock up the school. We have staff who are able to do this, but it's their choice and they have to let the caretaker know in advance.

I'm also wondering what will happen with regards to maintenance if you don't have a caretaker. Who will be dealing with or fixing site problems.

YANBU. And you all need to stand together and refuse to do it, otherwise there will never be motivation to replace them.

Is there a lone working policy in place? Opening and closing sites can be dangerous.

YANBU; you all need to fight this together. If you all refuse then what they can expect to happen? They will need to replace. Ultimately, it is going to end up with one person feeling they do more than others and resentment will build which will affect other aspects of the school and your roles. It is ludicrous that they are considering asking you all to chip in for this.

They can’t seriously be leaving the school without an official caretaker? That’s bonkers. What will happen is the head will be forced to take on all these jobs and will go out sick with stress of it all.

Are teachers really going to have to be in school clearing the paths of moss, getting footballs off the roof, manning the gate at parents evening?

Teachers contracts nearly always include the clause "plus any additional duties needed" so literally anything! The thing is this is a difficult one, we had to choose between a caretaker and one less teacher. Budgets ar impossible to manage and if you are on deficit then the la will come in and enforce becoming part of an academy and then you aren't covered by teachers pay and conditions at all. No it shouldybe your responsibility and your head is paid more and they will have to do it. What about one of the governors, would they be willing to do some mornings? Can't a cleaner be given the responsibility of opening when they come to clean in the morning? You shouldn't have to but I can see it's going to become very difficult.

There's a clause in my contract that says "demands and needs of the job" meaning they can throw anything at me to do and unfortunately I have to do it. Check your contract to see if you have anything similar as this means you won't be able to fight this back.

YANBU! What does the head suggest you do to sort out the currently non existent because it's not an issue childcare problem due to your hours suddenly changing?! What does your contract say about core hours? I agree that you all need to stand in agreement about this one. Not replacing the site manager is utterly ridiculous.

The teachers at my children's small village school have been known to fix plumbing, grit paths etc. Sometimes parents help with things like shed building and gardening.

Teachers’ Contracts often include the ‘any other/additional duties’ line.

However the word ‘reasonable’ is often also used.

This, lone worker policy, H&S etc may help you.

Speak to your union. They should be able to tell you straight away whether it's allowed.

I understand schools are so short of money and they can save £xxxx by not replacing the caretaker and can see why they ask everyone to chip in. But that's all they can do - ask. They cant expect it. They cant expect your partner to change working hours so that you can get there earlier. Or expect you to pay more for childcare or leave your own kids to lock up your house and get to school by themselves.
It's not fair to change your responsibilities job description and hours, you have a contract.

This is awful, but sadly reflects the state that our school finances have got into. It absolutely isn't reasonable to expect you to do this at all, but the problem is presumably that the school has a deficit budget and that the existing staffing model is therefore unsustainable.

Whatever happens in this general election, I really hope that the next government takes some positive steps to address the current crisis in school funding.

Stupid question but I'm going to ask anyway... why can't the first staff member present open up and the last staff member lock up (e.g why not before 5.30?)

If there are after school clubs or breakfast clubs, surely another staff member needs to be present for those, so why don't they have the responsibility?

I agree it's not reasonable and I'd be requesting advice from your union. I'm assuming the caretaker had many more duties, so where will it end?

You definitely need to point out that it’s not in your contract. Otherwise they’ll add it to the contracts of new starters and within a few years it’ll be mandatory!

So many what ifs. A lot of schools are moving to a centralised maintenance team, with jobs being put onto a system and dealt with on a priority basis.

Wrt lone working, how did the lone caretaker manage to lock up on his own?

I'd imagine if the school doesn't get enough volunteers to open/close, then the school will just assign the extra duties and then deal with any fallout through the disciplinary procedure.

I’ve just said this on the other thread but I find teachers interpretation on here of “additional duties/ hours” is utterly bonkers. If they told you to get in the kitchen and start cooking up fish fingers for lunch would you do that too?

Most salaries employees have this clause in their contracts. The intention is not to use it against them in an argument to get them to do whatever! Everyone knows that.

Also, what do you think they’re going to do if you won’t do whatever asked based on this clause? Sack you?

Union. Then follow your Complaints Procedure to the letter.

As a Chair, I would not be happy.

Yanbu.

Organisations get away with this sort of "creeping" of additional duties, because people do not realise they can simply say no. This then forces funding providers etc to address the issues or at least be aware they are there.

Do not do this, or you contribute to it being everywhere.