Head of school I work for wants me to do cleaning to make up hours I can't do at mo

[babayjane67]

Hi all!
Sorry the titles bit long but couldn't think of a shorter one!
I work as a lunch time supervisor at my DDS school.we both went bk 3 wks ago as she's in yr6.i look after both her class bubbles,which is nearly the whole class of 29.
Anyway in normal times,I also do the breakfast club every day but obviously at the moment that's not possible.
When I went into work on Tues,the head caught me&said they're wanting to get everybody bk into school to make up for the hrs they're not working.one of the breakfast club girls is shielding so can't come bk but he's apparently talking to her about how it's going to work in September.
The other girl is coming bk on Mon being a lunch time supervisor for a new key worker kids bubble that will start.
He wants me to clean to make mine up.so all light switches,door handles,sinks in classrooms& toilets &all toilet seats throughout the school.desks too I think.
He said think about it&let me know tomorrow I'll come&find u.well he didn't though I did see him wandering round on Wed.i wasn't in yesterday as I've got a nasty ear infection at mo.we don't work Fridays as the kids only do half day so that a deep clean can be done of the school each week.
This morning I get an email detailing my cleaning schedule starting Mon&saying what equipment I will be using etc.not asking me if I wanna do it/have I thought about it&made a decision.no just this is yr schedule starting Mon let us know what side if the lunch time you want to do it.
I've got nothing against cleaning,I've been one as a job in the past.so I haven't got a problem with doing it as a job but I don't want to do it as fir a start I get asthma so that's why he said fir me to work with yr6 not the younger ones,as they can social distance better&they understand more.plus I really don't want to be cleaning their loo seats etc.Im not dealing with any little ones at mo in any capacity.ive got 2 GC the youngest being 4&I've had to keep away from them as he's got a low immune system as well as me with my asthma so I don't want to then be dealing with stuff like that where everyone sits,touches things&risk passing anything on.
My dp isn't happy about me doing either fir the same reasons&said he would have told the head no straight away!
I haven't replied to the email yet.
Aibu?

Frankly given what those working in hospitals are dealing with bellyaching over keeping children safe in schools which is a relatively low risk environment illustrates poor attitude imvho. Really thankful I work with the staff I do.

Totally agree with this. The jobsworthery is so depressing given what so many people are doing, across so many jobs, to get us through this crisis.

It is awful particularly when you consider many of the kids who have been in will have parents on the front line.

Everyone needs to clean at the moment. My DH manages a company and he is cleaning along with his staff in addition to professional cleaners at night. It’s how everyone can feel safe and comfortable and happy to work. It’s wiping down surfaces that’s all, not heavy scrubbing.

the op is a lunchtime supervisor not a cleaner

Yes, that's quite clear. I have no problem comprehending that, thanks.

If we weren't in the current circumstances I'd agree with you, but I don't think the HT's request is an unreasonable one. If people don't muck in when asked (if the request is reasonable and safety measures in place) then I do believe it will be remembered when it comes to job cuts. School budgets were on a knife edge before all this. They aren't going to be able to pay for additional cleaners. We're being told that the economy is potentially going to be in a worse state than after the second World War. I don't know about others, but for me, that's a scary thought.

The school I work in the breakfast and after school club staff all got furloughed on the 9/6 state school

I live with someone shielding, stringent social distancing is not happening staff members walking up to me less than 1M and bubbles are mixing so I made a choice to take unpaid leave as midday supervisor. As the school couldn’t be bothered to do me an individual risk assessment and HR said they didn’t care what school said. We were asked to clean tables and nothing more. There was cleaner employed just for toilets and door handles. However like some schools it’s not shut once a week half day for deep clean

I’m a lunch time supervisor and have found cleaning the desks etc is now part of the job. It’s a side effect of Covid. Don’t feel like you have to clean the toilets though as that is considered a high risk area - usually a member of staff is designated to that role.

*Somebody asked up thread,if anyone else was doing any cleaning at school during the day or if it'd be just me.cant remember who it was now,but no nobody else would be doing it,just me.apart from the deep clean on a Friday+

I think you must be mistaken

If the only cleaning that's being done in the school is the Friday Clean, then they're going against all of the regulations & advice and this needs dealing with.

Incredibly sad too I meant when I start doing it,it'll only be me nobody else.
At the moment,I think the Head is doing it or the Deputy Head,im not sure to be honest.
People,please read my last post of last night,which says I'm very lucky I still have a job&I will be doing the cleaning.then I won't need to keep repeating myself.thankyou!
I have emailed the head again this morning,asking what sort of spray he wants me to use as alot of them set my asthma off&like I said upthread,that I would be happy to buy the wipes I use, myself.
I've also asked if I will be be able to properly social distance from the little ones while in the class cleaning.Am still awaiting the reply&from yesterday's email.
As for not being a team player,I have already said,again upthread,that I have been a team player before with things at work&helped to make changes fir teachers&TAs before.
Also through the lockdown I've done things for charity&helped out the local food bank.
Not that I needed to tell u that but wanted to put people straight who think I'm a jobsworth!!

Just count down the days Op. That's what I'm doing now. Two weeks left, keep thinking that thought

I think you just need to be aware of how you're coming across. Not just to us but also your colleagues.

The biggest issue is your lack of communication. It's so hard to manage someone who is not open about concerns and leaves things right to the last minute to organise. You've emailed your head twice in a very short space of non working hours. You'd have been better off consolidating everything into one email with all of these concerns and questions.

You've thanked posters who've been supportive of you, I think you were thanking those who agreed with you. I've not agreed with your posts but I am trying to support you in how you may well be coming across to your head. If it's anything like how you've been coming across here it's most certainly not like you're a team player. You can protest that all you like but you doing charity work in lockdown won't make a blind bit of difference to your head who will most likely be facing cuts a year, two years down the line.

People saying the HT is doing it, as though that's justification that the OP should do it are wrong.

My HR director can do things not in their JD, but it doesn't mean that I should or that I will. Senior management may well do these things, but they can't insist others do.

I've seen a HT helping out in the school canteen when there was an issue with one mealtime supervisor... that doesn't mean she can expect a teacher to do the same.

I don't see you as being inflexible or not a team player and I usually spot such employees a mile off after around 25 years in HR.

OP... have I missed a post where you explained why the school cleaner isn't doing this?

Sandty2k thankyou for this!
No u didn't.to be honest I don't really know why the school cleaner/caretaker isn't doing it.that hasn't been mentioned or not to me anyway.

School cleaner may only be in from 3-5pm. Not enough money in the budget to pay for one for a whole day in the majority of schools around here.

@SandyY2K

It sounds like the regular school cleaner will still be doing their usual cleaning, as in after school has finished. OP is doing extra cleaning thoughout the day; wiping over stuff that is touched regularly with disinfectant.

The headtacher did ask her if she was okay with this, she didn't say no and he's not a mind reader.

I don't understand how anyone thinks it's unreasonable for people to pitch it with this sort of light cleaning when there's a pandemic going on.

No popcorn,the head didn't ask me if I was ok with it.he said have a think about it&I'll come&find u tomorrow &see what u think.

"he said have a think about it&I'll come&find u tomorrow &see what u think"

To me that means have some time to think it over and if you have any problems or concerns with it then please let me know

Popcorn - that’s how I understood it too. 🙃

Well I took it to mean he would come&find me to find out which he didn't.

He should have come to ask you and not assume you were okay with it.

It's this kind of thing that can send employees off sick IME.

It's not okay to presume she was okay with it. It's these kind of assumptions that get employers into trouble and leave HR and Legal services trying to fix their mess up.

Pitching in is one thing...cleaning toilets is another thing and I'm sure I'd he asked the HR Advisers first, he would have been guided on how to deal with it. Unless you're employed as a cleaner, it's not unreasonable to refuse to clean, global pandemic or not.

We've just had an MDS resign because of this, it "wasn't in her job description" apparently.

All our MDS team are cleaning. On Fridays the school is closed to all but keyworker children and we do a deep clean then. We don't do toilets, but we do all the areas in the classrooms which yes, are muckier at the moment due to kids eating in them rather than in the hall. I haven't niggled over it not being in my contract, I've just mucked in and done it. It's not that different to cleaning the tables in the hall after the kids have eaten tbh.

I'm thankful to have a secure job in these uncertain times and I am doing what I can to keep it.

That's how I feel Sandy.if he said he'd come &find me the next day to find out then that's what he should have done.I shouldn't have to chase him up to tell if im ok about doing something he's asked me to.
Bingpot so I'm guessing u would clean toilets then too if u were asked to?
I've already said about the whole mucking in thing.

An email such as "I was hoping to catch up with you about the suggestion of cleaning today but evidently you were busy. I do have some concerns...." Wouldn't have taken you two minutes. This is consolidated by the fact you've been able to email him twice during non working hours this weekend therefore proving you could've emailed him that night with your concerns. For some bizarre reason you didn't.

Has he responded to those two emails this weekend?

YAbu. These are exceptional times and everyone needs to chip in and do what they can.

All staff at our school were told to expect to do jobs that aren't in your job description.

I'm now cleaning as part of my daily routine, which isn't usual for me and I'm asthmatic.

If you are in a class bubble you will still have to clean, as you should be cleaning every hour or after every activity and at break times.

If you don't want to do it, don't do it, but don't expect to get paid for hours that you are not doing.

Amazing grace yes he replied this morning.

These are exceptional times and everyone needs to chip in and do what they can

Can is not must.

All staff at our school were told to expect to do jobs that aren't in your job description

And whoever told them can be told to fuck right offtheir job descriptions hold.

I'm now cleaning as part of my daily routine, which isn't usual for me and I'm asthmatic

That's up to you.