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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to refuse to volunteer (and maybe even email my boss about it)

130 replies

Funkyslippers · 09/07/2020 17:23

Myself and my team work on a term time only basis. We finish for the summer v soon. We've been working from home since lockdown, our normal hours.

We've now been emailed to ask us to volunteer over the summer to go in for a few days to prepare for next academic year but we won't be paid or get time off in lieu. Her words were "I'm relying on your goodwill at this time as I've supported you all over the past few months". Actually I feel it's the other way round! I've barely heard from her in the past few months.

We are under no obligation to go in and I feel like emailing her to say I could go in (but be quite vague about it as I have alot going on over the summer plus childcare) but to say I'm disappointed not to be offered TOIL or pay? I think most of the team feel the same.

OP posts:
Saucery · 09/07/2020 17:26

I would just say you’ve a lot on over summer and decline. She probably won’t pay you anyway, even if you say something.
I’d thank her for all her support too Grin

MandosHatHair · 09/07/2020 17:28

YANBU, goodwill doesn't pay the bills, a few hours maybe, but a few days is a long time to work without pay.

caringcarer · 09/07/2020 17:31

What job do you do term time only that you can do from home?

StuffThem · 09/07/2020 17:31

as a matter of goodwill perhaps she could pay your childcare expenses for the days you go in

I tend to just not reply to emails like that.

randomchap · 09/07/2020 17:32

They should be offering TOIL. The odd extra hour here and there is normal but expecting a few days. Nope. Taking the piss

pigoons · 09/07/2020 17:34

Ignore message and if pressed just say 'sorry I can't volunteer, too many family commitments' and leave it at that

FluffyKittensinabasket · 09/07/2020 17:34

Why would anybody work for free? As the current situation is showing, any employer can let you go at any time. No matter how much unpaid overtime you do.

PablosHoney · 09/07/2020 17:35

Can you contact the others and check they are on the same page? To go in would be a mistake and it’s outrageous they’d ask you to do it for free!! What goodwill is she referring to?

GnomeOrMistAndIceGuy · 09/07/2020 17:36

So you work in a school? Do you mind saying in what capacity? Many of the teachers and TAs at mine will all be popping in a bit over Summer as they recognise that even though they've been working from home for the last few months, that in NO WAY compares to working their full hours in school.

ShinyMe · 09/07/2020 17:37

@caringcarer lots of jobs in education fit that criteria. I'm wellbeing support in FE, and have been working from home for months, and am term time only. My admin colleagues are the same, as are many other support service staff such as learning support, library staff etc.

sashagabadon · 09/07/2020 17:39

Why wouldn't you go in to help out your team? Doesn't sound like thar big an ask. I've done plenty of volunteering in my time as school governor , in fact hours and hours of it, weekends and evenings and help often in a local activity centre for adults with learning difficulties with no expectation of anything in return. It's nice to help out if you can without demanding things in return all the time. Particularly if it helps where you work which presumably helps the kids in the end assuming you work in school?

sashagabadon · 09/07/2020 17:40

@PablosHoney

Can you contact the others and check they are on the same page? To go in would be a mistake and it’s outrageous they’d ask you to do it for free!! What goodwill is she referring to?
God, what a miserable attitude to have. I despair.
bashcrashfall · 09/07/2020 17:43

I guess it depends if there actually has been give and take or not. I've agreed to work a week in the school holidays which I previously wasn't working. I make a big loss working in the school hols as childcare is more than my earnings. However in all other ways work have been flexible so I think this its fair.

Mistressiggi · 09/07/2020 17:44

You're right Gnome, I've been working harder.
I've ignored my days off (part time) and been available for meetings every day, replies to parental emails and marked work every day, often late into the night.
I'm not saying I've done more than anyone else, but it has not been a holiday or a reduction in hours for me.

Subordinateclause · 09/07/2020 17:44

Why is it miserable to expect to be paid for hours worked? A term time salary won't be much - the bonus is you get plenty of time off!

Backbackandforth · 09/07/2020 17:46

If they need you in they can pay you for your time. Not unreasonable at all to say no.

iklboo · 09/07/2020 17:50

Why wouldn't you go in to help out your team? Doesn't sound like thar big an ask. I've done plenty of volunteering in my time as school governor , in fact hours and hours of it, weekends and evenings and help often in a local activity centre for adults with learning difficulties with no expectation of anything in return.

But would you go into your own place of work on a voluntary basis? Choosing to volunteer is different to bring emotionally blackmailed into it.

MsPants · 09/07/2020 17:53

I'm not sure "I'm not sure I should do my normal job for nothing" is a miserable attitude to have. Is this specific to people who work in schools? For eg. If a private sector employer decided they could make more money if their staff worked for free, would they be a reasonable request?

The erosion of employment rights in this country is frightening. I fear there will be huge numbers of employers using covid as an excuse to make working conditions even worse for employees, and employees are supposed to bow and scrape because they "should just be grateful to have a job".

The employer/employee relationship is a transactional one. It is not selfish or sad for employees to want to keep it that way.

Babyroobs · 09/07/2020 17:54

She has asked for volunteers. If you don't want to do it or can't then just say so, no-one is forcing you to do it. At the end of the day I presume it's for the benefit of the kids who have had a pretty bad time the past few months.

BoomBoomsCousin · 09/07/2020 17:54

What normally happens in terms of preparing for the next academic year? Should it really have already been planned into he work you’re doing during your paid employment, and if so, why hasn’t this happened this year? Is going in over the summer a standard part of the work routine or is it different this year because of Covid or for some other reason?

Things have been extraordinary this year, so it may not be unreasonable to think you should suck it up a little bit from a professional perspective. But that’s not a given and you don’t want to set a precedent if she’s just trying to up her profits (rather than keep a struggling business afloat) or if she’s a terrible manager and that’s why you’re all in this position now.

If you aren’t going to do it, I would probably just ignore the email until she makes a direct ask to you and then say something along the lines of “Sorry, that doesn’t work for me. I worked hard all term and I have plans all summer.”

FartingInTheFence · 09/07/2020 17:56

Work? = Pay.

No pay? = Fuck off.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 09/07/2020 17:57

What team?

Most teachers would recognise this as the usual start of the new school year: going in, checking everything is where it should be and even getting ahead of the usual class tasks.

It's one of those things teachers try to explain when they are told they don't work any more, harder etc than anyone else.

PurpleFlower1983 · 09/07/2020 18:01

Just tell her you’re not available!

1Morewineplease · 09/07/2020 18:01

@iklboo

Why wouldn't you go in to help out your team? Doesn't sound like thar big an ask. I've done plenty of volunteering in my time as school governor , in fact hours and hours of it, weekends and evenings and help often in a local activity centre for adults with learning difficulties with no expectation of anything in return.

But would you go into your own place of work on a voluntary basis? Choosing to volunteer is different to bring emotionally blackmailed into it.

I agree. School staff are not paid for school holidays. They are paid pro rata. I won’t volunteer at my school during the summer holidays. School governing is a voluntary role anyway . I know, I’ve been one.
ScottishStottie · 09/07/2020 18:02

My guess is some sort of ta role. From my experience the ta's in schools ive hears about are doing very little with no actual classroom time, so if its the case that (whether its through no fault of your own or not) youve had less to do than normal, it might be nice to help got organised for next year.