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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Posting here for traffic. Probably not of interest if you don't work in a school

41 replies

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:12

I'm middle management in a school. I don't get a lunch break as it's an expected part of my job that we do lunch time duty (now doubled as we're doing staggered lunches due to Covid. As I'm pastoral staff my yearly salary is pro-rata'd to term time only. I get paid term time plus 2 weeks, the extra 2 weeks is to cover every lunch time I work plus 7 parents evening a year so it doesn't even work out to minimum wage let alone match my salary. Up until now we have been able to get a free meal as I work what would be my lunch break. This is usually a sandwich, bottle of water and a piece of fruit, eaten standing up as I'm also supervising students. Rarely I'll pick up something extra like a doughnut or biscuit if I feel I need a sugar rush but as I say rarely.

Due to the extra staff needed because of the staggered lunches teachers are being asked to volunteer and are given a free luch as 'compensation'.

Today I have been told I need to register my thumb print to get my lunch. I don't know if we are limited to a certain amount. The thing is the head teacher tends to make snippy remarks about what I'm (and the other women in my role eat) as well as things like the way we dress, make up etc. and I'm just not comfortable with him being able to track what we eat. I also feel that if he wants to argue with me about a biscuit when I didn't volunteer for this he can fuck right off.

I absolutely don't want to give him more ammunition and I'm prepared (although not happy) to just not register my thumb print and bring my own lunch in. We also have one of the strictest dress codes of any school I've worked in, I can't dye my hair the colour I want it, or have my upper ear piercing replaced. He also had a go at me for wearing trainers during lockdown, even though I explained all of my work shoes needed re-heeling and there were no cobblers open. I just feel that this is another part of me that has to become public property and don't want to do it. How do I explain this without making a scene?

[title edited at OP's request]

OP posts:
Saucery · 28/09/2020 19:14

I’d rather eat my own food brought in from home than anything from a school kitchen, especially if I have to use thumbprint recognition. Just take your own in.

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:16

Thanks for your reply Saucery. That's what I want to say, but I know there'll be questions asked.

OP posts:
OverTheRainbow88 · 28/09/2020 19:17

We can choose to get 3 school lunches or money.

You can guess what most go for!

SummerHouse · 28/09/2020 19:17

Why is it not of interest to someone working in a school?

Sounds a bit covid spready / big brother to me.

I would object "because covid" and tell him to monitor his own biscuit eating.

ReeseWitherfork · 28/09/2020 19:18

Why does he need your thumb print?

Sounds like you are generally undervalued. Can you move to a different school?

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:19

I'd love to be able to do that, over the rainbow but unfortunately it's not an option. When they looked at paying the volunteers for lunches we said we wanted to be paid too. They chose not to offer them that.

OP posts:
OverTheRainbow88 · 28/09/2020 19:19

We use thumbprints to stop kids paying with 2ps and taking forever!

Yes it doesn’t sound like a nice place to work by any means

MrsHamlet · 28/09/2020 19:19

We pay for lunch by finger print via parent pay. I can't imagine that the head would be able to, or want to, check what people are eating.
If you get a lunch or get paid, it's a taxable benefit which you should be declaring.

Saucery · 28/09/2020 19:20

Buy the cheapest thing available and bin it?
That’s a bit of waste, though. I’d just go for “I prefer to bring my own” with no further explanation, tbh. If he wants to mither about something so trivial then that’s his lookout.

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:21

summerhouse Sorry, just thought it'd be really boring for people who weren't school staff!

OP posts:
Itshissister · 28/09/2020 19:23

I just cant believe you dont have a lunch break.

That is awful.

Is it even legal?

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:23

reecewitherfork love your username! That's the way staff and students pay for their lunch

OP posts:
Varjakpaw · 28/09/2020 19:24

I’m primary and it is just noted that we’ve taken a lunch. However, as a parent, all that appears on my list of what DD has had is lunch item hot, lunch item cold, soft drink etc. Maybe over optimistic but could that be all they’d see?

bethany39 · 28/09/2020 19:24

@Witchcraftandhokum

summerhouse Sorry, just thought it'd be really boring for people who weren't school staff!
You've said the opposite in your thread title!
Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:25

it'shissieter I don't think it's legal, we always say the union would have a field day if the knew

OP posts:
NailsNeedDoing · 28/09/2020 19:25

Knowing how busy and overworked you are right know, do you really think your headteacher has the time or the energy to be interested in your lunch?

Even if your boss were inclined to look up what you chose for lunch, it doesn’t count as credible ‘ammunition’ for anything.

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:27

bethany39 yes I did. I was so desperate to stay away from double negatives I tripped myself up! Sorry.

OP posts:
Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:30

Nailsneeddoing Normally I would think so, but the whole "we need to keep track of what staff are having" makes me think otherwise.

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MitziK · 28/09/2020 19:34

I'd think you need to get your union membership up to date and then ask them to assist in calculating your actual hourly rate and in ensuring you get your legal entitlement of a break.

Concentrate upon that, not your failure to conform to the school standards of appearance as published in the staff handbook and of no surprise to anybody who has ever worked in a school.

Justnotfeelingit · 28/09/2020 19:35

When you say you’re middle management, what is your job role/title? School management where I live are all promoted teachers so don’t just get paid term time. Teaching unions would indeed be all over this.

SummerHouse · 28/09/2020 19:38

Ahhh so it's probably not, not of interest to someone working in a school. I think the unintended reverse psychology will get lots of people who work in a school clicking on the post anyway. Grin

SmellsLikeFeet · 28/09/2020 19:42

This is why you belong to a union. Use them

Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:47

MitziK Thanks for your reply. You're right. I'm just a bit sick of feeling like public property!

OP posts:
Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:51

SummerHou Yep, it was an unintentional mistake. I've reported it.

OP posts:
Witchcraftandhokum · 28/09/2020 19:52

Justnotfeelingit I'm a head of year.

OP posts: