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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think it's their responsibility to provide me with all the info?

107 replies

Funkyslippers · 13/03/2021 11:21

Our team has a meeting every morning, which I can never attend as I start work later. Usually it's just discussing plans for the day and any changes to normal plans. Usually around 5 mins. I've heard through the grapevine that in the meetings last week the team were asked to each make a Powerpoint presentation, to be presented in a few weeks' time. The first I heard of it was an email from one of the managers saying "as discussed in the meeting, here is the sign up sheet, please put your name next to a subject". The email also mentioned some training on Powerpoint that they'd all had in one of the meetings. Apparently this week they were told that not everyone had put their names next to a subject and they expected everyone's names to be there. All of this was told to me by a friend in the team. She was not told to pass the info onto me or anything.

So now I'm thinking I'm going to be chased up for something I have barely any official knowledge of, and if this is the case I think I'm well within my right to say that unless I'm given all the info I am not equipped to do it?

OP posts:
LAgeDeRaisin · 13/03/2021 12:08

They have emailed you about it- the email saying that as discussed in the meeting, there is a powerpoint presentation and everyone is required to sign up.

At that point you should have forwarded the email to your manager and said

'Hi [manager]

I've received the below email regarding the PP presentations discussed at the meeting. Since I couldn't attend, is there an info sheet with further guidance or minutes to the meeting I could have?

Many thanks,

Your name'

If it were me I would just pick one of the remaining subjects now, sign your name to it, and then write

"Dear -whoever is organising this project-

Apologies for the delay in response.

I've signed up to X topic. Since I wasn't at the meeting, would it be possible for you to send the initial meeting presentation to me, or some guidance regarding the presentations?

Many thanks,

Your name"

VimFuego101 · 13/03/2021 12:11

@WaterBottle123

Goodness OP, get some self awareness! You've been given the privilege of flexible working to accommodate the school run. Show some give and take and make it your mission to find out what you missed at these meetings, you're a salaried adult not a child. If they really are 5 minutes surely you can dial in?

You need to show your employer you can make flexible working work. If you were in the private sector this attitude wouldn't be tolerated.

I'm sure you mean well but you really need to have a word with yourself here. It's your career and livelihood.

I agree with this. If you miss things because you don't attend the meeting and are disadvantaged or your work/ training/ knowledge suffers as a result, then you're providing them with a good excuse to state that your flexible working doesn't fit with the needs of their business. I would talk to your manager and work out how best to catch up later on what happened in the meeting and make sure you follow up on any items covered in it, it sounds important.
LAgeDeRaisin · 13/03/2021 12:13

Once you have tackled the more pressing task of finding out what you are required to do and doing it, I'd wait a week or so and then raise the question of whether you can be given a meeting brief or email summary of the meeting.

If you pile in with 'i haven't signed up because I wasn't told/wasn't there' or 'why was I missed out/not told about this' it will seem petty and childish. You need to sort out the task first, and then at a later date/once the task is complete, sort out how you can be privvy to the meeting content.

MyLittleOrangutan · 13/03/2021 12:15

See at first I thought YANBU be uase they've chosen not to employ you for the same time as everyone else.

But now I think YABU because they've made allowances for you to work less for your benefit. All you're doing is showing them that it was a bad decision to allow you that flexibility because now they have more work and you're not performing as well as everyone else. So yeah, you need to work this out, not them.

LAgeDeRaisin · 13/03/2021 12:17

Or better still, just check in with your friend who does go to the meeting to ask if there was anything essential that was discussed.

I agree with PPs, it's about being proactive.

Linning · 13/03/2021 12:17

How come you do not ask your colleagues/boss a sum up of the meetings every morning?

It sounds very strange to me that you miss meetings daily (which is fine as agreed by your workplace obviously) but don’t try to catch up and seem to have an “wasn’t there so it doesn’t concern me” attitude.

When kids miss school they are expected to ask around to find out what they have missed, get copies of the lessons they have missed and get their homework done as if they have attended the class.

Why do you think it’s on them to tell you what you miss instead of you asking what you have missed and being proactive?

Sirzy · 13/03/2021 12:18

Surely when you got the email you should have been proactive and asked for more information?

I think if the flexible working means you miss staff meeetings you need to take some time to ensure you haven’t missed anything vital

Miseryl · 13/03/2021 12:20

Just ask your manager, surely? All this hand wringing and there is a simple first step!

Misknit · 13/03/2021 12:26

If they are meeting on Teams and or Meets (which they should be due to social distancing in education at the moment) as a PP has suggested ask them to invite you to the meet and record for you and then you can then watch when you have time. I wondering what revolutionary training on powerpoint they could have managed in five minutes. Is it not regularly used in your setting?

scubadub · 13/03/2021 12:27

Yeah it's not their job to inform you, it's your job to get informed and ask questions...this is called being an adult!

Level32 · 13/03/2021 12:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LovelyLovelyWarmCoffee · 13/03/2021 12:31

Stop trying to find an excuse not to do it, you are the only one who will end up looking bad. You «officially» knew since the first email, there really is no reason for you to assume you don’t have to do it.

spacegirl86 · 13/03/2021 12:35

I'm a bit baffled that someone working in education doesn't know how to use PowerPoint. Surely it's used in hour setting and it's pretty straightforward.

But on the meetings - yes you missed it but now you know you have to do it and going forward work out how to get the info daily. Either informally by asking your friend or requesting minutes sent out (a setting I have previously worked at with a morning briefing did this as standard so those who were on duty or didn't work at that time didn't miss out).

soundsystem · 13/03/2021 12:37

Yeah I really wouldn't be impressed if you were one of my team. If you've requested flexible working and the team has accommodated, and you're working in a professional/salaried role I'd expect you to figure it out! If you are that lacking in initiative, and therefore creating more work for others to have to repeat things, I'd be thinking that the flexible working request wasn't working, and asking you to turn up to the meetings like everyone else tbh

GintyMcGinty · 13/03/2021 12:39

Have a discussion about how you can get this info.

Go with suggestions.

Could someone take an action note and email it round everyone? Would be useful reminder to all as to what was agreed.

Could you call someone / speak to someone on arrival each day to get an update?

Could your manager drop you a note after each meeting?

Does your manager have any thoughts?

DrManhattan · 13/03/2021 12:41

Grow up and ask?

Twylar · 13/03/2021 12:47

YABU
The onus is on you to follow up here. You're working flexibly to suit your needs so you need to show that is working for your job. Surely you should be checking in daily with your head of dept. to ask was there anything of note you missed in the meeting daily.

NailsNeedDoing · 13/03/2021 12:52

It depends on your job role. If you’re a teacher, it’s up to you to find out the information you need. If you’re a TA, or anything else not salaried but on an hourly rate, then yanbu and you should be given the information you need without having to ask.

viques · 13/03/2021 12:54

I am finding it a bit hard to swallow that a teacher in the UK exists who doesn’t know how to do PowerPoint ! It’s 2021 schools have been using technology for a very long time, even old fogies like me could slap together a PowerPoint presentation.

And as others have said, try being a bit more proactive. If you know the rest of the staff did five minutes training on something you missed ask your line manager to schedule you in for some 1 to 1. If you know there is something you need to be doing but are not sure what it is then ask. If you know things are discussed at the meeting that you miss ask that there are minutes jotted down for you (and anyone else who misses the meetings) to take a glance at.

scubadub · 13/03/2021 12:54

@NailsNeedDoing what utter bullshit...she is a capable adult either way. It doesn't take much to open your mouth and say "what's the process/expectations with regards to the PowerPoint presentations? When are they due? What are my next steps?"

Ffs...

HeyDemonsItsYaGirl · 13/03/2021 12:57

I wouldn't raise attention to the fact that your flexible working agreement is negatively impacting your performance. I'd make an effort to ask about the meeting each day and be thankful I had a job that worked for me.

NailsNeedDoing · 13/03/2021 13:02

[quote scubadub]@NailsNeedDoing what utter bullshit...she is a capable adult either way. It doesn't take much to open your mouth and say "what's the process/expectations with regards to the PowerPoint presentations? When are they due? What are my next steps?"

Ffs...[/quote]
But what if a fiend hadn’t mentioned that it needed doing? How could the OP be expected to find out about something that she doesn’t know exists?

Someone in a higher position will be aware that there are always likely to be things they need to know about. Those lower down the chain will only rarely need to know what’s gone on at staff meetings that happen before lessons, so it’s reasonable that on the occasions they do need to know, that their line manager tells them.

MaMaD1990 · 13/03/2021 13:03

@NailsNeedDoing. She did know about it. She got the first official emai.

scubadub · 13/03/2021 13:04

@NailsNeedDoing she said she got an email?? Also she needs to ASK?? I would walk in a say... what was the outcome of today's meeting? Can I see the minutes? Etc etc it's not bloody rocket science.

FourDecades · 13/03/2021 13:04

How do you usually find out what was said in the meeting?

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