To refuse to stay at work late?

[Onlyyours]

I’m a teacher. Due to strikes a parents evening has been rearranged, but I had plans for that evening.

Am I within my rights to refuse to do it, given the circumstances?

Just because people don't agree with you they're not trolls. By the way I've not claimed the OP went on the strike, but when parents moan about the strikes because they have to take time off work etc. they are told the 'point of the strikes is to disrupt and get the government to listen'.

I don't think it should need to be about "rights"

You probably have the right to refuse because it was a task planned for strike day and therefore didn't happen, but we all know teachers are flexible.

Head has rearranged and given reasonable notice. 4 weeks will be plenty for most but some will have already committed elsewhere.

Where I work, it wouldn't be a matter of "refusing" but of having a sensible conversation and making alternative arrangements to communicate with parents.

Go to your concert. It’s utterly ridiculous if you can’t. I wouldn’t be losing out on pre-arranged events / money because of my job.

I suggest as one of the very first responses that you post in Staffroom but i understand about the traffic. Unfortunately, in AIBU, one attracts people who don't know their arse from their elbow about teacher contracts and who can't resist the opportunity to take a pop at the profession anyway. See above for evidence!
However, I think the fact that you were not striking on that day alters things slightly. Had you been on strike, then I think you might be able to say nope, no consultations to be re-scheduled. What's missed is missed. But as you weren't, then yes, it's perfectly reasonable that you have other plans so it is probably OK to offer phone consults for any parent who wants one.

Still can't quite believe the number of people STILL suggesting that teachers should "quit if you don't like it," given the catastrophic staffing crisis in our schools today. Even if your child's school is currently coping, it's heading your way sooner or later.

@CalistoNoSolo

why?

I’m really unclear on why you think it’s a shitty thing @CalistoNoSolo? she has plans and an event that is paid for.
OP I can only say from a parents point of view I wouldn’t be put out to do it on a different day. As someone who manages a business I would totally understand if something scheduled outside of work hours couldn’t be attended to with only 4 weeks notice. There are always people who have plans etc.

I would not give up my tickets - have done that often enough - but would offer another evening to do the appointments via Google Meet or whatever. I think that's more than reasonable.

And we wouldn't be striking unless the government hadn't screwed over teachers and the education sector.
If it was a cup of tea with the neighbours, I'd do parents evening. But as it's a concert, I'd be going 100%

Offer to call the parents instead. Just tell management why.
This should be fine if you have reasonable management.
Unfortunately this isn't always the case.

Well not sure it would wash at my school as it is contractual. In reality, noone can answer this expect your headteacher. I would go and explain the situation. She may suggest you do it at another time.

Speak to SLT. Can you host it on another day? Seems a reasonable compromise.

*except

Wonder if the same people who think the OP should give up the concert also think teachers should reply to emails at a weekend.

Nope, YANBU. You were given a directed time calendar, you planned around that. If you were able to, you would accommodate. But it is totally unreasonable to expect you to lose out financially and miss a pre-arranged event which cannot be rescheduled, for one which could easily be rearranged for another time. Strikes, illness, courses, part time workers, there are many reasons why a particular teacher may be unavailable for a parents evening and as long as you make up that directed time by reporting to parents on a different time/evening, then YANBU.

Of course. Just as one should always be on call in the evenings for panicked emails from pupils about homework.

I explain to my pupils that I will answer emails 8.30 - 5 Monday to Friday, and not at other times. They are absolutely fine with that. Parents, not so much!

No it isn't. The calendar is supposed to be in place at the beginning of the academic year.

In any case, she was available for work on the original date. If I were her no way would I be altering my arrangements without a hell of a fight.

Can’t you just do it a different evening to everyone else? When similar happened to me (not because of a strike) parents evening went ahead on the rearranged date and I did mine the evening before. We used to do ours from 3.30 onwards though and our head was a reasonable person.

FWIW I would never have wanted any of my DCs teachers to give up a planned activity and lose money for the sake of a parents evening.

Those who are effectively saying “it’s been and gone so tough luck you don’t get to talk to your child’s teacher this year” (and yes I understand that is probably the legal position) - are you ok with the postal unions just burning that day’s mail if there’s a postal strike or do you expect it to be delivered later? If you have an operation cancelled because of a nurse’s strike are you ok with being told your hip replacement or cancer surgery is gone forever or would you expect it to be rearranged?

(OP I think in your circumstances it’s entirely reasonable to not attend.)

no idea
could you change the evening for you only?

Oh gawd not another teacher thread. Is this any different from someone in a different job who had to meet a client? Who cares? Ask your HT not mumsnet!

Why do schools even have parents evening? I've never learned anything at one that couldn't have gone in an email. Surely if there are real issues parents would have been contacted at the time anyway?

Interesting. You were not striking in the original date, so could have done it then, but the Head made decision to rearrange. I suspect this is not your problem for that reason. Check with the Union - there's directed time and there's taking the Michael.

Yes, same for me. I normally book appointments pretty quickly but there's always quite a few Subject teachers unavailable. Not Maths and English which I'd expect to be most popular. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I don't really need a 5 minute zoom call to know how my daughters doing. I can see that quite clearly from progress reports and by checking her homework.

I wouldn't care if parents evenings were cancelled altogether. If there's an issue I'm sure we're all capable of picking up the phone and talking for more than 5 minutes.

This blows my mind … in my job (solicitor) I sometimes (often in the past!) have to work late with no notice at all! And when I say late, I have worked through the night before now …