To say no! Twilight sessions (unpaid)

[LorlieS]

Can't sleep I'm so stressed!!
I'm working as a HLTA - paid hours 8.30 until 3.30.
Just picked up an email sent today telling me I need to attend two twilight sessions from after school until 6pm. Needless to say these will not be paid for and the first one is this week!
AIBU to say no?
Oh, and I also have a 3 yo and her childcare only runs until 4.30.

@YippieKayakOtherBuckets No. I am normally asked complete online training. Which I always do without fail. Not a problem whatsoever! We used to get paid for extra hours but don't any more.

Must be, or at least one of them is being paid significantly under the minimum wage.

@EddieMunson Definitely not! He works for the local council. In essence, emergency social care (MH).

@EddieMunson 30k take-home. Rent alone way over my monthly wage.

Combined salary of hubby and I is barely 30k pa!!! Still not sure what I am expected to do with daughter, especially at such short notice?

Hang on, you're a HLTA and your DH works in emergency Mental Health care but you take home 30k between you?? Your DH must either be very part time or a student nurse on placement. Can't he ask one of his colleagues to swap shifts with him? Maybe not for the twilight session in a couple of days, but for the next one? I also don't understand how you can afford to just quit your job with nothing else lined up. Seems like a massive overreaction. For all you know LT might be fine with you not attending, if they've genuinely only given you a few days notice then I can guarantee you won't be the only one who has childcare issues! This is exactly why twilight sessions are usually planned months in advance.

@neverbeenskiing I obviously just can't quit my job! Would need to find something pt whilst studying. Hubby works ft for local council - in essence as an unqualified social worker (MH). He has no degree and wages abysmal.

If you’re a qualified teacher but your husband is on a very low wage, would it be better if he did more childcare and worked part time to enable you to go back full time?

@Shinyandnew1 We've both agreed never again to me working ft in teaching. The hours are unbelievable and this time around I want my little girl to have a mummy who is present at least some of the time. It would be the death of me!
Our hope is that the MSc will open doors away from education and into a field of work I have always hoped to find myself in (I was foolish enough to start my family very early on in career-terms and that has always been a huge regret).
My husband is very supportive of my return to study as he knows it is always something I've wanted to do.
We will never be wealthy but we're more than happy with that!

@ThanksItHasPockets well no technically I’m paid for one inset day. Which equates to 7 hours. I do twilight ever Wednesday for a minimum of 1 hour. 39x1= 39 right? So that’s 32 hours I am technically unpaid for.

as a HLTA o don’t get self directed time either.

@Cahaco It really is shocking. I don't really know why anybody would want to TA/HLTA any more.
Do you have to do loads of teacher cover now too? 😞

DT calendar is provided before summer. Added now- don’t attend. End of.

@Abbimae Agreed. Told Head I can't attend as can't get childcare at such short notice.

Good luck! Is it SaLT or EP-just curious!?

I think we’re using different definitions. I wouldn’t consider all after-school meetings to be ‘twilights’.

It’s eccentric to contract HLTAs for 191 days. Your school is quite unusual in that regard.

@Shinyandnew1 MSc Child Counselling (first degree BSc Human Psychology) 😀

Explain that you can only attend with dd in tow. Take some snacks and an iPad and she can sit outside the room maybe? Chances are others are in the same boat!

OP, I haven't read the full thread so I don't know if this has been suggested already, but ask if you can bring your child with you. We often have staff bring their children to INSET days or after-school sessions, they just sit there and read/play in iPad while the session is going on.

@spirit20 The problem with that is it's a 30/40 min drive home and 30/40 min drive back!

Can your 3 year old not manage half an hour in the car?

I once worked set hours in an admin role in a school and I absolutely despised having to do unpaid twilight sessions not least because it was impossible to find childcare that ran so late.

@BillionaireTea What I mean is...school finishes at 3.30pm. I would then have to go and collect my toddler and wouldn't be back until 4.40 at the very earliest. Training starts at 3.45!!

Got it! Yes that's too difficult.

Is your daughter not funded for the funded 30 hours? She could use those hours for nursery and then your mum could help out ad hoc if you needed and she gets a break!

@Teder Yes she goes to preschool so mum gets a break (well as much of one as she can looking after my dad!!)

@LorlieS I teach Monday-Wednesday all day at a minimum, I am then expected to also cover Thursday and Friday when needed, with sometimes 5 minutes notice!
(although I am actually currently on maternity leave!)