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.

Ours was spread out over the full year.

And yes, teachers etc are paid for holidays, as in, their statutory holiday allowance pay is built in to the salary. So it is the remaining 8 or so weeks that are in theory unpaid.

What I was trying to say is teaching is a salaried position, TA/HLTA is not. So people quoting such high rates of annual pay are living in cloud cuckoo land!! To explain:

Yes, I hate that TA jobs are advertised with a salary that is way higher than the contract that they're being offered.
Their actual pro-rata pay should be stated transparently on any ad.

For minimum wage? Nope. That is completely taking the piss.

You could say no. All meetings and twilight sessions should have been put on the annual overview at the beginning of the year. Meetings can be cancelled, but they shouldn’t be added on last minute. Explain your situation and ask if you can attend via zoom at home. I would also suggest reaching out to your union for advice.

No TA should be expected to work outside of their contracted hours for no additional pay.

@Longma This is why, all along, people have suggested checking the contract. If, as some of us thought OP meant, she is paid for 39 weeks, then that does include inset. It appears she was talking generally but we don't know what her specific contract says.

On our team HLTAs are paid for inset days but not general TAs. It's in their contracts.

I've checked my contract over the weekend. It's 38 hours. Currently doing 3.5 hours online training on my only day "off"; certificates have to be generated and handed in. No TOIL or overtime permitted.

If you mean 38 weeks (which I’m sure you do), then you cannot be asked to do twilight/INSET. You only have to do this training if 1) You actually want to as it benefits you/your career or 2) Head agrees to pay you/give you time off in lieu.

@Iamgettingolderandgrumpier Thank you. Yes, 38 week contract. They are stating statutory training which is expected to be done in own time.

I would speak to your union. Staff do have to undertake statutory training like Safeguarding etc but always believed that this had to be provided during your working hours or paid. (I am a retired head and would never expect my staff, particularly TAs who are paid little enough, to do training in their own time unless it was for their personal benefit.)

If it's a 38 week contract you don't have to work for free and they need to either provide pay, TOIL, or give time during your working hours for anything statutory.

Some TAs I know have 8-4 or 8.30-4.30 working hours so training could be done after the children leave but before the end of working hours. During that time you'd be reasonable in expected to not be directed to do something else.

@LolaSmiles My hours of work are 8.30 - 3.30. I'm very rarely out of the door before 3.50 in reality.

Then you need to contact your union. Some of our TAs (not officially HLTAs, but paid slightly more and able to cover PPA time) were on 39 week contracts, the rest on 38. When it came to training days, depending on the subject, the 38 week people didn't attend. If the subject was vital (say, safeguarding) they were asked to attend, and paid extra or given TOIL.

LorlieS
Your union will be able to advise and assist you getting this resolved.
If your contracted hours are 8:30-3.30 for 38 weeks of the year then school can't insist you do it unpaid in your own time.

I'm also really anxious that the next thing they're going to expect of me is to go on the 3-day residential. Am I within my rights to say no?

You need to get proper advice from your union, OP. We can't tell you the terms of your employment.

Absolutely. That will not be part of your contract.

Almost anyone is within their rights to say no to a residential.

Unless they've taken a job such as an outdoor pursuits role or a Duke of Edinburgh style role (where expeditions and camps are part of the job), school staff aren't required to do residential trips.

@LorlieS you confirmed what hours you are contracted and you used to be a teacher so you know how it works.
I imagine they will ask and you can say 'no thanks' and others will be asked to volunteer. Not enough volunteers it won't happen.