To think this is poor treatment of staff and unreasonable of our manager?

[Tinkerbelll9]

Work in a nursery and we have a new manager. They’ve shown a few times that they don’t appreciate the staff but today a new rule came in. Staff in the tots room (15 months to 2 years) are unable to sit by the wall with the children. So can’t lean their backs on the wall whilst sat playing with the children or with them on their laps. They’ve said they’ll get chicken wire and put it round the wall so no one can sit there. Some staff are there up to 10 hours a day sat on the floor and our backs are hurting. Apparently anyone caught with their back against the wall will be called in for a chat in the office. Btw, this even applies if we’re sat with a child cuddling them or interacting. Is this unreasonable of the manager ?

Chicken wire not safe for kids! Ofsted would love that lol . Can’t imagine how they could find out lol 😜

If this is real then yes unreasonable. Not sure you’d get chicken wire approved by H and S, too many chances of little fingers getting trapped.

But I’m thinking this isn’t real…

Go to your union and ofsted

its definitely real. The chicken wire may have been of off hand ‘joke’ but we are definitely not allowed to sit leaning against the walls

Why?

This can’t be true! Chicken wire in a nursery room! I can’t see the parents or Ofsted being happy about that.

I honestly have no idea. It hasn’t even been said why. I don’t know if they think it’s unprofessional looking if we have a visit but it’s not like we’re sat there doing nothing. It’s just to rest our backs as we’re sat on the floor most of the day or on very small chairs when they have their food

That might have been a joke at our expense but still, I think it’s a bit insulting towards us. Many of us have bad backs

Ask for the risk assessment for the chicken wire. Definitely not allowed in a nursery.

Why doesn't she want you leaning on the wall?

I guess it’s because it might appear unprofessional? And that we should be around the floor, engaging. Which we do of course but sometimes it’s nice to rest our backs against the wall whilst cuddling or have a child sat on our lap but we can’t even do that

Definitely insulting from management and totally unreasonable.

I have two children in nursery and I want my children to be looked after by happy staff who enjoy their jobs. I would not be happy if staff had to abide by this in my nursery.

Have they given you a reason why?

Even if it is a joke (in terms of they won't actually put up chicken wire), the sentiment remains. They don't want you leaning against the wall and more importantly it's about reminding you who is in charge

Start “joking” about employment tribunals.

Frankly I would be looking for another job pronto.
They clearly don't care about staff welfare.

That is INSANE. I'd hire a private occupational therapist to come and have a look and write a report stating the importance of you having something to lean against. Or, I'd leave and find somewhere else to work were the employers don't treat employees like dirt. Some employers are disgusting.

The staff in the tots room at my DS's nursery are often sitting on the floor up against the wall when I go to collect him in the evening, often they're cuddling an unsettled child or reading/ playing. I have never thought they look unprofessional - I think that's great that they're down at the same level as the kids and comforting any that need it.

I also think they look exhausted after a long day caring for a group of little ones and am very grateful for them.

You need a friendly parent to ask the owner what the he'll is going on?
The only other thing you can do is all join a trade union, stick together and stand against this. Write a letter, signed by all, saying you are not prepared to adhere to this stupidity. Your manager us a bully BTW.

Bloody ridiculous.

You can become a member of PACEY if you are not already. They have a legal helpline. I would call them and ask advise

My only experience about nursery is as a parent (3 years, two kids in the same rooms).
So I obviously don't know whats happening being the scene, but our nursery has a relatively low staff turnover rate for the area and I've never seen the staff sitting on the floor with their back against the wall. In the tots or baby room (which the same room separated into 2 areas). Most of the walls are taken by shelves and toys anyway.

When I try to picture it, it doesn't look a bit weird. Particularly of that's several members of staff at the same time. Whenever I'm there, a couple might be sitting on the floor with the babies, but most of them are active, standing up doing tasks, or sitting on chairs with the children.

In contrast, I have visited other nurseries which didn't give me a great impression because the staff seemed very passive, all sitting on the floor with the kids moving around them. It didn't seem a very dynamic and interesting environment.

I think the core of the issue is that if your working conditions are causing you back issues, they need to change. But a chair/bench seemed more appropriate than sitting against a wall. Our nursery has a rocking chair and high back chair in the baby/tots room, and reading benches or steps to sit on in the other rooms.

Thank for your reply. I should add that in the nursery I work in and the room, is a small ish room, no chairs, just resources on the floor for the children to play with. They do have 2 rooms they use but both are fairly small and there is no chairs, so we are sat down on the floor so we are at their level. We only have chairs when we go into a different area that is used for eating times, which are children's size chairs