AIBU to resent my colleague planning stress leave before term ends?

[BeGladRobin]

Just a bit of a rant really, I am a primary school teacher. My year group partner is an ECT in her 1st year. She's doing a maternity cover and started mid way through the year. She told me this week that in a couple of weeks, she thinks she will go off with work related stress as she is entitled to 5 weeks sickness on full pay. Therefore she will not have to go to work for the last 5 weeks of term and still get full pay throughout the summer holidays.

She is leaving teaching and has told me she is never setting foot in a classroom again. She is massively struggling with work life balance and is working all of the time. She is also really struggling with low level disruption in the classroom. The children keep taking when she is trying to deliver the teaching input and as a result she is lessons behind my class (instead of completing 2 afternoon lessons every day, her class is only completing 1).

She told me that as a result of work stress and she is going to book a holiday abroad while signed off sick. She told me that she "doesn't give a shit" what people think about me anymore. When I questioned her about the children and the effect of them if she goes off sick. She said "she doesn't care" and "they won't die" so its not the end of the world.

Just a bit fed up as we share planning, so that will mean my workload will massively increase. Also she hasn't started 1 single report yet and isn't planning to.

Simple. Disclose the conversation to the headteacher.

She’s being extremely foolhardy telling people what she plans to do!

Well if she’s really struggling with behaviour and has no work-life balance as she’s working all the time maybe she’s actually pretty stressed? An ECT1 shouldn’t be left to just manage if she’s not coping. And she’s right - the kids will be fine if she’s off sick.

Teaching is so shit tbh. No support when the kids behave poorly and loads of guilt tripping if teachers try to protect their own mental health.

Whether she intends never to set foot in a classroom again or not, what she is planning will ensure that any reference will mention ‘the amount of sick leave’ and I’m sure there are ways of wording even a factual reference, that will make it clear that she is a selfish and unreliable employee.

I think you have to try to find a way to speak to the head about it, particularly if she’s not planning to do any of the reports and because her absence will have such an impact on you. Even though her performance is poor and she clearly isn’t effective, leaving colleagues in the lurch is unacceptable.

I'm split tbh. I'd be pissed off in your shoes and it's terrible for the kids. However, what support has she had to manage her workload and classroom behaviour? It's not fair on her students to be so behind, but surely the school needs to step in?

She sounds completely burnt out and has no vested interest in getting a good reference or anything if she's leaving teaching. I'm not surprised if the stress was affecting her health - I've had work (teaching) related stress affect my physical health repeatedly. But I do think planning a holiday while signed off is not just unethical, wouldn't that void any sickness pay if found out? I guess she doesn't care about potentially being struck off.

I'd probably have a conversation with my line manager about it a) in case she could be given more support to prevent her going off sick and b) in case she does go sick, school is aware what she was planning. I don't know what they could really do to prevent her going abroad, perhaps ask for phone check ins?

I have noticed the last few years of trainees we've had have really seemed to lack resilience. Lots of regular days off for a mild headache, two weeks off for stress, getting the uni mentors involved. But we do give a lot of support in our school. I've not been an official mentor yet - signed up for next term - but I've always stepped in to give advice, recommend books on workload and help with feedback when they've taught my classes.

I'm not saying what we all went through as trainees was fair but I did School Direct in a really tough academy, didn't have a day of sick leave, worked 14 hour days plus weekends all year, taught 14/17(think it changed partway?) hours in my first term, which then went up to 21. It is odd seeing trainees struggling with teaching 6 lessons a week, some of which is repeating the same planning. But we have to remember they're brand new and every task can take forever when they don't know what they're doing, don't have that unconscious competence from experience.

Lol, she told you quite a lot, didn't she?

It sounds like she is genuinely struggling!

Surely the right thing to do would be for you to talk to someone senior at the school and explain how much she is struggling - so much so that she can’t even envisage completing the year.

I feel so sorry for the kids in her class who are suffering from her incompetence and MH problems.

The problem is the fact that you are expected to do the work of two people when one of the people is sick, for a sustained length of time. This could have happened even if she were genuinely sick.

Long-term sickness is endemic in the teaching profession and there needs to be a better system than everyone else doing extra work.

You need to refuse to do the work of two people, long term, with no extra remuneration. Insist they hire a qualified sub.

Agree.

I guess the problem with getting a cover teacher in once she's gone off sick is that they often don't do the planning and reports, either, so the OP still needs to do it. That's actually where SLT need to step in. They should be teaching that class, sorting the planning and doing the reports, considering how close it is to the end of the year.

I've been teaching abroad these last few years and we are quite chilled with sick days, but when we suddenly lost two teachers at some point during the year, it was all hands on deck. I did plan for the class I took over temporarily (8 weeks), but planning and assessment expectations got adjusted and it was timetabled during my general cover time, so no extra lessons.

She sounds like an idiot for telling you! But if she actually does go off (and she may just be sounding off) then as others have said, surely SMT have to step in and support you in dealing with the fall out?

Im an ex primary teacher too!

She sounds like she is struggling big time and needs support .

Think you have a duty to confide in
someone senior about it - the booking the holiday is a p taker

I left before the end of the academic year(Easter ) and felt bad BUT had to
prioritise my health !
I gave the required notice and I did all the reports before going - 2 weeks i was given at home to do this - overlap with the person taking over from me .

I can understand your annoyance !
DD is doing teacher training and dread how she will cope when qualified

She sounds like she actually does need the sick leave for stress, and she is just trying to stay on long enough to get to the point that she won’t need to come back, because of how shitty and stressful the job is.

If she's leaving anyway I would be having a discreet word with the head in the context of managing the additional workload now re things like reports. Checking first that the head won't tell her you've mentioned it.

If she's massively struggling to the extent that she's leaving teaching then she probably is very stressed.

But I also get exactly why you are pissed off that she doesn't give a shit that it gives you more work and stress and lets the kids down too. I'd be quite cynical that she's able to carry on for now but planning to suddenly be stressed enough to go off sick when the sick pay timing works best for her. And irritating that she's arrogant enough to tell you and almost boast about her clever ruse.

Can you have a conversation with the head, not to "tell tales" but to try and plan for supply etc since you have the benefit of the knowledge of the situation coming up.

If this is actually true then you need to consider whether she has been supported and to have a word with the headteacher about what she has said.
How long is the maternity cover for? Does she intend to return? Perhaps if she has had such a rubbish time in the school (lack of support with a difficult class) and knows she is leaving anyway then she probably feels she has nothing to lose.

Since her absence will directly impact you and could dramatically increase your workload, for your own MH, you really need to tell your line manager and the head teacher that she needs more support. And definitely refuse to do her work - point out that you will then be unable to do your job and might also succumb to stress/MH.

Surely they are aware that she is struggling to deliver the curriculum? What are they doing to support her now?

SLT will complain about how expensive a supply teacher is but that is why they should support her now: it will be less expensive for them.

The other way to look at this is that the school sounds like a shit show with poor pupils discipline and where staff are overstretched and management is not doing anything to address the situation long term.

What would she waste any more time in an environment that is causing her stress and where she is struggling especially when she realised that the job is not for her?

She is perfectly entitled to remove herself from a bad work environment and take some sick leave to address the stress that working in that school has caused her. People on sick leave are also perfectly able to go on holiday if they want to to help improve their mental health.

Don't be a snitch and instead focus your anger on the fact that your school is not managed correctly.

What do you think will happen if you say something? she will just go on sick leave anyway and there is nothing that the Head could do to prevent it.

If she knows she won't be returning then why not just give notice and leave the job.

Selfish people will always work the system to their own advantage. She doesn’t care what people think and this is going to impact you, so I would have no qualms at all about passing on what she has said to the head.

In Ireland sick leave for public jobs transfers with you. So if her new job is public sector, that leave will be deducted from a new balance. Not sure if same everywhere.

Because she wants to make sure she gets paid for the summer holidays.

Because of the notice periods in teaching. You can’t leave in June. You leave at Christmas, Easter or the Summer. The school might allow her to end the contract early so they don’t have to pay her if they know the alternative is her going off with stress. But I don’t see why she’d agree to that. If your work makes you sick you are entitled to sick leave to recover.

I think i dont like to blame others but
general child behaviour especially to subs or new teachers
more exposure to what teaching maybe like before training.
you need to tell the HT because possibly the school hasnt been as supportive as it could be of training her or moving the kids classes if she isnt coping. I bet some schools give new teachers the less easy kids.

ultimately though she chose yhis and will be being paid for this and choosing to be on holiday! Its not surprising uk is in the shit.

my mum was a fe teacher and had a teacher or more than one who used to use up all sick leave then go back temporarily.

i worked in pr ivate sector job and my colleague had some sort of bowel issue it was a team of 3 and i basically did all the work for 3-6 m a year because she would be off.

i dont think doing plannig for 2 classes sounds a lot when youve done the job a while i wouldnt be happy doing all the reports. ! But realistically her reports would be a load of crap
as she doesnt care
is very new
and the kids are behind as she cant control them so doesnt affect their ability.

So a bigger concern -if its likely the classes are mixed up next year how will her class kids be brought up to match the other kids.?

Having helped at scouts the boys behaviour is out of control.

Just recently just thinks ive heard - at primary school 1 kid was kissing a girl and touching her chest. Another kid pulling kids shorts down.
secondary- my kid is being bullied in class, and around school. Teachers ignore... Grojps of girlshaving sexual comments said to them.

Honestly despite her stupidly telling you all this there is not a lot you can do even if you wanted to . No way anyone can prevent her if a GP will provide correct documentation. And stress is hard to disprove. Saying she doesn't care about the impact on anyone else including the kids is showing that she is beyond reasoning with . Her list of complaints back up her feelings too .
The only thing you can do is to request extra support when she goes .
As an aside how awful is it when the teaching profession is seem as such a difficult and undesirable job . Used to be such a respected and rewarding career .