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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Work extra 2hrs, sorry we can't pay you as we ar a charity

39 replies

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 11:45

Just want to know if I'm being unreasonable?
I've taken on a cleaning job for a pre-school and I've been doing 2hrs twice a night cleaning everything and mopping the huge floor area and vacuuming all the glitter up.
They now say they need me to do an extra night but for nothing as they can't afford to pay me.
Do I tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine? This is an evening job, so I'm away from my children and DH until 9pm at night
By the way, this job was advertised for ages and NO-ONE took it up....I wonder why?

OP posts:

EleanoraBuntingCupcake · 03/02/2010 11:46

just refuse adn continue to work your normal hours

coldtits · 03/02/2010 11:46

Say no! they are taking the absolute piss!

mumto2andnomore · 03/02/2010 11:48

Cant believe they have the nerve to ask ! Let them clear up their own mess !

bibbitybobbityhat · 03/02/2010 11:48

Just say sorry, you understand they are a charity, but you are not a volunteer you are a paid employee - and you will leave if they mention it again!

Original poster

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 11:51

Thanks, I just thought I was being nasty. I used to be a volunteer helper when my child attended the pre-school and I've been on the committee for 4yrs.
The worm has turned

OP posts:

compo · 03/02/2010 11:51

do you have a child at the preschool?
Our preschool staff clean up after the session
if they wanted help they would ask for volunteers in the first place!

gorionine · 03/02/2010 11:52

How was the job advertised? any hint of working for free? I would say what bibbittybobbittyhat said.

Original poster

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 11:53

I used to have a child there, now reception and I'm off the committee, but although the pre-school staff tidy up the toys and will mop up big spills during the day, they refuse to do cleaning

OP posts:

ArcticFox · 03/02/2010 11:55

They might be a charity in the technical sense of the word (most independent schools are, for example) but actually they are probably a "not for profit" which is slightly different.

Do not work for free. They are trying to emotionally blackmail you. Presumably you are doing the job because you need money, not because you love cleaning so YANBU to refuse.

Original poster

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 11:56

I have already worked for 4 weeks now and still not had a contract...BUT I know the Chaiperson anyway from the committee.
I think it's just the pre-school staff themselves trying to get out of a task that is beneath them.
I feel the need for a few e-mails to be fired off

OP posts:

gorionine · 03/02/2010 11:56

Let me get this right, they advertised the job, no-one wanted it and they just asked you to step in or did you answer the ad yourself?

mazzystartled · 03/02/2010 11:56

Well I think the usual staff are within their rights to not want to do the cleaning.

It sounds like the committee are not doing their job properly (now you are not on it). Maybe one of them should volunteer to do it.

gorionine · 03/02/2010 11:58

I would urge you to ask for a proper contract!

indie37 · 03/02/2010 11:59

Nope, YANBU, you work, they pay you. Or else you don't do the extra hours. Stand firm, they're taking the mick.

Original poster

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 12:00

They asked me to step in as they had not had a cleaner for almost 3 months (the previous one a student) only came in on a Saturday for 3hrs.
Now I've written it all down, it makes things clearer why they are doing this.
I'm going to suggest to them that I'll come in the extra day they want BUT that I won't be able to for example mop the floor.
This is my second job by the way!

OP posts:

MrsC2010 · 03/02/2010 12:00

Pre-school staff shouldn't be cleaning, it isn't a teaching task and if they are teachers it is one of the tasks that is 'forbidden' for teachers. I think the issue here is that you, quite rightly, don't want to do work that you're not being paid for. Neither do they, which seems fair enough to me.

I'm a teacher, and will make sure my classroom is tidy at the end of the day, but I won't clean it.

mazzystartled · 03/02/2010 12:05

ripeberry please don't do it unpaid!

if you were feeling very very nice and very charitable towards them you could work out whether you could split your paid hours over 3 nights by doing shorter hours and fewer tasks.

but if you work unpaid you are allowing them to mismanage the organisation's finances, and potential set up unrealistic expectations of other paid staff.

sweetnsour · 03/02/2010 12:06

By law you are entitled to an employment contract, and from the sounds of these charmers I strongly advise you to ask for one in writing.

Asking you to do an extra shift of unpaid work for nothing is outrageous, but not much you can do (except refuse).

However, if they start pressuring you, that's illegal. If they start threatening to sack you if you don't agree - they owe you money (but you'd have to go to all the palaver of a lawyer.)

Call Acas advice line 0844 875 0087 for the specifics - don't let the bullies get away with it.

Nessarose · 03/02/2010 12:07

Pre-school staff are not teachers they have a DPP or simeler qulifactions.

The committee abu

Rhian82 · 03/02/2010 12:09

If you're a paid employee, not a volunteer, then minimum wage laws apply. If the wage is quite low, then working three hours for two hours' pay could quite easily take you below the minimum hourly wage?

Sam100 · 03/02/2010 12:10

Presume you are an employee rather than offering services as a self-employed person so they are subject to employment law and minimum wage laws. If your total pay divided by total hours is less than minimum wage then they are breaking the law.
If they do not have the budget to pay for the extra hours then they should not expect you to do it for free.

Alternatively if they need you to go in 3 times a week rather than 2 can you do less on the other nights so that overall you do the same time for the same pay but over 3 nights rather than 2? You would have to work out a rota of what got done on each night as you could obviously not fit 2 hrs work into 1 hr and 20 mins - but that might work better. Eg toilets etc done every night but only mop once a week and do other jobs on the other nights.

expatinscotland · 03/02/2010 12:19

'They now say they need me to do an extra night but for nothing as they can't afford to pay me.'

It would have be 'Bye!' from me.

I can't afford to work for free.

'I'm going to suggest to them that I'll come in the extra day they want BUT that I won't be able to for example mop the floor.'

Why? Why are you seeking to compromise with people who don't want to pay you for work?

If they don't have the budget to pay for a cleaner and the staff cannot do it, well, then, guess they're going to have to cut one of the staff's hours to afford a cleaner.

but that's not your problem.

coldtits · 03/02/2010 12:22

Ripeberry, no! they are taking the piss! Why are you offering to work for free when you are clearly doing it for the money? If the committee members want someone to clean on the days you are NOT being paid to do so, presumably they all have hands!

Original poster

Ripeberry · 03/02/2010 12:23

Thanks for all your replies, especially the one about minimum wage. How much is it now by the way?

OP posts:

gorionine · 03/02/2010 12:29

here

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