Teachers social gathering at work

[Notsureifitssomethingornothing]

Hi, I have name changed just in case my previous posts mention my location. I’m not sure if I’m overreacting or not, and I’m not normally the Covid police: I can understand a bit of low level rule bending as things are tough at the moment. However, I have seen a post on Facebook showing a social get together for some of the staff at my dcs school. It is a photo of a finger buffet laid out on a table in a classroom, with a big bowl of crisps, a cheese board with one knife etc and is described as an ‘end of term party’. 7 people are tagged in it, as in x is with y and 6 others.
Would this annoy you/make you cross, or would you just think let them have their fun? I’m classed as a key worker (as is about 50% of parents in my area judging by school attendance) but as I work from home I haven’t sent my dc in. It’s been really tough at home but I thought I was doing the right thing, mainly out of respect for the school staff. The school had already announced they would only be opening to kw+v children prior to Boris closing school because lots of staff members felt unsafe.
Is there legislation regarding this at the moment? I do feel cross but have had issues with the remote learning provision and not sure if my feelings are clouded by already being a bit unhappy with the school.
How would you feel if you were aware of this happening at your dc’s school?
In ‘normal’ times I am very happy with the school and my children are content there. I don’t want to be ‘that parent’ but I have emailed them asking why this went ahead and whether a risk assessment was considered. Just not sure if I’m making a mountain out of it due to skewed perspective with lockdown etc.

Op what you have seen is what's sort of enforced every day.

People freak out when people get to close in supermarkets queues... Teachers have people to close without masks every single day.
Food is always out in the staff room. Staff share milk, kettles... Fridges.... Most eat lunch with their students but they need appliances to share for hot drinks especially with windows open and freezing hands etc.

You see a bj

Bj 😬, buffet and wonder if its allowed, I see what's inevitable every day.... Because its impossible to sd in schools no matter how careful each staff member is.

They were phenomenally stupid to share that photo on social media.

In my place of work that would be a disciplinary offence, particularly if it were shared to social media.
Because you can't social distance adequately from students, this is why you shouldn't increase the risk in areas that you can control.
There's no sharing food at our work, no face to face meetings within the organisation (it can't be avoided with members of the public), we have to wear masks everytime we move away from our desks, we sanitise our work stations before and after each shift (I bring my own) and a limit on the number of people allowed in the office at each time. If the maximum is reached you just have to wait outside.
At one point in time we were receiving weekly notifications that a serving member of the organisation had died. News like that is very sobering.

@Jijithecat

In my place of work that would be a disciplinary offence, particularly if it were shared to social media. Because you can't social distance adequately from students, this is why you shouldn't increase the risk in areas that you can control. There's no sharing food at our work, no face to face meetings within the organisation (it can't be avoided with members of the public), we have to wear masks everytime we move away from our desks, we sanitise our work stations before and after each shift (I bring my own) and a limit on the number of people allowed in the office at each time. If the maximum is reached you just have to wait outside. At one point in time we were receiving weekly notifications that a serving member of the organisation had died. News like that is very sobering.

That's exactly what I meant. Just because certain safety measures are impossible doesn't mean we can just forget about all the measures that are possible.

Btw your employer sounds exactly like mine. I wonder if we work for the same organisation?'

@Reachersloveinterest and mine too. It's quite common - although I'm nowhere near an office myself. Tea and coffee facilities have been removed and there is no food sharing. People think it's being mean to deny the teachers a bit of a buffet but you can't say that on the one hand you're fearful of catching covid and then the next minute being stood next to someone you don't need to be sharing a bowl of crisps!

The vile abuse heaped on this op is horrible, told to f* off, not be THAT person etc. They're representing their profession poorly.

I'd be more concerned about the school's social media policy to be honest. I don't think the staff did anything wrong in having a buffet lunch, but at my school we weren't allowed to put anything on social media that related to the school. So no photos taken there and no mention of where we worked on our FB pages.

@Reachersloveinterest very possibly a similar type of organisation. Having said that DH is in the private sector and has similar types of rules in the workplace.

@Howshouldibehave

So was this social media post

A-written by a member of school staff and made public?
B- posted by a member of staff who is a ‘friend’ of yours?
C- posted by the staff members on the school’s social media page?

D- stalking school staff

If true hopefully all staff at school will check their privacy settings.

Many people have explained how it's possible to share food safely and still maintain social distancing.

It's also hugely unhelpful when people share what happens in their office of adults with social distancing and a tiny amount of staff. Good for you that your set up is like that. Schools are always going to be different to that.

Teachers can do whatever they like, as far as I'm concerned. We can't (as a society) simultaneously not give a shit about their safety and nitpick about their safety.

@Ahmnotacat

Teachers can do whatever they like, as far as I'm concerned. We can't (as a society) simultaneously not give a shit about their safety and nitpick about their safety.

That doesn't make sense. Plenty of people care about the teachers' safety. Plenty of people are also trying really hard to minimise the transmission of covid.

@Fefifoefum

I totally get your frustration.

I’m a nurse. I’m sure I would get a similar reaction if we did this. But we’re not. We understand that an outbreak among staff would be terrible for our patients. And surely these staff understand that risk they’re then sharing with their students?!

No shared food (we’ve had to turn away donations of whole cakes etc) all to remain 2m in the staff room.
And yes that is despite perhaps being stood next to each other perhaps in very close contact with each other with a patient.

I don’t understand the ‘bubble’ excuse in regards teachers. They are adults and should be social distancing, surely.
It’s the same way childcare bubbles aren't allowed to be used to socialise. You don’t automatically get Covid being in contact, you may get it in a 20 minute exposure but not a 5 minute one, thus reducing the time spent with other people is what they should be doing.

Absolute rubbish. Cake can be sliced and laid out round a table. Everyone can lift a bit with their mask on then take a seat spread round a room and remove their mask once spaced out. I am an HCP too and we have had socially distanced retirement events with a buffet and very restricted numbers. It can be done and should be done imo. Give the school staff a break ffs!

@Ahmnotacat

Teachers can do whatever they like, as far as I'm concerned. We can't (as a society) simultaneously not give a shit about their safety and nitpick about their safety.

Exactly!!

"Plenty of people care about the teachers' safety." Really? Very little evidence of it on this site.

"Plenty of people are also trying really hard to minimise the transmission of covid." Apart from those who are advocating opening up all schools asap with no mitigations. Read the site; there are loads of them on here.

@TheyIsMyFamily

es they may be in a bubble together, but I didn’t think that made it ok to have a social and be putting their hands in the same food bowl. Doesn’t that increase the risk of spreading? I thought work meetings that were purely for social reasons weren’t allowed.

Oh do fuck off.

I am in school every fucking day helping children like yours learn under awful conditions. And I do it happily, frankly, even though I'd rather have my entire regular class back. I'll be damned if judgy twats like you tell me I can't put treats on a staff room table for staff to 'share' when they nip through on a rare break. Or share treats others have put out to keep us all going.

Jesus glad you not teaching my child.