Can school make me change my working days?

[veneeroftheweek]

I work part time. Since I started they have been the same days. The head teacher wants to talk to me tomorrow about a time tabling issue which means that I think she is going to ask me to change my days.

My childcare is locked down. At this point in the school year all after school club places have been allocated and know that I won't be able to change. I had a discussion with her a couple of months ago to confirm that I would be working the same days and set up my child care accordingly. The

Can they force me to change at this point? (I'm not saying that they will do this, but would like to be prepared beforehand).

Unless your days are specified in your contract, yes. I have exactly this problem in that my 0.66 has been swapped from one and of the week to the other. My contract does not specify days, so the union says nothing can be done.

I'm now looking for another childminder! It's a total pain in the bum.

Shit. Really? I'd understand it if it was earlier in the year but this is ridiculously late in the term, especially when we'd already agreed my days.

I'll have to dig out my offer letter and see what it says.

I hope you manage to sort your child minder out. What a pain!

I'm afraid they can, but it's extremely late notice and every school I have worked in has aimed to confirm days for part time staff before the May half term. If they are discussing this with you at this late stage, I can only imagine that the school can see no other way around it. However, perhaps they need to slightly add to or slightly reduce your hours (part time staff can have a 'reasonable' variation of up to 10% either way) - this is what a lot of last minute conversations were about in my school.

Based on a previous conversation, I think it is about changing days rather than hours.

This really doesn't work for me at all. I would have expected much more notice than this.

We are in the process of academisation. The general attitude of the new SLT is "If you don't like it, fuck off" , knowing that they are now staffed till December at least. I rather think that by October 31st they will need to advertise nearly all posts. They've already made it cleAr that they'll expect me to go full time after a year. I'll have left by then!

If it's not in your contract then they can allocate you whatever days they like. I'm 0.7 and do 3 and a half days. Next year I'm having totally different days off to this year and I only found out today! It is shit though . At least you are getting full days off though, rather than 0.6 over 5 days

I'm now wondering if you work at my school

Sorry your school is doing this to you. They will lose out in the long run as they will not be able to recruit good staff members if they restrict themselves to only employing people with no other responsibilities in their lives. It will take years for them to realise this though. Meanwhile I hope you find another nearby school which is destined to thrive due to attracting talented staff and nurturing and supporting them. I have to hope that such schools exist.

Yes I am 0.6 and for the last 6 years have worked different times spread out over whole week. So no day off and different start and finish times every year. I have finally next year got 3 full days off over two weeks but different days each week. Attitude is like it or lump it. It is shit!

Sorry others are having the same issue. I wouldn't mind, but we agreed my working days a couple of months ago and I've made childcare plans accordingly.

I've seen before on employment rights that if you're a shift worker but have worked the same shift for years then they can't just change your shift on you. I have no idea if part time teaching counts but it would be worth checking with your union. It's way too late in the day to drop any change on you.

www.workingmums.co.uk/advice-and-support/can-my-employer-change-my-hours/

I've seen before on employment rights that if you're a shift worker but have worked the same shift for years then they can't just change your shift on you

That's not strictly true, they can have a consultation and then change your shifts. Had it happen to me in the NHS. Worked same shifts for years. Shifts changed so was either a 30 day or maybe a 60 day consultation period. Then everything changed. Union said we either had to accept it or leave, that there was nothing which could be done.

This looks relevant.

I have had the same thing happen to me, with the same issue regarding childcare... I spoke to my union and they said look carefully at your initial contract. Does it specify the days, if it doesn't there is less you can do.
They did, however, suggest that if you had been working the same days over a number of years there is an argument for suggesting that this is an established working practice but it is not so enforceable. We normally just get a timetable with the different days on...

The notice period needs to be reasonable. Your issue isn't the change as such but being told one thing and then another being sprung on you. I think a union chat is advisable. Try not to commit to anything if you have the talk before you can get some advice.

How did it go op?