Inset and part time

[rosesinmygarden]

Legally can I be made to go in on inset days if they are on days I do not normally work?

I work 0.6 and my contract says I have to work 60% of directed time. STPCD says I don't have to go in on days I don't normally work.

School are trying to say I have to do 60% of inset, I think it's 60% or directed time which is not quite the same.

School would not pay me either.

If your contract is STPCD, and not an academy, then no they can't require you to work an INSET day on a day you don't work. You could have a job somewhere else on that day, or have childcare issues. They can invite you to attend, and offer to pay you, but ultimately you don't have to. STPDC document is VERY clear on this...

52.9. Subject to paragraph 52.10, no teacher employed part-time may be required to be available for work on any day of the week or part of any day of the week on which the teacher is not normally required to be available for work under their contract of employment (whether it is for the purposes of teaching pupils and performing other duties or for the sole purpose of performing other duties).

Having worked part time for many years, I do always try to attend INSET if I can, simply for my own professional development, but I've never been compelled to on days I don't work.

Thanks, this is what I thought too.

I've also worked part time for years and my previous experience is that I've been invited (with pay) tp inset days on my days off, but never directed to attend without pay in the bullying way I am experiencing at this new school.

They are saying I must attend a % of inset regardless of the day it is held and that I won't be paid. I am being accused of not being a team player if I don't do this.

They also insist I do patents evenings on my days off which I've done to support my job sharer but I work elsewhere on my 'days off' so it would prove tricky to go to the inset Anyway, let alone unpaid.

And yes it's a normal state school, not an academy.

No, you are correct.

There is a common myth that if you work eg 0.6, you have to do 3 of the 5 insets, that is not true. You only are required to do the ones falling on the days you work. If you work M-W and all insets are on a Friday-you would do none.

I am being accused of not being a team player if I don't do this.

That pisses me off. If there was training on a Saturday, would all the staff be ‘team players’ and go in unpaid on their day off?!

Ring your union for clarification.

If they continue insisting then my notice goes in.

Thank you both for confirming what I thought was true and what I can read in STPCD. They are simply mis-interpreting STPCD to suit themselves.

Oh and regarding weekends, we are constantly pressured to attend weekend events in the name of being team players. The last thing I attended was completely pointless and I was essentially told to go and stand in the corner and watch. I clearly wasn't needed, it's just presentee-ism

I know nothing about teacher contracts but in terms of employment law, you are only directed to do what is outlined in your contract. If your contract does not specify your usual working days then custom and practice comes into force, ie the days you usually work are your contracted days.

My DD had a PT teacher last year and her parents evening took place on one of the teachers usual working days. Surely this is normal.

Do teacher contracts state anything about overtime? As a part time employee, if you work extra you need to be paid extra or your full time counterparts are being treated more favourably which is not allowed. In addition I believe (and I'm not 100% on the employment law side of this) but I believe you should also accrue additional annual leave on extra hours worked, otherwise your ft counterparts would be benefiting more than you.

Not really answering your specific question I'm afraid but hopefully this gives you a bit more information.

What have you said to school so far?

Reading your later posts I was going to say don't resign...until I read the rest. DH has just moved jobs because previous employer expected regular unpaid overtime, lots of short notice and weekends too. It was exhausting for him and he was miserable (so was everyone else). I think in these situations vote with your feet...although I would say find something else first.

In other schools where I've worked part time I've been paid supply rate if I have agreed to do inset on my normal days off. This is a rate which takes account of holiday pay etc. My problem is that I work elsewhere on my days off and also that I don't like being bullied!

I've been offered more hours in my other job (where i am very happy, appreciated and well paid) I'll be leaving school as soon as I can!

Good for you. Schools shoot themselves in the foot sometimes. More and more good, experienced teachers are looking to work part time as full time is becoming almost impossible if you want to have a semblance of family life in term time. Part time contracts need to be applied fairly and correctly. It's not rocket science - STPCD is very clear.

Schools also need to get their heads around the idea of treating part- timers fairly when compared to comparative full time posts. Loads treat part timers less 'favourably' in ways that legally would be considered discrimination.