Sharing of workload

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

Posting here in the hope of getting some perspective. A colleague and I both work in the same department and both work 4 days. I have been given more classes and lessons - hence more planning, marking, reports and parents evenings etc. This same colleague keeps complaining to me that her workload is unmanageable - I just smile politely whilst seething that she is seeking sympathy from me when I have more work to do. I have kept my mouth shut up until now and just got on with things but there was talk last week of reducing this colleagues teaching timetable further - widening the gap between our workloads. I now feel that I have to raise this matter for the sake of my mental health if nothing else but I am worried that I will sound like a spoilt 5 year old screaming, ‘It’s not fair!’

[Mistressiggi]

If you are experiencing stress due to workload management do have to act on this.

[likeafishneedsabike]

It sounds like you haven’t much choice but to rise above it, unless you’re willing to resign. My bet is the new line manager will catch on very soon, unless colleagues are covering mistakes and missed deadlines etc. Unlike other jobs I’ve had, it’s not hard to spot a slacker in teaching.

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

Thank you for everyones’ advice. I have decided to ‘make peace’ with the situation - I was starting to make myself ill. I will focus on what I am doing and try not to worry about anyone else. This colleague has form for sounding and looking very busy whilst doing less than others - our old line manager was wise to it our new one isn’t yet! I intend to move forward with a more positive frame of mind - it has helped to share my feelings here.

[likeafishneedsabike]

Forces at work, I mean.

[likeafishneedsabike]

Ah, not a good outcome then. However, are you going to be teaching the correct allocation for a 0.8 part timer ie 80% of a full time week? Obvs you should have 10% of your own teaching load as PPA. As galling as it is, try to focus on whether what you are being given is fair rather than than whether it is fair in comparison to your colleague. There may be forces of work that you’re not aware of, as shit as it is.

[Teachermaths]

Definitely a management issue.

Can you go higher up the food chain?

It does seem incredibly unfair. Some of our staff teach slightly different hours by 1 or 2 just due to the nature of their groups. But no one really notices this. While classes different is another thing.

[IgnoranceIsStrength]

I'm not in a school but in education. If there were 2 members of staff on a 0.8 with no additional responsibilities I would absolutely expect them to have the same teaching hours. At ours that would be 20 hours so both should have 20 hours. You were right to bring it up

[LolaSmiles]

You poor thing OP.

Ultimately it's a manager issue rather than a department one because they are the ones who make the call on task allocation.

If you're not in a position to change things then it is unlikely to get better. Ignore talk of your workload from anyone other than you head of department and in the meantime you might have to keep your eyes peeled for somewhere else

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

Well it has become clear that nothing is going to be done. In fact there was talk today of adding to my workload. I have come home in tears. I feel so let down by my department - who don’t care or aren’t interested because it’s not them who is affected.

[LolaSmiles]

It's good to ask the question.

The only way it would be frosty is if they're really immature, or if your discussion was largely "but it's not fair..."

If your timetable is 0.8 and you've got 0.8 and associated PPA then that's your timetable and reasonable to raise. If your workload is being increased beyond what is reasonable (in general or to accommodate the changes) then that's reasonable to raise

If it's "but they get to do less than me for more money" when it's fairly standard for classroom teachers to be at different points on the pay scale then that could easily sound petty (however justifiable your gripe - and I know the feeling because I've worked with someone who always complained their way to an easy life).

[BackforGood]

This same colleague keeps complaining to me that her workload is unmanageable - I just smile politely whilst seething that she is seeking sympathy from me when I have more work to do. I have kept my mouth shut up until now and just got on with things

Why?
Why didn't you ask, in the first place, for it to be clarified how much a 0.8 contracted person should be teaching, as there seems to have been a mistake in the timetabling.
The more you "accept" the more you are likely to be put upon.
If you are paid for 0.8 you should be teaching 0.8 of a FT teaching timetable.

[Mistressiggi]

But are they actually going to DO anything about the issue you raised?

[Teachermaths]

You have done the right thing by speaking up.

The only person you should be concerned about is you. If your colleague isn't coping then SLT should support them. But this doesn't mean piling more work on to you.

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

Thank you. All rather frosty today - hope I don’t live to regret opening my mouth. 🙁

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Good for you OP. We all need to stand up for ourselves a bit more. SLT rely on us being doormats and accepting the situation.

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

I have now raised the issue and was met with a stare that I’m surprised didn’t turn me to stone! It has been agreed that it will be looked at sometime in the future. There now seem to be lots of department conversations going on behind my back and I feel like a bit of a pariah. I have spent my life being a bit of a doormat. I have no idea why now, at my great age, I don’t want to be a doormat anymore - but I really don’t! Dreading next week but will try and go in and hold my head high.

[ValancyRedfern]

I think you should definitely say something. I used to have as many lessons over 4 days as full time staff had over 5. It was awful. Sadly complaining didn't get me anywhere I've only solved the issue by going back to full time so I'm not being exploited. But definitely make your views known.

[LolaSmiles]

aderyn
Even if it's a case of one person being M3 and the other M5, but both are classroom teachers?

I think we've got to be careful about bringing pay into it when the MPS for classroom teachers is for classroom teaching, not taking on responsibilities.

I sympathise with OP if it is a situation of complaining person gets reduction, but think it's worth considering there may be other factors too. I've tried writing examples but can't suitably anonynise them for here.

[Aderyn19]

I think you can bring pay into it if she gets more than you but does less and has no extra responsibilities.

[CuckooCuckooClock]

Are you having to take on extra work to compensate for your colleagues reduced workload?
I think that you would be fine saying that you have enough to do and can’t do any more.
Or even that you have too much to do and can’t cope so need a reduction.
But I don’t think you can legitimately complain about your colleagues reduced workload.
Well not officially anyway. You are welcome to complain on here!
I feel your pain - I have a couple of colleagues on massively reduced timetables for no pay reduction. It doesn’t seem fair does it?

[BeingATwatItsABingThing]

Her workload isn’t excessive for those two days. She doesn’t none of the extra responsibilities that come with being a teacher. Her job share does them all.

[Mistressiggi]

Beingatwatitsabingthing I don't agree with your point about part time teachers not being able to complain of overwork. So a colleague works two days a week - presumably she gets paid for only two days a week - so if her workload for those two days is excessive then why would she not be unhappy? She is not meant to be dividing those days over the other, unpaid days!

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

Totally agree about not bringing pay into it - only mentioned it because of a comment made by a previous poster. I am going to put on my big girls pants and express how I am feeling. Even if nothing changes I will know that I have addressed the issue - which will help my self esteem.

[LolaSmiles]

But you know as well as I do that a normal "Teacher of Subject" job goes from M1-UPS3 so different people in a teacher job on different pay points is fairly normal.

I don't think you can bring pay into it personally. All you can do is convey how you are feeling to the relevant people whilst being aware that they may have extra information that they can't share with you.

[wakemeupwhenitisover]

No additional responsibility. We do the same job. Not sure why she is paid so much more. She has been there longer and I accepted the salary that I was offered when I took the job - so only myself to blame really!