Extra staff meetings to make up for days off

[eskimod]

In a nut shell... so staff can have extra days off (I think 1 extra day at Easter and 2 in summer to make it a 7 week hol) we are doing extra staff meetings. Which is fine. However, I'm pregnant and will be on maternity before Easter and summer.
My question is... Should I still be expected to attend these extra staff meetings after school if I'm not actually going to benefit from these extra days? I won't be at school!
Any advice would be appreciated!

That's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Presumbably the meetings will involve training and planning that would otherwise be done at the training day, that you are, in effect splitting over a few twilight sessions.
That training you hope will improve the way the school works / improve staff knowledge and improved outcomes for the pupils.
You are being petty and that doesn't help you when you will be looking for sympathy later in your pregnancy.
Sometimes someone will retire or move schools or start at the school new or whatever. It can't all be covered.

I’m not 100% sure but I think you do. Your school might not make you do all of them but if they’ve arranged statutory training in those slots then you will need to attend them and if your training schedule is as tightly packed as ours this year then there will be other things that it will not be practical to miss. I think it’s just one of those annoying things but if they are good about these things then your HT might agree to pay you extra for the ones they really want you to attend.

There's no harm asking ... maybe just check via an email

Something like:

Hi Headteacher,
Just to clarify, are the extra meetings/training hours mandatory for all staff or just for those staff who will be getting the extra days off? I obviously won't be taking any extra days holiday as I'll be on maternity at that point, so wanted to clarify if I am expected to attend?

Having said that, you may well need time off or light duties later on in pregnancy.... only you know what the climate is like in your school!

I had a similar situation when I handed my notice in for Xmas. I was not expected to attend all of the twilight which were being done to disagregate the January inset days. But my head was a nice, reasonable person.

@SabineSchmetterling thanks for your advice. I don't want any extra pay or anything it's just annoying that we already have inset and other things that we have to. I'm obviously not arguing about the usual weekly inset meetings. We all work far more than we should but still they say we haven't done enough hours! I'm just really tired all the time at the moment so can do without three later nights this week and other weeks when we have extra meetings! 😞 I'm sure she'll say I'll have to go though...

@BackforGood I'm not sure if I'm being petty I just feel that they take the mick out of us sometimes. I always go above and beyond but there is rarely any thanks. Part time staff are not expected to attend all inset or the extra meetings and as I'm only working half of the year and won't benefit from the 'days off' I was wondering if the same applied to me?!

We would pro-rata that if asked.

@rosesinmygarden the climate is a bit rubbish at the moment. Many feel that they take the mick out of us and expect too much. But I know many teachers feel this way.
I know I will probably feel rubbish towards the end of the pregnancy but I'm already feeling so sick and tired so could really do without being at work later when all I want to do is go home!
I have asked my head and she doesn't actually know the answer so said she'll ask HR tomorrow.
I don't think it's fair that I have to go to the meetings when I won't get the days off. Part time staff don't have to go to all inset meetings and are not expected to attend all the extra meetings. I thought maybe this would apply to me because I'm only working half the year. I'm thinking I'll have to go to them though... 😞

@Ihatesundays does that mean she might work out my hours from now until feb half term and work out how many extra hours I have to do?

It’s what I would do. Disaggregated days are for earned time. You don’t need to earn that time if you don’t.
I think especially as you are pregnant it’s very reasonable.
I’ve had to work out to the minute for some part time staff how much time they’ve owed!

@Ihatesundays that sounds very reasonable. I'm hoping that this will be the case for me. Obviously I won't complain about working what I should! I just feel it's a little bit unfair that I'll have to attend when part time staff are not expected to attend. I'll only be working half the year if I go on maternity feb half term so I wondered if this also applies to me?! Are you a headteacher?

HR. I know there have been comments when some quite senior part time staff have made issues about this, as it was just expected they did more.
Are you having any pregnancy reviews as it’s worth mentioning then too.

@Ihatesundays I had my first risk assessment meeting yesterday and I was asked if there were any risks to me. The only thing I could think of which isn't really a risk was the fact we have no TA in my year group or near by so if I need to go be sick or need the toilet, it's impossible for me to go at the moment. I've been worried about drinking to much in case I need the toilet. This is hard to change though as we have very few TAs because of funding.

That's good to know... it's actually mostly SLT that want these days off so they can book a cheaper flight 🙄 I'm not SLT or UPS. My head is supposed to be seeing HR tomorrow to ask about all this so I'll keep you posted!

Thanks for your help

Part time staff are not expected to attend because they are not paid to attend. They are paid for the percentage of insets / meeting of their contract. You are full-time. So it is not the same reason for Not attending.

Speak to HR.

Surely it is twilight and not meetings???

It isn't really comparable with a PT member of staff though.
A PT member of staff is only paid a % of a FT salary, for working PT hours. You are being paid all of the salary, so would expect to do all of the work.
Obviously it isn't great to have to attend extra meetings at the moment, but that is the choice of the overwhelming majority of your staff, being the trade off for not having to come in for the INSET days. Outside of your pregnancy I suspect you would vote for it too ? It obviously becomes a pain in your circumstances, but overall, the school have agreed to it, as a favour to the staff who have, at some point in the past, requested it. If it starts getting too complicated, then the logical thing is to stop it - which generally won't go down well with most of the staff.

@C0untDucku1a some of the sessions are additional meetings generally 'box ticking/ waste of time' meetings and some are scheduled as "training/CPD"
Some will obviously be useful to me, others won't be useful at all.

I see what you're saying about PT/FT comparison I just wondered if the same applied to me as I was actually only working and getting paid FT wages for half of the school year... Maternity isn't paid as the full amount all the way through, just the first few weeks and then it continues to drop... I dont know if this counts or if this is considered as I will get less money when on maternity?
My head is speaking to HR tomorrow so I guess I'll find out when she knows. I've asked 🤷🏼‍♀️ obviously I'll just do as I'm told as whatever they say I can't really argue with...

Where I work if staff haven’t put the hours in for these ‘days off’ then they have to come into work. you shouldn’t need to bank the hours

The head had the meeting with HR today and it turns out that because I won't be having the 'days off' I don't have to come to the extra meetings. Also, as I'm working only half the year i don't actually have to go to all the normal weekly meetings (but I will) because my directed time is indeed different because I'm only working half the year. If I do attend extra meetings, the head said she will pay me for them!
I'm not looking for payment for going it's just when I feel crap, I want the option to be able to go home instead. 😊

Thanks for all your advise!

Great news 😁

That’s great. Glad to hear you have a fair HT.