My child is in hospital and I'm in bed sick

[Inthesickofit]

Asked HoD to set cover (one lesson), suggesting the students read independently.

Have just received an email reminding me that the policy is to set your own cover, so could I please send in an hour long task for the class to do. Not a word of sympathy. Is it me, or would you be narked too?

Yes - and I say this as someone regularly setting cover for sick members. Sometimes you’re too ill. Next time send one email and then ensure you can’t see replies. HoD is paid to fix issues. Feel better soon!

Thank you. I am so incredibly pissed off! I know the policy is to set your own cover. I thought that given the circumstances I wasn't doing too badly to even come up with a suggestion for work to do...

I would send in a one slide Ppt with a picture on it and tell them to write a description. It's not on, sometimes you are too ill!

That’s shocking. I’m a HoD and my staff will often say they can’t set a relevant task from home. Whatever they’re I’ll with I see it as my job to support them and the students

Wow! Appreciate that you may be an academy but legally you are only required to let them know you are off. We regularly have people off who don't set cover - we can't even ask! This year I've spent hours of my own time putting together a cover folder of work so we can set quickly when colleagues are absent. Really feel for you

Where I, work lesson plans and resources are all saved centrally so it should be easy for another member of staff to pick up the planned lesson. It doesn't always work like that in practice of course but there should be enough resources that you can direct them to "something" without having to create something new from your bed.

That said, in your circumstances, the only thing for the HoD to do is wish you both well and if a "reminder" is needed, to save that for when you are back at work.

Oh gosh you were ill and asleep and didn’t see the email, surely?

HOD just can’t be arsed to do their job.

Oh wow! As a primary TA, my teacher was off last week and too ill to send cover. So I sorted it myself. If a low paid TA can do it, a HoD certainly can!

Teaching. Surely one of the only jobs where taking a day off sick is more work than pitching up for the day?
Bloody ridiculous of your HoD.

Rule at ours is not to be contacted when we are off sick. We have to concentrate on getting better after all. And I certainly don't go logging into the school's email account when I'm ill...
My team teaching partner has been off sick for the last three days. I just chucked some work at the cover supervisor. Everyone coped.
I can understand leaving cover for a planned absence but not for illness.

Thank you for your kind messages! I was almost doubting myself, teacher guilt making me think I could do more work. Not helped by the fact that our head continued to go into work when one of their children was very seriously ill (and they weren't HT yet then).

Baba is on oxygen and IV fluids, which my HoD knows, because I said so in my email. Apparently they're happy to help if there is a reason why I can't set my own cover Not sure how sick my child needs to be for it to count as a valid reason...

I still feel funny about when I was v ill and set "general revision" for a bright top set and got truly told off when I came back and told I shoild have things up my sleeve....I feel slightly justified agter this (nearly 14 years later.)

Talk to your union rep, that really isn't on. Hope you and LO feel better soon.

@plastictattoo don't put yourself down! And complain, definitely not your job to set cover.
@Fuzzyspringroll I logged in to set the bloody cover and then refreshed my emails when I woke up from my nap, to find this email. That'll learn me!

It wasn't meant as an attack on you. I meant that I wouldn't be logging in so wouldn't be seeing any emails or send them. We aren't expected to, either, but emails sent while we are off simply won't get read so it would be pointless of anyone sending anything. I find it quite rude of your HoD to even expect that you are reading any emails at this time.

They are arses. I have asked colleagues to sort cover for me. I have sorted cover for others when they are either ill or have a family issue. It is utterly appalling to send such an email to you. The best response would be to say: 'I will not be setting cover for my classes whilst I am absent. I am unwell and my child is in hospital. Thank you for your understanding. ' I think that teaching is unfortunately a profession where the more you do, the more they take the piss!

Sorry, I came across wrong. I didn't feel attacked, I was just agreeing that I shouldn't have opened my emails. I was just trying to be cooperative and now kind of regret that...

My school does have some rather "unusual" expectations of its staff. And they wonder why I'm job hunting...

That was for @Fuzzyspringroll

@cansu you're so right about how schools work... I was seriously tempted to just tell them I won't bother coming back!

Check your next pay slip carefully. With their attitude, they might question whether you were ill (so needing to be paid) or taking leave for child-care, which would be unpaid after the first day.

Is this for secondary English? If it helps at all, I have a selection of easy to set cover lessons that I'd be happy to send you.

(I realise, of course, that it's not the point! I completely agree you shouldn't need to. I definitely wouldn't have asked a colleague to set work in these circumstances)

I hope DC is better soon

@Apple23 say what now? Unpaid after the first day??? We never get paid for leave for childcare! I'm forever having to remind them to dock my pay though, so I'm not too concerned about that. But you're right, there was a definite vibe of them not believing me...

@MsJaneAusten. Yes it is. It's not the time it took, as you say, it's the sentiment behind it.

... but thanks for offering I think I'll be OK though!

If it helps, we are looking for a teacher. Would mean moving abroad, though...and it's for primary Maths and English. :)

We have 10 child sick days per year for each parent. The first one gets paid by the employer, then the health insurance kicks in to cover loss of earnings.

Sorry, I don't do kids under 11, unless they're genetically linked to me

My dd was recently in hospital, my other dd started vomiting too. I felt a bit rough myself and very very sleep deprived so took a day sick then worked from home. My boss would never say anything like yours did. In fact mine said take off as long as I needed to get everyone better (i.e. not just me). I'm not a teacher, but the message you received would have had me bubbling with rage.