In school staff rotas during lockdown

[Snowboarder45]

My primary school is a hub. We have children of keyworkers attending from ours and 6 other local primaries 7.30-6pm. All teachers are responsible for home learning during term time. Some teachers and TAs are on the rota others are not. The staff who opted out of being in school did so on the last day of school citing family members who had asthma or other vulnerabilities. However, guidance from the Dfe and asthma society has since become much clearer, naming medications and dosage of the most severe asthmatics. I believe these suffers also will have received a letter telling them to isolate for 12 weeks. The guidance quite clearly states that family members do not to sheild but take great care to ensure surfaces and hands are washed thoroughly along with phyicscal distancing.. At this point where do schools stand when staff members are not willing to put themselves on the rota? Have other schools had experience of this and how has it been handled?

@partystress
Advice from our LA for those living with someone who is shielded or vulnerable is that they can attend their workplace. The number of social interactions in the school have been reduced due to there being fewer children and good hygiene and social distancing should be in place.

In terms of travel, it is up to the employee to make sure that they are available to work.

Government advice is that those living with people who are shielding do not need to isolate

@Pud2 but will staff comply? Especially when that is not what NAHT are advising? It’s the practical reality I’m trying to understand. In the absence of testing, why would someone not simply repeatedly say they have CV-like symptoms? Why for instance, would a teacher with an immuno-compromised spouse put themselves in a situation where they might take the infection home?

And on travel, does a change of workplace not constitute a contract variation that requires consultation in normal times?

I guess I’m worrying because I can see this coming down the line if pupil numbers go up, and of course it seems logical in the face of a reduced workforce. I just think it might be counterproductive (as well as potentially massively impacting on the retention crisis).

@Sunshine1239 Regardless of government advice for some families it will be safer if the household isolate. E.G. a single parent family isolating because their child is the one who needs shielding so they cannot go to school and if their parent goes to work they are left alone or if their parent catches Corona virus their is no one to look after them or their parent dies so they are now an orphan. This is a situation where risks are assessed and lives are in the balance and sometimes life is unfair. But would you wish these illnesses that make these people vulnerable on yourself or family?

No totally agree that people would want to

But that’s not same is it as being eligible too

I’m a teacher and I know 100% that there are people claiming things falsely to avoid working and it’s not fair on everyone else

I can guarantee more staff would go on the rota if it wasn’t paid

I’m not trying to sound harsh but it’s left to a few to take in the burden and it’s not fair

The more on the rota the lower the risk for everyone

Totally agree sunshine1239

Funny that’s not the government view. The less people in and out of a workplace the lower the risk.

We are a smallish primary. All staff were TOLD the rota, no option to not be on it except for two staff members who got THE LETTER to say they had to shield. The rota included Easter and the Bank Holidays.

Only half a dozen or so children in school each day (nearly all of these are vulnerable children rather than key worker children). We have six members of staff in school each day - one in the office and the others basically providing childcare.