TLR in PT post

[lineandsinker]

Hi,

I’m a core subject HOD in a small secondary due to go PT (0.6) in Sept. Initially, I wanted to drop to 0.6 and was expecting to be asked to drop my TLR but my Head was happy for me to keep it.

Now... as I wasn’t fully in work mode when having these negotiations, I’m now worried that my TLR will be pro-rated when I’m actually still doing the full TLR role. None of my responsibilities have been delegated to anyone else - will just be expected to do it over 3 days instead of 5. I line-manage a team of 8 teachers and we all teach the same subject, FYI.

Is it normal for the TLR to pro-rated and should I be pushing to be paid the full amount?

Thanks!

I worked PT in Primary on TLRs when they came in, and yes, the TLR was pro rata. What you have to do is be disciplined about what you are prepared to do. If you are already doing the management side of the role, then go to meet them, with a plan about what will happen to 0.4 of what you are doing now. Obviously, it isn't that straightforward in terms of dividing up, but go with the question about whether the school are planning to give 0.4 of the TLR to someone to be your deputy or your job share or however you can see it working, or if they want you to retain the full TLR and full management responsibility.
As ever - if you arrive with a 'solution' , you'll be likely to get a better response.

This varies completely by school and role.

In your position I'd be arguing the TLR is not pro rated. You're right that you will be doing the whole role. If not then be incredibly assured of your boundaries. Eg no email contact on your days off etc.

Thanks both for your replies.

I have already been asked to ‘check in’ on emails on my days off and deal with anything urgent so this would imply to me that this TLR shouldn’t be pro-rated. I wouldn’t have a problem with this request if I’m being paid the full TLR.

I read some NEU guidance last night which suggests that, if I’m doing the full role, I should be paid in full for it. My contact time has been pro-rated for me to do the job - I have 2 full days of teaching and 1 full day of non-contact for HOD admin/PPA each week.

Fingers crossed that they pay me for it automatically and I don’t have to argue the toss. I won’t find out until my first payslip.

If you are working in a LA school, then it is very likely that your TLR will be automatically pro-rata; this is an ongoing issue, and deeply unfair, especially to the working mothers it usually affects.
The only exception to the pro-rata rule (ime)is fixed-term TLR3 for a special project. I suggest going in to see them with a full list of the job requirements as advertised. You should ask to negotiate, as a pro-rata payment effectively means that there is 40% of the jobs on that list that you should not be doing. Contact on days off should be an absolute no too, if they are paying pro-rata. The negotiation outcome should either be that you are paid in full and complete the entire role or you agree 40% cuts to the role and no work on day off (preferably, they hire a 2nd in department then to support). I'd contact your local union branch office and ask for advice (especially in implying issues with equality legislation- it is worth looking at whether this affects others in your school- particularly if those others are women /mothers, and f-t recipients are male/ have no caring responsibilities) as you have then two protected groups under the equality act, who should not be paid less for carrying out the same duties as a full-timer), and bring a rep in to the meeting with you.

My understanding is that if you are doing the full job, you should be paid the full TLR.

Do you have a second? If so, can he/she pick up some tasks on the two days you don't work?

I know someone who was HoD of a core subject and she worked 4 days p/w. In the end, she found a new job as a full time HoD because, although she was paid the full TLR, obviously her main salary was 80% and she felt she just worked full time for part time pay.

You may have to become very ruthless with your time/tasks so that you don't end up filling your days off with work.

Thanks for your comprehensive reply, @Burnshersmurfs. I work in a LA school and am on TLR2 so will work on the assumption that it will be pro-rated unless my payslip in August proves otherwise.

@PumpkinPie2016 I don’t have a 2ic. I work in a small secondary (around 700 pupils) so my department is myself and 7 other teachers. It has always been viewed that only faculties have 2ic and we are one of the core subjects that doesn’t really tie in with any other subjects.

I will see what happens come my August payslip (I was only back to work for 2 weeks for summer break, so my July payslip isn’t enlightening.
Will definitely contact my union rep if things don’t go my way.

Thanks all!

This happened to me. I dropped to 0.8, but my TLR was also cut by 20% as it was deducted from the whole amount. I spoke to the HT, arguing my responsibility as a HOD hadn't dropped by 20%, and she agreed. I had to be paid an additional
TLR to top up the amount.

Fingers crossed that they pay me for it automatically and I don’t have to argue the toss. I won’t find out until my first payslip.

I’m sorry to say that I think this is unlikely and I would advise contacting payroll now to find out. I know only one PT colleague who managed to keep a full TLR. She had to fight tooth and nail for it and do so much on her days ‘off’ that it wasn’t ultimately worth it. In my experience TLRs are always pro-rata for PT.

If you want to push for full TLR you will need to make a case for how you will support your team on the days when you are not there. If they don’t give you it then you need to set very clear boundaries about when you are available. I can tell you from experience that no-one else will protect your days off for you.

PS if your PT contract is effective from September then the August payslip won’t reflect the changes.

Thanks @ThanksItHasPockets.

I will be expected to do the full remit of HOD across the 3 days so I will be pushing to be compensated for it in full. If not, I would expect my Head to go through the responsibilities with me and decide which 40% I will not do.

Ultimately, I’m not prepared to work for free - why should my FT HOD colleagues get paid the full TLR and I don’t when I’m doing exactly the same amount of work as them, albeit over less days?

NEU guidance suggests that the TLR should be paid in full to PT staff if the full remit of the responsibility is being completed.

I went back to work for a couple of weeks prior to the summer holidays so my first full paycheck will be in August. July’s was half a month’s pay plus KIT days so was a bit of a mess to unpick, haha.

It's good that you are thinking about this now. I was a head of English before I had DC1. After mat leave I decided to return to work on 0.6. I thought about it long and hard and ultimately decided that it wasn't possible to do the head of English role in three days. I had a slightly bigger team than you and we were in a challenging context, meaning that my team needed support with behaviour incidents in particular on a daily basis. I took the decision to make a sideways move and returned to work as a lead practitioner on 0.6.

I hope that the following is realistic rather than negative but if you do manage to negotiate a full TLR you will have to weigh up how much you are prepared to do on your days at home before it becomes more work to be part time than it is simply to be there. You need to consider parents' evenings, middle leadership meetings, any duties that you are expected to do as a middle leader, and what you will do when and if they fall on your non-contracted days. If you are only able to secure a 0.6 TLR then you are absolutely right to establish your boundaries, but I would suggest that your HT may need to consider appointing a job share to split the TLR or a 2ic who acts up two days a week. It isn't fair on your team to have no access to a middle leader for 40% of the week.

Yes they pro rata them. I do 0.6 and my HoD wanted me to apply for a TLR within my department and it was a fairly pitiful amount for the extra work when you worked it out after the 0.6 and after tax!! I think as a HoD of a core department you have a strong argument to keep the full TLR though, presumably they can’t expect you to do all of it with less time and pay (one would hope).

Full TLR for full responsibility, if they want to pro rata then ask which part of your responsibility you will be dropping.

You need to do a really comprehensive list of your responsibilities and honestly assess whether you can do them in three days plus wfh. It is my personal experience that more than 60% of a core HOD role needs to be done in person but it depends so much on your school and your team (my subject is English so we typically have more moderation than Maths and Science). You run the risk of doing so much on your days off that you might as well be in school and being paid in full for your main/upper scale as well as your TLR.

I’m now an SLE across a number of schools. We have a couple of PT HOD on 0.8 but anyone wanting less than this has to be open to a job share.

It's the done thing in my MAT for TLRs to be pro-rated for PT staff. Doesn't seem fair but nobody I know has successfully challenged it.

I was in this position so I told the Head politely why this was unfair and she made it full time and back dated the extra. She was a decent person though and I don't mind sticking my neck out.

It's arguably indirect sex discrimination, isn't it?

I am 0.76 with a TLR and I get the full amount as I do the full job. I hope you manage to sort it.