Working on Saturday?!

[DogsAndGin]

Hi all, we’ve been asked to come into work on a Saturday to help at a school fete (I work in an ordinary primary academy - Monday to Friday). I have no idea why they don’t just put the fete on a weekday.

It’s worded as, ‘you don’t have to attend, but we need one member of staff from each yeargroup’… so, of course, that means that in reality, some staff do have to attend. It feels like we’re stating the obvious to say it’s against our contracted hours, so presumably the head doesn’t care about that. The heads of year feel they are obliged to go.

We’ve already had staff signed off from stress, so we’re understaffed with several supply teachers in. One of the heads of year is stretched too far - I’m worried about her. This feels like bullying. It’s such a total lack of respect.

Anyone had this happen? How was it dealt with?

You're not likely to have many takers for a fair in the week tbh either?

Then one person like you started working at the school and within 2 years they stopped altogether.
One person like me who doesn't live in catchment and doesn't get paid to work at the weekend?

This is such a dreadful passive-aggressive response.

I absolutely would not attend a weekend fete and neither would any school I've worked in over 20 years expect me to. This year I've been asked to attend a Friday evening one (instead of Thursday) and I'm still saying no. I am very busy outside my job.

There's no way I'd attend a weekend event at school, and they'd never ever ask. These sorts of events have always been run, and wholly staffed, by the PTA at my school, and at my children's school too. I haven't attended any as a teacher, and as a parent I haven't ever noticed my children's teachers attending their school fetes. I'd definitely refuse, and I do love my school.

I've only ever known fetes be on a weekend. There are few SAHP now where I am so if its held on a weekday no one turns up.

Theres usually only 1 such event per term max and not all staff need to be there so it works out usually 1 per year for each member of staff - not a huge ask.

Oh but yes ours are largely pta run. The head & deputy usually go, and a couple more staff eg the one who takes choir if they are singing carols

It's may not be a huge ask, but it's also not part of the contract. It states in the Standard Teachers Pay and Conditions document that teachers cannot be asked to work on a Saturday. So whether you think it's a big ask or a small ask, it's literally cannot be asked. It's immoral to put pressure on teachers who attend if a school has no intention of paying them for their time. That's the sort of behaviour that will have staff leaving for a different school which doesn't put pressure on teachers to attend Saturday events.

And the reason why the Head and Deputy can attend is because they have different contracts. Class teachers will already spend much of their evenings and weekends doing planning and marking admin to do essential parts of their job. The school will know this, but say that's unavoidable as they don't have the funds to increase non-contact time or reduce class sizes. With that knowledge, it's unreasonable to ask teachers to attend a fete at the weekend too. And they legally shouldn't be asking anyway.

It doesn't sound like it happens very often and is just one of those things. I work in a university and have to work a few weekends for open days, it's just the day they're on so can't be helped.

Does your contract specifically state that you cannot be asked to work on a Saturday? Teachers need to protect their terms and conditions, and refuse to do all the extra stuff that slowly, bit by bit, small request by small request, erodes those terms and conditions so they're unrecognisable and the job is completely intolerable. Those terms and conditions were hard won, and teachers do enough already out of goodwill. If teachers don't start refusing to do things, the results will be constant pressure to do more more more, and we won't have any teachers left.

It's completely different to a parents' evening (should be included in directed time) or going on a residential (voluntary, not usually over a weekend, some schools will give some time in lieu).

Teachers are not contracted to work weekends. Ever. (I'm taking about state schools, really, other contracts may vary.) Teachers should NOT be made to feel like they should attend school on a non-contracted day. On a completely voluntary, "only if you want to and can", basis, fine. But there should be no expectation.

We all want what's best for the children we teach. But why that means we feel we have to attend work on a non-contracted, unpaid day, I don't know. The next time the local hospital has a funday, I don't think they're going to expect at least one unpaid, non-contracted doctor from each department to turn up to run a stall. Does that mean the doctors don't care about their patients? Does it heck. It just means they need a work-life balance and are entitled to their time off. As teachers are.