Part Time Rights

[LyndaLaHughes]

Does anyone know if there is any provision for when term dates fall really unfairly for part timers? So for example if a term constantly finishes on a Thursday so a part timer who works the end of the week ends up always having to work one less day - same for Bank Holidays. What about when a term finishes on a Wednesday so a part timer works their full week but full timers only have to work three days. So basically when a part timer- due to the way the days fall end up working more than 0.6 or 0.4 of whatever proportion of the total days of the year because of the way the days fall. Is that just tough as it seems discriminatory and really unfair? Especially if the way it falls means another part times doesn't actually work their full quota of the actual days of the year. Surely this is an area that there needs to be actual regulations on as it's really unfair. Does this impact anyone else?

I always count up how many days I’m working in a year and check if it’s right. Normally a day above our below will even itself out over time, but if you’re consistently working more days then talk to your head. Otherwise you’re working for free

I would have thought most part-timers are either working the beginning or end of the week. So they'd either benefit from the bank holidays OR the terms ending on a Friday. But I don't agree with PP who says you're working for free - you're either working what you're paid for or getting extra days off. I couldn't get worked up about this, I think it would even itself out over time. If you are only working Tues, Wed, Thurs, then I can see you're missing out on these 'free' days, and I'd think about trying to change your pattern!

This year is particularly bad- not for the first time. Two terms ended with weeks where I work my full days and my job share worked a half day only out of her two days and in the final week I work my three days and she works none. It's seems really unfair and means I've worked more than my pro rata for the year by multiple days.

Oh the part timers at our school had a meeting about all of this and there was no easy answer. It's swings and roundabouts! The most controversial topic was report writing if the inset (report writing day) doesn't fall on the day you work! They are no easy answers. One of the downfalls of working part time. I can't get worked up about it all. I do what I need to do to do the job and am grateful that I have days off in the week.

There 100% is an easy answer. Work out how many days over (117 if you’re 0.6) you will have worked. Ask to be paid overtime for that number of days. Otherwise you are not being treated fairly.

Is there any provision for this in any union guidance etc?

It’s in the STPCD. I tried to screenshot but can’t upload it. But search paragraph 51.4-51.6 about working hours. Full time is 1265, part time is pro-rata of that. If you’re doing several full days extra, you’ll be over your directed time. The Burgundy book also specifies that you can’t treat part time teachers less favourably.
STPCD

Usually if a term finishes on a Weds, the children start back on a Thursday? That's how it works for the summer hols in my county. This means it evens out.
Bank holidays are trickier. The person working the Monday shouldn't be taking them all - you both should have a pro rata amount so they should cover for you a day elsewhere.
Rarely works like this in practice though. My jobshare partner took all of them last yr when we had the queens jubilee, funeral, coronation etc. She was a bit sheepish when our school business manager asked if we'd split them. I did end up getting paid for the coronation one though.

That's not true I'm afraid- because no part timer can be expected to work on a day they usually don't! There is no expectation for cover of a job share to even out days at all- they can't ask that.

No- it's really not working out evenly.
Every term finishes on a Wed and restarts on a Monday.

I work Wednesday and Thursday on 0.4, so get no advantages of inset or bank holidays, but get to partake in all the twilights and parent’s evenings! I do leave parents evening early though.
It’s not ideal but I have put a request in for specific days next year (the ones available for nursery) so hopefully it will work out better, and I’ll then offer to work overtime and do cover on days when I have parents evening so I’ll get paid for them rather than having to make phone calls during my ppa/in my own time. Sounds good in theory but we’ll see what happened when I get my timetable 🤞