What's a mum to do...?

[Gubbin]

Hi I'm a teacher who's being encouraged to resign as want to work part-time! Anyone else left their job to find pastures new - retraining/completely new career/bugger it I'll stay at home til baby's school age?! All advice welcome!

Hmm am ex-teacher - really struggling to find sahm work tbh - did run a nappy business for a few years, then went back 2 days a week as a TA but am back on maternity leave and not going back. Would be keen to see what folk come up with!

Encouraged to resign as you want to work part time????

isn't that illegal?

I've got the union onto it but think it's up to me to prove they really need me when they've got superkeen replacement to take my job! They can say it's detrimental to school and that's their excuse! Wondering whether to try and fit course round childcare and find niche market but stumped as to what! Turkey - did you enjoy TA?

WTF - can they really do that? Constructive dismissal????

Being a TA was okay - bit frustrating at times when the teacher is crap and has less subject knowledge than you though!!!!

Crikey. You have a right to ask for family friendly hours don't you? There's all sorts of regulations that they have to take this request seriously. Really hope your union deals with this properly. Sounds like you're resigned though.

I wondered about constructive dismissal too.

Yes I thought that - also schools probably don't want a teacher sitting there being all critical! I'm getting to point where I'm being harrassed by Usborne book selling lady and almost tempted! Was TA money terrible?

Am a bit resigned as in the end school only has to 'consider' request for flexible working hours and they feel they've done that! Not very family friendly!

It doesn't matter if you've resigned or not - you can still take it up with them about how it was done... sounds like you were shoved when you were on maternity leave to make way for someone who would work full time - when you had the right to go part time and job share really. I wanted to go back part time but decdied not to go back as was a HoD and didn't fancy sharing it.

TA money isn't great tbh esp with childcare.

I know lots of people who do books, cards, nappy advising.... but have done that - need more and something that actually earns!

Are you still on maternity leave - have you actaully resigned?

Yes still on leave til next term and am holding fire on resignation letter! Wanted 2 days a week but they said no and I don't want to do full time. Am considering bleeding supply work again! How many weeks are you? Congratulations on second one!

It's not illegal to turn down a request for flexi working if the employer goes through the proper procedures and can prove that the proposal is to the detriment of the business/employer, clients, other employees etc. There's been another thread on this recently. it's a misconception that employees have a RIGHT to work P/T. Many employees have a right to request it, and if they do, the proposal has to be considered appropriately. It may be that the school have clear reasons as to why this would compromise the education of the pupils/other staff. Tbh as a teacher myself, I can see the pitfalls of wanting to work just two days. there could be all sorts of issues with liaison, continuity. Even with a job share, the school cannot pay two people additional time to do a 'handover'. No school would have the budget for that, and I doubt they'd be able to anyway, as this would then mean that employing two people would put an additional burden on the school. I know it's really tough if you are the kind of person who would go the extra mile, turn up a couple of hours early to do a handover etc. But look at it from the school's viewpoint: once they agree to such a request, they would have no right to EXPECT anything over and above your normal duties. I once worked with someone who put forward an amazing proposal for a job share. She promised the earth, would turn up for meetings even on days off etc so that she didn't miss out on information and training. Once the job share was agreed, this enthusiasm soon tailed off, and of course there was nothing the school could do. They couldn't force her to do all the extra stuff she's promised, and having agreed the job share they couldn't get rid of her. I'm not suggesting for a moment the OP would do this, but you need to look at the whole picture from the school's viewpoint.
Sorry - long post there! As for the other question - if it were me, I'd steer well clear of teaching assistant - rubbish pay and you'll be wanting to step in and take over! I would try something completely new that doesn't require high levels of working together/liason so that P/T won't be an issue.

Hi there, I'm an Employee Relations Manager (in my normal life!) and agree with inthegutter. Its not illegal to refuse a request for flexible working, but the proper procedures must have been followed.

Your employer must have asked you to put your request in writing, and held a formal meeting with you to discuss the request. A response should be put to you in writing, offering you the right to appeal against the decision. The burden is on the employee to demonstrate how the arrangement that they are proposing would work in practice, and the employer must be able to demonstrate that that request was considered by having all the relevant documentation.

If your request is refused, there must be a genuine business reason for this, not just a 'er... no' type exercise.

Encouraging you to resign? Now that is dodgy...

What about becoming a supply teacher, a friend of mine has done this (found working too full time hard) and spoke to the school and now she is the supply teacher for the school. No planning, she can pick and choose if she wants to work, no staff meetings, no development days etc.

It may be the way to go if you want to carry on teaching, and yes TAs money is pretty poor inconsideration to a teachers salary! (We do it for the love of the job!

TAs rock! It's just that we teachers are such busybodies we'd want to step in all the time!
Yes reckon it's supply for me - don't know whether to pursue situation when clearly no go with school. Thanks for all the advice everyone I'm always amazed by how great people are on this site!

Maybe I should look into supply teaching ... any recommendations??? Or should I just call the school I used to work for?

Yes I've heard that schools like to keep ex staff as in-house supply - I'm calling local schools to see if they need someone couple o days a week but they do tend to keep to people they know. What about tutoring? There's also local adult education colleges?

The posts about the flexible working request process are correct and there's not a lot you can do if the correct process has been followed and the school have a genuine business reason why the two day week would not work - I can see that they would fulfil this requirement very easily given the nature of the work.

HOWEVER - if they are "encouraging you to resign" you could have claims for constructive unfair dismissal/actual unfair dismissal and potentially sex discrimination. Think about this carefully before you hand in your resignation.

In reply to OP - I'm about to leave (but not teaching) to find pastures new and hoping to find PT work. I'm going to see a careers counsellor and doing 'parachute' (the careers book, not actually bailing out from a plane!), and will see what comes up. It feels very risky, but weighing it up:
Option A: continuing doing something which I know makes me unhappy
Option B: taking a risk that I'll find something which also makes me unhappy but might make me very happy.

I'll take option B! I would have a case for tribunal if I wanted to do it. But... might as well be honest.... I can't be arsed. And I don't believe it would serve any purpose.

Yes good idea - maybe I should get careers interview too! Good mum websites recommended to me are www.womenlikeus.org.uk which specialise in part time work and run courses to help women back to work and jobs4mothers.com.
Don't know if I will pursue my school as will just cause bad feeling and think they will always be able to justify their case. Good luck with careers counselling!