Part time issues

[Tigerwhocameforsupper]

I am paid on a 0.4 contract but actually work 0.42 due to the business being open for longer on the days i work than other days of the week. I don’t grumble about the extra 40 minutes a week and just get on with it.

However a staff meeting has now been scheduled once a month for a day I work which would add 1 hour 30 minutes to this day. No extra pay for anyone but all staff are having an extra day off later in the year to make up for it. However the extra day off is one I don’t work anyway so I have no benefit.

How do I approach this with my boss? Offer to do 0.4 of the session but expect 0.4 of another day off (not going to be agreed as it’s the same set day off for all staff). Suck it up as bad luck and get on with it?

There are also 3 days this year I am expected to go into work on my days off for 4 hours for events that it’s compulsory I attend. No extra pay for these days as it’s additional duties for all staff so everyone has to do it at the end of the usual working day.

How much as a part time employee do you just put up with? I am grateful they let me just do 2 days so don’t want to rock the boat, but I also don’t want to be taken advantage of.

They either need to pay you overtime or offer you 90 mins per month back TOIL.
Your colleagues should also expect more than a day off as 12 times 90 mins = 18 hours overtime.

Again you should be entitled to overtime or TOIL for the extra events.

@Sleepyquest

They either need to pay you overtime or offer you 90 mins per month back TOIL. Your colleagues should also expect more than a day off as 12 times 90 mins = 18 hours overtime.

Again you should be entitled to overtime or TOIL for the extra events.

There are 9 sessions rather than 12 and starting it 15 minutes after the usual day so the session is technically 1.25 hours x 9 = 11.25. One 7 hour day offered as a day off. We do have some directed time left in the hours budget apparently so that covers the difference.

TOIL doesn’t exist in this line of work. The day off is the same date for all staff when the setting will close to allow for this.

"I won't be doing that as its outside my working day".

Sounds like teaching from your 2nd post, so I assume that won't go down well.

Either way they to pay you or give you the day off on one of your days.
If you don't, you say you can't do them.
I would be asking how they are expecting to pay you for them.
Sounds very simple I know but they might be expecting you to just do it so let them know your expecting something and they'll have to sort it out.

Are you sure your boss has even clocked that the day off later in the year isn’t one of your days?

I would say

“Hi boss, you know the extra day off everyone is getting to compensate for [whatever-it-is]? It’s not actually one of my working days so I won’t get the extra day. Would you prefer I take the time off on another day, or alternatively if it makes more sense I’m happy to just be paid for the extra time if that’s more convenient”

They should only be asking you to work 0.4 (or 0.42 if you're being generous) of 1265 so I'd start with doing that calculation- I know there's at least one template out there somewhere- and see how it looks.

You're probably in a better position to argue this than many would be on here because of the absolute nature of directed time. If it only comes down to that one closure day making the sums wrong then they will have to give you an alternative day off, it's absolutely possible for them to do that as TOIL in those circumstances because they would be in deep poo if you were able to show you had been asked to work more than your 0.4 x 1265 unlike everybody else working the correct proportion of the 1265.

I am assuming you're a teacher on a teacher contract from what you've said so apologies if that's not that case!

I should add I line manage and work with part time staff on various splits and we just work off 1265 and then figure out the details after in terms of evening committments etc, we don't automatically do 'its year 8 on your day so you must attend that evening' because PT are often split classes anyway.

The only absolute 'all must attend' I can think of is open evening but that is covered within 1265 hours no matter what contract people are on and it's only one, known well in advance, evening.

It's very easy to get shafted PT on schools so basing it on the maths is the easiest way to.won the argument in my experience of supporting colleagues with this sort of thing.

@Heyha

They should only be asking you to work 0.4 (or 0.42 if you're being generous) of 1265 so I'd start with doing that calculation- I know there's at least one template out there somewhere- and see how it looks.

You're probably in a better position to argue this than many would be on here because of the absolute nature of directed time. If it only comes down to that one closure day making the sums wrong then they will have to give you an alternative day off, it's absolutely possible for them to do that as TOIL in those circumstances because they would be in deep poo if you were able to show you had been asked to work more than your 0.4 x 1265 unlike everybody else working the correct proportion of the 1265.

I am assuming you're a teacher on a teacher contract from what you've said so apologies if that's not that case!

Thank you that’s really helpful!

Yes I’m a teacher! Always been full time and done SLT roles so I’ve put my hours in… but since having my children I now only do 0.4 and it’s seems more and more is expected every year.

I had something similar that I was expected to attend staff things on my days off. I went to my line manager who spoke to HR and I got paid as we didn't have the staffing to give me days off. I work in a school too. I'd see if they can change your contracted though as I had mine changed to what I was working.

@Heyha do you know whether break and lunch are included in the 1265? I’m assuming lunch definitely isn’t since we can leave site.

When I have been part time in schools, I have attended the pro rata equivalent of meetings/insets. So in your case, 2 out of 5. I also claimed supply for going in on my days off (or said if they wanted me to attend they needed to pay me)

Some schools change the days of meetings/parents evenings etc each term to allow for part time staff, there was never expectation for me to go on days I didn’t work

My understanding is that break is counted (as although there's a duty rota you all are available to cover/pitch in if needed) but lunch is an unpaid break, which is why catering staff and non-1265 do the duties then, plus any volunteers. Don't know how it works in primary if there's an afternoon break but I'd guess it was same as morning as teachers staff it?

Don't forget trapped time between the end of the school day and any meetings starting, including parents' eves, and the time you have to stay til before you're allowed to go (so however long gate duty lasts) on non meeting days. And any morning briefings of course. You'd have to work it out for a full time member of staff then calculate 0.4 I think rather than just calculating what happens to be on (briefing or what have you) on the days you work but I'm not sure if that's absolutely right.

To be honest every SLT should publish the 1265 when they share the calendar too because there's invariably something that doesn't work. However you can maybe tell from how I know what to look for how many schools I've been in where they take the piss. Thankfully anything that's wrong where I am now is a genuine slip and most years it's worked out correctly now!

You only do 0.4 of the evening meetings.
My boss has just gone through the schedule and told the head which ones she is doing!

You could approach this a different way. Your colleagues are paid for working 1265 hours then anything extra is either unpaid, overtime or TOIL. Any additional hours you do between 507 and 1265 should be paid at your normal hourly rate or be given TOIL. If you exceed 1265 then you become eligible for overtime/TOIL the same as your colleagues.

You are paid 506 hours but already are expected to work 531.3 and they are asking for more unpaid hours. That is unfair as you are being unpaid for hours your colleagues are being paid for.

Is their a male full time teacher doing the same job as you on the same salary as you? It is nuanced but you could ask TU or ACAS if this could be indirect discrimination I.e. most part timers are female, or an equal pay issue under Equality Act