Teaching Contract

[StrongTea22]

I'm new to the teaching profession and have recently joined a union because I am unhappy with how management deal and answer queries.

I have a contract of annualised hours, I work around 13 per week which include uplift for prep and planning and cpd time.

My contract states these hours are to be worked over 39 weeks within term time as published by my LA.

So our head of service (for the second year running now) is insisting on us coming in a week before term starts, effectively week 0 on the understanding that there are some weeks that we work less (3 weeks a year due to courses running for 6 weeks not a term fo 7) so this is the way of clawing them back from staff, in advance.

Essentially this means I have a weeks less holiday a year.

Last year it was a woolly explanation due to contracts changing, this year, it's because they are stating the term starts on the 1st September...yet our published term dates do not concur with this, and without wanting tostate the obvious, 39 weeks is not 40 weeks. It is what it is and he is getting us in to work our hours a week over our contractual obligations.

I've spoken to the Union and they are happy to challenge the decision and reasoning, and my rep thinks it will go to the regional branch rep.

Do I have to go in? Should I challenge this? He has explained it but I am not happy with his explanation really, it contradicts my contract and to be honest, I want that weeks holiday!

I feel like when I ask these questions or show dissatisfaction I am being awkward or not a team player, but come on, how blurred can the flexibility be if they can just add on weeks?

Any advice/feedback welcome. I aren't a seasoned FE teacher, so perhaps this is par for the course, but I find it very frustrating.

Yeah I'm not sure why ours aren't worded the same, it's probably because it's a mix of classes, times and they change every year.

I don’t blame you for saying no! They do that in my school to the LSA’s. They say they’ll give them time off in lieu however most of them refuse to come in as it’s not in their contract and also it’s not worth them coming in for two hours for training we have all had many times and know off by heart!

Your reply is so on point and informative. We are not allowed to have union reps in our work place. Oh hang on! We do and they are…..thé head and the deputy head! As if im going to go to them if I have a problem at work! The problem would probably be caused by them anyway! You sound like a very invested and helpful rep! I think I may need to PM you myself.
don’t worry, I’m not that cheeky though!

I have spoken to ACAS and as i've been employed less than 2 years, if I don't go in....and if they sack me (for whatever reason) I can't claim unfair dismissal.

They did say that I could write to them stating that I object...but it is still two weeks over 2 years that I have effectively lost and by going in, i'm letting it continue I feel.

I looked last night and there is NOTHING electronic, emails, nothing about this additional week this year. They've kept it paper based and cascaded the information verbally, which tells me they are cagey AF about this already.

The head hasn't deigned to respond to reps email asking for confirmation as yet, so who knows.

Spent this evening looking at jobs!

So, bit of an update.

Got an email yesterday, stating it was mandatory to attend, then gave the dates for the 39 weeks as changed from why we’d been given, basically shaved a week off now so which is it, 40 weeks but annualised hours or 39 and they don’t want us to work from the set dates they want to make it up.

I despair! I can count and I can read, why would you treat your staff like imbeciles who can’t understand this stuff and count past 39?

The annoying thing is I work like 2 days a week and thinking about this takes up so much more of my time than it should do.

then gave the dates for the 39 weeks as changed from why we’d been given, basically shaved a week off now

Do you mean they've taken the week from elsewhere, so that your year is now 39 weeks again?

Yes, now they've been challenged on it by the Union.

Looks like he has made the year finish earlier by a week.

Prior to that it was 40 weeks. I feel so cross, like why is it this hard to have term dates confirmed by management.

Thought I would update.

My union rep has had a response and it's bumbling.
Apparently we were consulted and it was flexible, it was neither.

He clearly did intend for it to be a 40 week term, and has only amended this as he has been challenged.

It just makes me wonder, you work alongside these people, when else would staff be expected to give up annual leave like this?

Anyway, he hasn't got his way and hopeflly the challenge will mean that this changes for staff.

I work in FE - our "term time only" contracts are actually 40 weeks, to cover week 0, which is enrolment.

All our TTO staff came back this week - but term starts on Monday.

Yeah I can see that in a full on college provision. That first week with orientation, paperwork etc, you need it.

I understand the need for it, but it just has to be noted as paid time not a magic week where you give your time for no financial reward because you feel like it, in my case!

So for clarity, this week is week 1, even though term starts next week.

The obvious thing being they either need to change all the contracts to reflect a 40 week attendance for staff OR actually plan and deliver a 39 week academic year for students...and the staff that teach them.