Asked to do things not on our JD for no more money

[MrsPoppyCrafts]

I am a TA in a special school. I get slightly increased pay and hours for having additional responsibilities. Recently my school advertised for an HLTA job. I applied but didn’t get it. The HLTA Job Description was very detailed and included using an online app to record what the pupil has done in a lesson. The school put on training, but I refused to go. The app isn’t on my Job Description but the headteacher thinks I should be doing it. I went to the union, and got it written into
the job description and the head said he would sent it to the county for evaluation. Apparently it came back as the same pay for me as my job description already says that I should assess and record pupil progress. What should I do next? I am refusing to do it. Will I be told I am not doing my job and be sacked??

As a TA I would have expected the role to include assessing and recording process - key part of what the role entails.

If you refuse to do your job I’d expect disciplinary actions.

Most job contacts include a line to say the role will also include any jobs seemed necessary as well as the main tasks, what does your contract say? What’s so bad about using the app, don’t you track progress in a different way already so it’s just using a different system?

Why did you refuse to do the training? It just sounds like a new system you need to use, that’s a pretty standard request in a role.

It’s standard to assess in your role. You’re coming across as petty tbh because you didn’t get the HLTA job. You’ll need to do your job or face disciplinary.

I think that I should be paid more to do it as it is an extra on my job. We used to tell the teacher what the children did or sometimes write on a form, and they would put it on the app, but now it takes us longer. I am not good with tech and I am happy with the system we have!

Do you do it in your own time or during your hours?
If the latter you’re going to have to move with the times and use the app.

There’s always a constant work creep in education.

l agree with you. But you’ll still have to do it.

Will I be told I am not doing my job and be sacked??

Well, yes. If I was your line manager, that’s what would happen. Having to adapt to use new systems and technologies for a particular task is part of the modern workplace.

Well, unfortunately the system you are used to using is inefficient , using both your time and the teachers time to do one job.

Is there more to this story? Is it just tech stuff that you aren’t good at or are you not confident with reading and writing skills? If it is then say so , there is no shame in it, you were chosen to do the job for other personal strengths, like your relationships with the children, your unflappability, your ability to work under pressure etc . Ask someone you trust to go through the recording app with you. It is probably simpler than you are worried about.

It is important that progress is recorded consistently for the childrens sake, so I think you are going to have to take this one on board.

We still get to leave on time, but it is much harder to do the app than just tell the teacher what we have done and let them do the app - they get paid much more to do it!!

But that’s doubling up, just log it yourself, I don’t think it’s unreasonable especially if you’re still leaving on time I don’t really see the issue here.

Surely job descriptions don’t contain everything a role needs? Certainly not at my work (private sector) we just do what’s needed. If there were lots of tasks that were genuinely at a higher level then I’d expect it to be upgraded, but one or two tasks, no. And really I don’t think recording things on an app is particularly difficult or warrants extra pay or a higher grade.

Pretty petty to demand a teacher put the info in because you think it is too much work. I doubt you would last long in the private sector

I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill.

If you do want to progress in your career then I would rethink your approach to this.

Thank you all - it sounds like I will have to have a think about it.

I hope you’re not wondering why you didn’t get the HLTA post 🙄

Quite

I doubt the reason the HLTA role was graded higher because entering stuff into an app was on the JD. And I'm sure the teachers could also be doing more valuable things too, it's a faff for them as well.

You are coming across as very petty and in my org a disciplinary would follow.

Unless there is a competence issue here that you are trying to mask with attitude, I think it's worth trying to make this work.

You are being very unreasonable. Job descriptions change over time. Using an app instead of verbally updating a teacher wouldn't be enough to take your job into a higher banding.

I think you're being unreasonable here. The school are implementing a new system for something that is already in your job spec. It's your responsibility to avail of training that allows you to do your job fully and properly. I can see why you weren't offered the other post.

You sound really petty imo and lazy. You’ll never progress with your attitude.

I was expecting this to be about being asked to train new staff, or take on a supervisory role, both of which would have been reasonable to be annoyed at.

Entering things into an app is just everyday life these days (not to mention the existing process being inefficient). If you complain about this and/or refuse to do it, you will come across as being very hard work.

Not every single part of your job can be explicitly called out in a job description, and you need to accept that processes will change and evolve and technology will develop.

This is called "any other duties" and every single job I have ever had, I think, has had this expectation. Welcome to the real world, OP!

Did you get any feedback as to why you didn't get the HLTA role?

I can understand that you're pissed off that you didn't, but I don't think digging your heels in about this change in the way the TAs do something is the way to express it tbh.

County have said that filling in this app doesn't significantly change your JD. If you continue to refuse to do it, you'll be at risk of performance management.

Bloody hell...I'm glad you're not my TA! I literally would not have the time or energy to deal with your pettiness!! Your lack of IT skills is your problem to fix...nobody should be working in a school in 2024 who is so IT illiterate that they can't manage to tap some information into an app!

(And yet here you are...tapping into an app on your phone to complain about using an app in the workplace 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️)

You wouldn't last long at my school. That's a dreadful attitude to have about a very run of the mill request.