Would you take stress leave during notice after being underpaid at school?

[Loveparis77]

First post here today!

I'll try and keep this brief.

I work part time in a school in a non-teaching role although I am a qualified teacher. The school is aware that I am a teacher so they have taken advantage basically - I have been teaching classes and doing a lot more than my role should include. In many ways, I regret this because I get paid an absolute pittance but it has been useful because the experience has helped me to get the new job I will be starting in September. However the school is refusing to pay me fairly for this work stating that these responsibilities fall within the scope of my role but they clearly don't (I'm paid as a Level 1 TA).

(If anyone is wondering why I took a low paid job when I am a qualified teacher, it's because I needed the flexibility as I am a carer for my disabled child).

I have now put in my notice due to being offered a new job but unfortunately my notice period is two months of which I still have to work 5 weeks. I have a slightly challenging home situation at the moment as my disabled son has been unable to attend school as the placement broke down so I am now homeschooling him. We have had help from family to support but it has been difficult to balance this with work. I have explained this situation to work but they haven't allowed me to reduce my notice period despite me explaining everything. They also won't pay me for the additional teaching I have been doing.

To summarise, the job and the low pay is not worth it for the amount of inconvenience and stress it is causing me at the moment and not being able to get out of the contract earlier. I am tempted to be signed off with stress for the last few weeks to allow me to support my disabled son. What would you do?

One more week before half term then four weeks afterwards. I wanted to leave at half term but it wasn't possible but I think I might do this - use a combination of carers and parental leave to manage the last four weeks

Thank you for this!

You are welcome. Best of luck with it all. Here's what I do know sadly, you could drop down dead tomorrow and life and school would still go on without you. They may not like it but they will find a way to cover that month, whether that's having head teach or using other LSAs or PPA or buying in via supply.
You won't be popular as they will also connect the underpayment with your desire to not work the whole notice period, however as another pp has pointed out, conflating the two issues is wrong. You cannot work if you have to home educate.

Yes you are right. I definitely think they will see it as a knee jerk reaction to not being paid properly but the home situation is genuine and entirely justified - and I did talk honestly about this when requesting a shorter notice period (and before questioning the pay!) so they were aware of this previously and knew that it would be difficult for me to work my hours

I would do whatever you can to not have it affect your new job.

I always think it’s good to keep on with this school in case a role comes up in the future.
(my ex colleague did not work her notice and then reapplied a while later - she didn’t even get an interview).

You are conflicting different things.
You’re saying you need to be at home but then also saying you’re not getting paid enough whilst also saying you’re happy to not be paid.

Focus on what’s more important - if it’s having time off then look at parental leave.

FWIW TAs taught at my old school. They were paid a couple pound extra a day, it was shocking but completely legal.
That’s why I always tell people not to be a HLTA because that’s basically teaching without the pay.

It doesn’t matter if you have a teaching qual., if your on a TA salary band then you will be paid inline with that salary.

Next time let them get a cover teacher in and end up paying £100s more.

For now, don’t make any rash decisions.
Focus on getting through this next week until half term.
Take a couple of sick days if needed (D&V)
Could DH take a couple of days off too?

I’d just leave.

What was the amount they offered you - was it the difference between your salary and the hourly rate of a main grade teacher?

If you were doing a high number of teaching hours I would argue that you should have a second employment contract for those hours and be enrolled in TPS. Depends how much you want to argue it.

I wouldn’t leave earlier than your notice period, if both schools are local government you’ll want to preserve your continuous service. In your circumstances I would get signed off too. And then in future get everything confirmed in writing (including pay) before agreeing to extra work, they’ve taken the mick.

Unpaid parental leave is unlikely to work - not to say it’s not worth a try, but I think posters are misunderstanding. You need to give a couple of weeks notice and your employer doesn’t have to agree to the dates. If they’ve already refused OPs request not to work her notice period I doubt they’ll agree to her dates.

Also consider this.

What will change to enable you to be able to reliably work and manage your caring role in September.

Education is a small world and I really wouldn't do or say anything that could jeopardise future employment

Ok I can understand how the pay thing seems contradictory but in reality I don't think it is. I can afford to take unpaid leave or leave earlier without pay. I'm not happy that they didn't pay me fairly due to the principle of it not being fair, not due to needing the money. My partner earns a very good salary and I get paid carers allowance for my son so I don't need the extra money. Like I said, it's the principle of it.

I've posted on the thread about arrangements for my son in September already - my new job is two days a week which we can manage between us.

I'm not too worried about continuous service - the new job is in a different educational setting not the same kind of establishment.

She could take emergency carers leave to start with. Many places offer up to 5 days.
If they turn down her dates for parental leave they have to offer an alternative, which will obviously have to be during her notice period.

I’d try to avoid sick leave with stress on the certificate if at all possible OP, as you’re moving to a new job.
Have you done the health screening questionnaire yet? If not a period of sick leave will flag up to occupational health

Yes absolutely, I would do that on future - I have learned my lesson!

I don't really know how they calculated it but it's very much a nominal payment and bears no relation to any pay scale! I did request an amendment to my contract for one day to cover the teaching hours but it was just ignored - another reason why I decided to find another job!

I have seen that you have to give 21 days notice for parental leave. In my case, if I requested this tomorrow, it could cover the last three weeks of my notice period if approved (as there is half term in between)

Thank you for your input everyone - it has really helped me to clarify everything. I'm kind of towards the end of my career although I am really excited about the new job so I don't want to lose it (I plan on staying there until I retire now) so I'm not too worried about future opportunities and maintaining contacts but of course I also don't want to burn any bridges or leave under a black cloud unnecessarily

Prioritise your DS. You are disposable to them and they clearly have no qualms about exploiting you.

They should have been paying you at HLTA rate for just delivering basic lessons occasionally and simple marking, ie a tick and a sticker, but at teacher rate for anything involving planning, assessment, reports etc.

I have done similar never experienced this however wouldn't TA again as was put with the most difficult classes and groups, also out of my usual age group.

They don’t have to accept an unpaid parental leave request just because an employee is leaving.

With regards to dependants leave, OP would be entitled to reasonable time off for dependents leave, which can be used in an emergency. Depending how long ago OPs child’s school placement broke down her employer could argue that is it not an emergency at this stage.

Anyway OP, your new job sounds great - onwards and upwards!

Your thread is about leaving due to being underpaid - but it sounds like even if you were paid fairly, you’d still not be able to go in.

So forget about the being underpaid (even though I understand your frustration over helping them out).

If you genuinely don’t think it will affect future employment then just be completely honest and say that you will work next week but after the half term you will be unable to work your full notice as you literally don’t have childcare.
Tell them that you understand it will be unpaid and if it wasn’t for the childcare issue then you’d have worked it.

I don’t believe you are required to work your notice by law anyway and so if you have no other option of childcare, then you’d literally don’t have a choice to work it or not.

Numerous pps have said your union could support you but as you haven't responded to them I am assuming you are not in one.

Everyone in a school - teaching and support staff - should join a union, for financial things like this, behaviour issues, workload, sickness, capability issues and much, much more.

Sorry I missed this - I am in a union but I wasn't sure if it was worth going to them with this given that I only have a few weeks to try and manage. I will approach work about unpaid leave and if I don't get anywhere I will see if my union can help

I'd forget the money side of it and focus on just getting through the notice period as best you can. Most places can take up to 5 days emergency carers leave, intersperse them with couple of days here and there with a cold or D& V and before you know it the 5 weeks will be over. Not something I've ever done but plenty of people do it. I have a colleague at the moment got a sick note for 'stress' in their notice period but personally I wouldn't want that on my record🤷 if schools are anything like the NHS it would take the 5 weeks for the admin for a request for parental leave🙄 it sounds like your new role is secured and as only 2 days a week as you say you can cover childcare for that comfortably💐

Go to your union first, that's what they are there for! They can advise on what you are entitled to.

In a not too dissimilar position I did not serve out my notice and just left. I was very embarassed about having to do so especially to my long suffering colleague who had to pick up an awful lot of the slack for me in the previous months. There was basically no alternative as both dh and I had used up all our leave to cover school absences and there was no end in sight for more suitable support at school for the ds's. I guess the difference was I knew work for me was out of the question until things had settled down.