Icy roads, what are my rights at work
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gettingtheresometime wrote: »I don’t think it’s a case of can’t or won’t.....more like they’re think of their stats.
If they open and pupils don’t come in then the rate of absenteeism increases....shut the school and the absenteeism rate isn’t affected
And if that isnt a prime example of how setting targets drives the wrong behaviours.....0 -
Bit of an update: I questioned my manager on this. He suggested that I dont risk it when the roads are really bad. I asked him how the company would treat my absence and he wasnt 100% sure, but believed they would treat these things on a case by case basis.
In the last year and half, I havn't missed a shift due to weather altho it was a close call recently. I always say its better to be late than dead on time, live to work another day. Your not productive if you end up in hospital so its better not to take excessive risks in really bad weather.Sometimes my advice may not be great, but I'm not perfect and I do try my best. Please take this into account.0 -
xapprenticex wrote: »I think its simply a case of it being difficult for teachers to reach work (many dont live in the same town/city as the school they work in), get home in the evening
Just my opinion.
And how is that any different to every other employee in the country? Even if it's not possible to do a normal teaching programme due to reduced numbers of pupils and staff, those who do live close enough to get in could supervise the pupils for the day and allow parents whose firms don't tell them to sit at home with their feet up to work as normal.0 -
Bit of an update: I questioned my manager on this. He suggested that I dont risk it when the roads are really bad. I asked him how the company would treat my absence and he wasnt 100% sure, but believed they would treat these things on a case by case basis.
In the last year and half, I havn't missed a shift due to weather altho it was a close call recently. I always say its better to be late than dead on time, live to work another day. Your not productive if you end up in hospital so its better not to take excessive risks in really bad weather.
They will never suggest you come in regardless of conditions as if you have an accident they don't wish to make themselves liable. If you can't make it in then fair enough. However I think expecting to still be paid for not turning up is taking the pee a little.
Also you seem to have ignored a number of points that have been raised in this thread. Why can't you find alternative means to get to work? You'd honestly have to have a very unique set of circumstances to not be able to find alternative ways to travel.
I'm curious if being paid or not will make a difference to the amount of effort some people would make to get in.0 -
And how is that any different to every other employee in the country? Even if it's not possible to do a normal teaching programme due to reduced numbers of pupils and staff, those who do live close enough to get in could supervise the pupils for the day and allow parents whose firms don't tell them to sit at home with their feet up to work as normal.
I think schools often close pre-emptively to avoid having issues on the day with things like adult to child ratios if lots of kids can get in because they live close but teachers can't if they live further away, then they've got to send the kids home anyway because its technically not safe. Or if an ancient boiler packs in as used to happen at my old school all the time they have to close anyway, and closing partway through the day is a logistical nightmare for a school.
Also, if they do open and kids injure themselves trying to get in I bet its a paperwork nightmare if a parent complains!0 -
And how is that any different to every other employee in the country? Even if it's not possible to do a normal teaching programme due to reduced numbers of pupils and staff, those who do live close enough to get in could supervise the pupils for the day and allow parents whose firms don't tell them to sit at home with their feet up to work as normal.
Most other employees don't have shed loads of other peoples kids to look after though. I think one of the fears if they keep the schools open is that if the weather gets worse and/or parents say they can't travel to pick them up that they're stuck - possibly overnight - with a load of kids in a snowed in school.0 -
p00hsticks wrote: »Most other employees don't have shed loads of other peoples kids to look after though. I think one of the fears if they keep the schools open is that if the weather gets worse and/or parents say they can't travel to pick them up that they're stuck - possibly overnight - with a load of kids in a snowed in school.
Weirdly, I have always found that although in snowy weather plenty of people can't manage to get to work, everyone somehow always manages to get home...Mortgage free!
Debt free!
Time poor...0 -
Weirdly, I have always found that although in snowy weather plenty of people can't manage to get to work, everyone somehow always manages to get home...
Not always everyone, sadly. Lots of accidents happen on icy roads.
Also, you carry on heading home don't you, no matter how long it takes? I remember when there was a bad storm and flooding on my route home about this time last year and and an hour's journey took about 4, but what else was I going to do except stick with it till I got home? Stop and set up camp?0 -
xapprenticex wrote: »Its usually because teachers cant travel in the snow and having a school full of temps (assuming they can travel) isn't feasible, also the dreaded frozen pipes.... When i was in school it was almost guaranteed to be closed when it snowed so its certainly not a recent thing.
I don't think teachers are any more (or less) likely to be able (or willing) to travel than any other kind of worker. But there are rules relating to the ration of adults to children you need to have, so school run the risk of not having enough adults to supervise the number of children who show up. And it's likely that a higher proportion of pupils than teachers live close to the school.
So if the school opens, potentially they set themselves up for a scenario where they don't have enough staff to supervise, and it has become their responsibility, whereas if they close, the children may end up just as unsupervised, but it is the responsibility of the parents, not the school!
And since you'll always have some teachers and some children who don't make it in,in a lot of cases you can't make much progress in any lesson.
I recall going to school on snowy days (we lived on a main bus route, which usually got cleared) and ending up sitting in classrooms playing hangman, or building snowmen on the sports fields.All posts are my personal opinion, not formal advice Always get proper, professional advice (particularly about anything legal!)0
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