Supply teacher needs advice with contract

giddyG2001

I've been working as a supply teacher with the same agency for approx a year and a half. For the past two terms, I've been on a guaranteed work agreement (which means that they guarantee me 4 days a week and if I don't get it, they still pay me anyway - there has only been 3 days since Sept that I had no work and then they offered me to a school for free as it improves their relationship with the school, I still get paid, it's just better to offer a free teacher than have one sitting at home that they have to pay. Oh and it also means I only work exclusively with that agency.)with them and it's worked really well for me....until now.

I got sent my new contract today starting in Jan and the dates it covers means I will be contracted to working 17 days less with them compared to the same time last year, this means a fall in income of nearly £2000.

I have emailed them and asked if I could have the dates adjusted (eg - at the moment the contract starts 2 weeks after the Summer team starts in April and finishes 2 weeks before the end of term) but being Christmas, they've either decided not to reply or are too busy.

I'm really quite worried about this, I'm the sole earner in a single parent household and was relying on that money - perhaps I shouldn't have been so naive to think the dates would be the same but the 2 contracts I've had have covered me for the majority of the term so I really didn't think it would be different come Jan.

I now face the quandary of what to do if this agency comes back and says the dates are unmoveable. Do I then move onto another agency with the hope that they can offer me enough work? Or say I won't sign it and work with more than 1 agency and hope between them I get enough? Or go back to full time teaching - something I really don't want to do but at the moment see it as a viable option I may have to take.

Any advice welcome.

getmore4less

If the requirement at begining and end of term is low then why contract you to the dates if they won't have work

How often do you get 5 days a week?
Could you comprimise at a total number of days for the period so weeks you get 5 allows them to do less than 4 one week.

Might not get all 17 included but some.

If demand is high for those weeks then chances you get work anyway.

sangie595

The agency is not required to offer you a contact at all. So if you don't like the contract offered you say no. What you decide them is up to you. Sorry but you don't have a right to dictate the terms. You either agree them, renegotiate if they will agree... or find another method of working.

dawyldthing

You might get a few weeks at the start anyway with all the bugs etc, but it is a risk. The other thing is could you use your annual leave up during them weeks to make sure you have some payment coming in?

theoretica

Is this a contract for two terms? You say starting in Jan and then talk about summer and April? Depending on what level you teach, schools may well find they can cope with fewer teachers in exam season. Are you contracted not to work for other agencies even outside their guaranteed periods?