Aarggh!

[Guest]

In this area all training is now in the evening (maybe it is everywhere?) and I can see how that might make sense to some.

Problem is I am not really in a position to ask many, if any of my staff to give up their evenings to go.

We have the ones who can't drive, the ones without babysitting, the ones who have enough problems (husband walked out and mother died suddenly), ill health and the ones who just do things with their children and families on the eveings the courses are on.

Is it really unreasonable to say that I don't want to hassle them more when I do nothing but hassle them all day and every one of them has been working their fingers to the bone to try to get things as successful as possible for the looming Ofsted inspection?

Why do I feel guilty that I'm not getting my husband to drive me there (I can't drive), giving up the couple of hours in the evening he has when he is not visiting his ill mother, doing things for the playgroup, being a school governor and actually spending 5 minutes with his own children!

I am starting to wonder if I am getting too old for all this.

Jane

[louby loo]

It just goes to show how different people are - with us staff would prefer evenings, but now such luck with our LA.

 

I think my ladies would see it more as an evening out - but then they do all drive and 'touch wood' have stable-supporting family's which makes a huge difference.

 

xx

[Rea]

I would have thought that the LA would vary the times of the courses to be fully inclusive of everyone. Like you say, people have lives outside of work that are important.

[Guest]

Not the case in our area and to be honest, I think my colleagues would be likely to view the situation in much the same way that you are anticipating.

 

I feel, at the moment with work and study, that I don't spend enough time with my children as it is but then it is only for a short time. I would be one of those however, that had issues with childcare outside of working hours and would probably struggle to attend such training.

 

I agree with Rea about the inclusivity of courses being an issue. I have the same discussions with the childminder I use for my son, although I appreciate the situations are very different.

 

Is it possible that you can enforce attendance at training events as part of contractual responsibilities? By enforce, I mean nicely obviously! It seems to be, in my experience, that when faced with contracts and what is/is not expected, people are generally more willing to attend these things, albeit grudgingly! Also, using the contract as a bargaining tool may take some of the uncomfortable feeling away from you in requesting staff attend these events?

[Guest]

We have done lots of training in the evening and as long as it is our choice and has plenty of notice, it is usually ok.

What really gets to me is required courses that suddenly appear out of nowhere with only a few weeks notice and no choice of time.

Jane