Staff Hours

[Guest]

just taken over new preschool to find that apart from me, the staff'f hours include 15 unpaid tidy up time. is this normal, i'm not sure it is even legal. What it means is that if the staff feel like it, they don't have to back our preschool back into the cupboards and could just leave when session finishes, leaving me to pack up!

Can't be roght

[Guest]

I mean cant be right????

[korkycat]

Our staff are paid set up and pack away hours but I do remember when funding was almost nonexistent we were only paid time with the children. Seems very unfair to expect staff goodwill to cover this time not sure of legality either as I can remember when minimum wage came in a local group closed as it couldn't cover staff costs and they were not allowed to volunteer hours to keep group going.

Maybe need to calculate how much time actually required to do job and offer at least minmum wage for these hours.

korkycat

[HappyMaz]

Well it is stretching goodwill rather a long way, when you calculate how those 15 minutes each day add up over the course of a year. I would certainly not feel comfortable if this was a regular occurrence in my setting. However, it may be that the staff have just got accustomed to working this unpaid overtime so they don't even query it.

 

As you say, should staff morale take a turn for the worst they could mount a work to rule and leave you to pack away at the end of the session and I'm guessing that would take you a lot longer than 15 minutes.

 

I'm not sure what kind of pre-school you're in, but I'd be inclinced to talk to the committee or owner about this as soon as possible!

 

Maz

[Fredbear]

Hi we are also a packaway setting and half an hour either side of the day with the children is included in time to set up and tidy away.So start time 8.30am children arrive 9.00am children go 12.00pm staff work to 12.30pm.

As we open for two days with am/pm sessions this is only 2 days per week.

I to would be requesting a meeting with the committee to see if anything can change.

You certainly shouldn't be expected to do this on your own, for health and safety reasons above all else.

[Guest]

Your committee need to ensure that they are paid for these hours.

 

We pay half an hour each end of the day (and when we can afford it overtime when we have to do a 'full' packaway). There is no way I would expect my staff to do this for free - why on earth should they!!? We also pay an hour's staff meeting time each week, and also 3 hours admin time for our leader.

 

Have you looked at their contracts - they are perfectly within their rights to only work their contracted hours and no more.

[Inge]

I think it is a hangover from when it was expected of all staff to do the packing away unpaid... and no one has questioned it.

 

I would have a word with the management and ask if there is any reason for staff to work unpaid.. it is one of the hardest/worst parts of the job and should be paid for..

 

if they cannot find any way to pay the staff is there a way around working the running of the setting so the children help with the tidying up and taking to the cupboard, leaving them outside the door, and then going for a 10 minute group session with all the children so the staff can put away, we had to do it this way for years as we had someone come in immediately after us so did not have the luxury of being able to do it when children had all gone.. Not ideal but the only way.

 

Ofsted saw us do it this way and were ok with it as we had children supervised and a risk assessment done for this part of the day.

 

Inge

[Guest]

This has come down from the committee! That and a hundred other things to sort.

 

It seems to be accepted by the current staff and i am a little concerned to open another can of worms, there are enough around already.

[HappyMaz]

It seems to be accepted by the current staff and i am a little concerned to open another can of worms, there are enough around already.

It sounds as if you need to draw up a list of priorities for things you want to change, and decide which you want to tackle first. I would also be concerned about whether staff members are covered on your insurance policy should they have a cupboard-packing-related accident which on the face of it might happen outside of their contracted hours.

 

Good luck - it sounds as if you have your hands full, Bopeep!

 

Maz

[Guest]

This has come down from the committee! That and a hundred other things to sort.

 

It seems to be accepted by the current staff and i am a little concerned to open another can of worms, there are enough around already.

 

If they work out you are being paid for this and they are not, you will have a revolt on your hands.

 

I would make this a priority!

[Guest]

yes, i think it has to be high on priorty list. especially as i have brought the subject up.