I’m finally back to work after two hospitalizations and am now phasing back into my position as an English as a Second Language teacher in an elementary school. I’m working 1/2 time for 4 weeks before doing my usual 4 days a week. I’ve been doing this job, at this school for 14 years.
In my absence, another ESL teacher took over many of my responsibilities. Now that I came back, she and the principal decided that she would keep those responsibilities for now and they continued to employ the substitute in case something happens and I need her again. It feels like they are waiting for me to fail. It is a terrible feeling and leaves me in limbo where I cannot adequately do my job helping teachers and completing paperwork. I don’t think they can do this, either. Not allow me to do the job I was hired for. It has given my much less experienced teaching partner a power trip and she is making mistakes. The principal is unaware and I am miserable. I’m going to talk to the principal soon. Have others experienced this? It feels like discrimination. Don’t they have to let me work? I’m a professional.
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Shadowcat04
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you may feel they are behaving badly but as an employer is is very common to take certain steps when an employee returns to work after long term illness both to protect the business and the staff as well as the person returning. I your case they have an obligation to the pupils and their families to provide continuity of service- the other staff need to be protected in case of further absence and you need to be assured you can cope with the return- they are doing everything correctly. Be patient and work with your boss and colleagues for a full and gradual return . The most important people here are the students and as a caring teacher you will of course be aware of this. If you are still unhappy check out employers guides
The employer also has a duty of care to you. Maybe if you have a union rep you could articulate a plan of support for you to fully take up your responsibilities and fully resume your original role. A good head should be able to accommodate plans to develop the junior colleague and support you resuming your role
It’s the recommended procedure Shadowcat - a phased return to work. The system is designed to ease people back into work so as to avoid a relapse. Are occupational health involved?
A phased return to work can take as long as the person needs to return to normal duties. I've had many of them and they stopped me from trying to do too much too soon, whilst allowing me to rebuild my strength. My job was physical, if I tried to do too much too soon it was easy to become overwhelmed and ill again.
Speak to your union rep, or the person in charge of your phased return. It sounds like they are going one step at a time, whilst safeguarding you and your students. Your responsibilities will most likely be phased back to you also. Do you have regular meetings and reviews stating the next steps to getting back to normal duties?
It's hard watching someone doing your job whilst you recover, but sometimes we have to endure it to return to good health again.
I did have something similar. I didn't understand the contract's attitude at first but then realized that she had been hoping that I wouldn't come back. She wasn't welcoming and uplifted herself behind my back while at the same time very carefully putting me down. She was amazing in her ability to do both things yet a) didn't know half as much as she thought and b) had never met me - I was new to the school. I also wasn't told that they met on Fridays in the staffroom for drinks. I found out two months later. The staff were under the impression that I didn't want to join them.
PS Her husband was transferred to another town near the end of her time and I caught her on the phone to the new area saying that she was a leader and saw herself in a leadership position. Well, she was extremely manipulative and spoke really well giving the impression that she knew more than she did. I'm sure she did excellently as a leader but I wouldn't want to work under her.
You haven't said what duties you are doing right now. I would take the time to do further testing or extra lessons with those students you feel need extra work.
It sounds like the principal and the substitute have developed a rapport. No problem. It is your job and you will be doing it after 4 weeks. If that doesn't happen definitely see the union. You are not a substitute teacher, you are the English as a Second Language Teacher.
I would possibly ring the Union anyway, not to complain, but to check what you rights are so that you have the complete knowledge of your rights.
Be careful about complaining about her to the principal. If you do go to see the principal, make sure you have all your evidence. Compliment the teacher to the principal for the work she has done and, as an aside, mention the things that have been missed with a plan for how you are going to redress the missing areas.
It is horrible when you feel you have lost some control, other people are doing your job etc.
I have had this done to me, when my asthma started regularly going out of control. However I also had to do it to members of my team when they came back to work from a long illness.
It comes down to communication, your head seems not to have gone through the measures with you enough to make you feel comfortable with them.
The head, should be thanked though for trying to help you phase back in, even if the communication maybe has not worked that well.
So thank the head, everybody etc for their help, but let them understand it makes you uneasy etc.
As others have said Employers have to make responsible changes for individuals to ensure that they are not asking you to do things that could have a detrimental affect on your health.Lots of people have a very different experience being asked to do task that are likely to impact on there health.
You could ask for expected time scales that they expect that you could return to your normal duties. Occupational health are probably advicing the management team. You could speak to occupational health for advice about your normal duties. Check your contract to see if states individual duties. Good luck
So you're on an agreed phased return to work - the framework of which should be discussed and agreed with you. Some workplaces, like a school, will need to cover the element of the job that's not covered by the phased return and employ a substitute.
Phased returns are eminently sensible. In this case you feel threatened with the arrangements as it's been decided as necessary to employ a teacher to ensure the students don't have any disruption in their education. The Head has a responsibility, not only to you, but also to the children; a tricky balance. Is the Yead being unreasonable? From your description, the arrangements for your phased return weren't fully discussed with you as you say the arrangements were made between the Head and the sub teacher.
It may be prudent to discuss this with your union rep and consider having an occupational health review, but the rep may have an alternative idea. The OH practitioner can consider your health challenges in the workplace in the long term, taking into account your usual duties. If necessary they will recommend reasonable adjustments. This is designed to help you stay in employment and protects your position.
Once you've spoken with your union rep you will be in a better position to discuss the matter with the Head and agree a gradual return of your full duties by a given date. That is not unreasonable and the sub can support as agreed on your terms. The OH review can go along way to support this.
Thank you everyone for your kind and thoughtful responses. A lot for me to think about. To clarify a little- the phased return to work is from the doctor, in terms of hours, not duties from the school. My tasks at school have to be things I can do, or I can’t return. In other words, if I can’t teach yet, I can’t come back. So, during the hours I’m back, I’m deemed ready to do all my duties. My job is an ESL teacher and case manager. I teach English to small groups of children and manage paperwork and intake and any issues with our ESL students. My day is broken up into 2 halves. AM is simply teaching 4 groups of students and morning duties, PM is teaching 2 groups and 1 newcomer group and the rest is time to take care of case manager duties.
So, I’m back in the afternoons for now. My schedule allows for me to be doing my case management job and they have not returned that to me. I do not think the principal understands the dynamics and scheduling of this. I appreciate all that my colleague has done to help out and I will profusely thank her, but I am already doing this work now (as she hands me bits and pieces) and I’d like to be able to formally do it.
I also need to communicate with my principal about how things are going. My colleague is not willing to collaborate with me and that is how things work in our building. He asked her to be in charge of some of my projects and now she just says no to anything I bring up. These are things the principal and I can informally talk through and problem solve because it can be detrimental to our students. My colleague is making mistakes.
update. I spoke with my principal today and, while it took a while to explain, he was receptive to what I was explaining. We also were on the same page that my colleague is a very strong “rule follower” and it wasn’t intended for her to not collaborate with me, but to plan things and work with me. He shared that his wife is a “rule follower” and he understands that. The other area I brought up and he stood his ground and I backed down.
One win is good. We will be sitting down as a team and re-drawing some responsibility lines. It’s probably good that we are not doing both, I don’t want my colleague to feel threatened.
On a positive asthma note, I think Tezspire is working. I’ve been out of the hospital for 7 weeks and been exposed to at least 2 colds and I have not had a flare that sent me back to the hospital! That hasn’t happened in a year. I stopped Dupixent and started Tezspire. I am feeling stronger and able to do more. My other recoveries took 2-3 months and this one has been 6 weeks. I start IVIG soon to help with my very low immunoglobulin levels.
Thank you everyone for your supports, it really helped craft how I spoke with my principal and what outcomes I should and should not have expected.
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