At last - a good result from my struggles with my school (refusing to implement occupational health adjustments to keep me safe with severe asthma as a primary school teacher and also harassing me while I’ve been signed off). The union rep had told school to communicate only through her - school ignored this, so she rang them up and ‘reminded them of their obligation to ensure my safety ‘ (her words).
Result - school has agreed to furlough me on full pay until the furlough scheme ends at the end of March! I am so relieved and grateful, although I’m sad that my stupid asthma and the pandemic are keeping me away for so long from the job I love.
Now I can concentrate on recovering from the stress and anxiety that all this has caused.
Good luck to everybody in similar circumstances xxx
Written by
TeachKat
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Oh my days TeachKat!!! At last!!!!! I’m really glad to hear that news but am really sorry for the stress and ridiculous hard battle it’s taken for you to get it!!!!
Now you have some time to unwind and de-stress!! 🤗
I am in very similar circumstances (also a teacher) and can completely understand how much distress, relief and sadness you must be feeling all at once!!!
Please take care of yourself, I hope this gives you the time to do so!
Thank you - I don’t really want to move to another school-my immediate colleagues have been brilliantly supportive and kind. After I was shouted at for asking to wear a visor, they all separately went to the person concerned to ask for a visor! Also, I’m 63, have been teaching for 40 plus years and am therefore expensive! Realistically no school would consider employing me.
I completely understand. In these days of every employer putting money before experience and all that brings, I have experienced this myself in the NHS, and witnessed many colleagues going through it to. I expect your skills and experience are fantastic fit the children and it sounds that your colleagues are with you. Before I trained as a nurse, I would never have believed that this sort of thing happened in the caring professions but it is everywhere. Best wishes to you. X
Excellent! Great news for you (you can now relax and settle down) and it's nice to know at least one Union are doing their job. The CWU certainly aren't.
Glad to hear that. Your head teacher - and presumably your school governors who must have been in agreement with him too - unless he bullies them as well was just a bully. Well done to your union rep. I say that as someone who isn’t in the least union minded but who just hates bullying in any form.
How do they treat their employees usually? I am appalled you have been treated this way. I have several teachers in my family and you all do an amazing job. Your headteacher should have the decency to apologise. If their attitude stays the same I would look elsewhere to work. Teachers are precious and the stress must have been awful and would not have helped your asthma either.
Thank you - sadly this is how they treat us - it’s an independent school and they feel that the rules and regulations don’t apply to them, especially when it comes to disability. I’m not really in a position to look elsewhere- I’m 63 and expensive to employ! The saving grace is that my immediate colleagues are lovely and very supportive.
Just had to say it's great that you've had excellent union support. Hope that you look after yourself in furlough so that you can return to your teaching job fit and well. All good wishes for the future.
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