P23: Ask the Union
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Q I have been on maternity leave and would like to request a return to work either on a part-time or job-share basis. Is my employer obliged to agree to my request?
A Many teachers manage to negotiate a change in their working hours on their return from maternity leave. Although there is no automatic right to work part time, your employer should consider your request and be able to justify his/her reasons if your request is turned down. Failure to do so could amount to sex discrimination.
If you are eligible to apply under the flexible working regulations, you may wish to use that route.
You can make no more than one application in any period of 12 months. For this reason, the NUT advises that you make an informal request to your employer first.
Only if the employer refuses an informal request should you use the statutory scheme to seek to change your working pattern.
If you experience difficulties in securing a return to part-time work or to a job-share arrangement, contact your NUT regional office in England or NUT Cymru in Wales for advice. There is a three month time limit for the case to be taken to an employment tribunal,
starting from the refusal of the request for alternative working arrangements.
For further information visit:
www.teachers.org.uk/node/10489 www.teachers.org.uk/node/1581.
Q I recently started a new teaching job and am being treated horribly by the head teacher. My views are ignored and I am constantly undermined in front of other members of staff.
Am I being bullied, and what should I do? There are other teachers who are being treated in a similar way but we are all too scared to speak out in case the treatment gets worse.
A Bullying is a form of harassment in which the bully undermines and belittles or assaults the recipient. Constant undermining of a teacher, with criticism in front of colleagues and pupils, is certainly an example of bullying.
If you have an NUT rep at your school, speak to him/her. If not, contact your association or division secretary (find contact details at
www.teachers.org.uk/contactus).
Bullies very rarely attack only one member of staff. It is always easier to tackle bullying on a collective, rather than individual, basis. Building a case against a bully is easier with the additional evidence and support of colleagues who may be suffering in the same way. You may be able to deal with the harassment without having to have recourse to law.
Once the evidence has been assembled, the NUT local officer or school rep will meet the head teacher and, in the case of a local authority maintained school, contact the local authority.
What happens next will depend on the attitude of the head teacher and the seriousness of the alleged bullying.
For details of what to do visit
www.teachers.org.uk/node/12522.
Send your questions for the NUT’s experts on legal, professional, and health and safety matters to: Ask the Union, The Teacher, NUT, Hamilton House, Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BD or email
teacher@nut.org.uk.
Please note that questions relating to personal problems or specific workplace situations should be directed to your school NUT rep or division/ association – find details at
www.teachers.org.uk/contactus.
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