Estimating hours of work for additional payment duties
Agreeing additional time for additional payments
Advice for Middle Leaders
Summary
The STCA now reflects the legal requirement to reflect the hours of work expected of a teacher. These are established as attendance on 190 days in any school year when the school is open for instruction (plus call back time when it is not up to the limits set in clause 5.6) and an average of 40 hours per week or 1816 hours over the whole year (prorated for part time teachers). That is the expectation for all teachers unless there is an agreement that an additional payment includes an expectation of more days of attendance or greater average hours of work. This is covered by clause Clause 5.1.3
If a teacher receives a unit(s) or allowance(s) for additional responsibilities the employer and employee will agree any requirements that some or all of these responsibilities be worked at a specific time or place and any hours that are additional to those in clause 5.1.2. The agreement must be recorded in writing.
Additional hours per week = The time spent duties for which there is additional payment minus the total of the non-contact time provided for the duties and minus any other time savings from reduced classroom teacher duties.
Regardless of total hours, additional payment may cover an expectation that you will work for more hours and/or days outside open for instruction times.
The baseline
The standard expectation for full time teachers is that your work can be complete within:
- an average of 40 hours per week (1816 hours per year) which includes:
- attendance during the normal school hours
- attendance for 190 days when the school is open for instruction
- possible attendance for a further 5 days or 40 hours per year for administrative callback
- possible attendance for a further 5 days or 40 hours per year for PLD callback
- work done in your own time offsite
If you receive an additional payment there may be an expectation that you will work for more hours and/or be on site for more days.
Middle leaders tend to retain a comparatively high teaching load with additional responsibilities and some additional timetabled non-contact. The extra payment(s) cover the difference between an expected full time teaching load and your combination of teaching and additional duties.
Working out what additional payments cover
A. Additional attendance when closed for instruction
1. For that extra payment how many (if any) additional days are you required to come into school beyond the 190 days when the school is open for instruction to students (other than call back days).
2. For that extra payment, on average how many extra hours per week (if any) are you expected to be at school on open for instruction days which are outside the normal attendance expected of classroom teachers (e.g. for HoD meetings)?
B.Time spent on the paid duty
3. How much time (average hours per week or total hours per year) do you estimate you spend on the duty for which the additional allowance is paid?
C. Time allocated and reallocated to the additional duty.
4. What (if any) additional time allowances are provided within timetabled hours to do the duties for which you get the payment?
5. If you have had any other duties taken away that a classroom teacher would otherwise be expected to do (such as having one less class to teach, not having to do grounds duty or not attending some meetings or activities, or not having a form class) how much time – both inside and outside the timetabled hours) does that represent as a saving on the expected baseline hours?
D. Additional time covered by the payment.
6. The extra time you are spending on the additional paid duty is the time you spend on the duty less any timetabled time allocated for it, less any savings in other teaching or general duties you are not expected to do because of the role.
Note that the time you save by having extra non-contact and reduced other duties could mean that overall the duties associated with the additional payment take no extra time.
Agreement to additional hours and attendance
Do you agree that the extra onsite days (1 above) extra onsite hours (2 above) and the total extra hours you are working because of the allowance (6 above) are the expectation for the payment you are receiving?
If not, what the extra onsite days (1 above), the extra onsite hours (2 above) and the total extra hours you are working (6 above) do you agree are covered by the payment?
What you might agree
You may agree to wording like:
Over the school year I work on average an additional [X] hour(s) per week more than the general expectations for a full-time classroom teacher.
The actual number of additional hours per week vary through the year.
The duties include [X] extra day’s attendance at school over the year and staying later at school for [X] meetings each term when after the normal school day is over.
I agree that the payment I receive for the additional duties covers the average additional [x] hour per week and the additional attendance.
NB. [X] may be zero
Or
I can complete the duties for which I receive the additional payment within the overall hours expected of a classroom teacher.
The duties associated with the additional payment include [X] extra day’s attendance at school over the year and staying later at school for [X] meetings each term when after the normal school day is over.
I agree that the payment I receive for the additional duties covers the additional attendance.
Or
I can complete the duties for which I receive the additional payment within the average weekly hours and days of attendance expected of a classroom teacher.
I agree that the payment I receive for the additional duties covers the higher level of responsibilities associated with the duty only.