Am I unreasonable? Working Conditions - opinions please :)

[Sparklebum]

Hi everyone!

I am after some opinions, please. I have just started work in a kindy room with 4-5 year olds.

Firstly, the Centre Director does our weekly roster on a Tuesday afternoon for the coming week. This means that until 4pm on Tuesday, no one in the centre knows what shift they are working the next day. I feel that this is utterly unreasonable (I have 3 of my own kids to book into OSHC with another provider, who can't accept on-the-day bookings)... Other staff say they've raised the issue but to no avail - I spoke very apologetically to the director, who rolled her eyes and told me that is how it is done here, that she is trying to get it into a rolling pattern but that it can't happen yet until "everyone is on board"?! (I got her to agree to do a 'special' roster for me - ouch - for the next 2 weeks that mean I'm working basically 8-30-5 for 3 weeks straight, but I really understood that this was an issue for her!)...

Secondly, In my centre we have had 34 kids between two of us fairly frequently over the last week due to staff sickness in other rooms (our 'third' being needed to cover in the younger rooms) and today I was told that next week I will be expected to have 24 kids on my own at lunchtime for an hour... Several of the children have ASD/ODD and are biters, and physically aggressive to other children (as well as staff!)... I don't feel it is safe to do this, so today I refused, but was met with hostility. I would be interested to hear your thoughts - am I being unreasonable?? And if not, what should I do; I'm thinking of leaving as I'm scared that a child will get really hurt (I filled out 5 accident report forms for biting/missile/hitting incidents today - that' seems to be a pretty standard day!)? (The Director was the hostile person)

Lastly, I am on my own in the kindy room each afternoon with 14 kindies/schoolies - my first aid/CPR etc needs renewing and I need to do Asthma/Anaphylaxis (which I advised HR and they told me they would book me in for August!)... If I don't tidy my room and put equipment away while I have the kids to supervise (I can't see them from the shed and they don't all want to help put stuff away) then it takes me 40 (unpaid) mins to do after I have finished my shift (I have to take the last 8 or so to another room while we await pick ups - it's on a 'next person whose shift has ended gets to go when numbers are right' basis - my shift finished at 5 the other day and I couldn't leave til 5.45pm as the ratios were not right til then).

Anyhoo, if I'm just cranky and being unreasonable about things, please tell me - this is my first post as a kindy teacher in Oz, (trained overseas) so perhaps I just don't 'get it'? Please be honest!

Thanks in advance!

Sparkles xx

[Lorina]

Hi Sparkles,

What a situation you are in! So sorry to hear what you are going through! I know it's hard (from personal experience myself) but I'm going to try and cover all your concerns with the regs itself to justify your doubts and worries.

I just checked out the Children's Services Award 2010 and in regards to rostering it says the following:

Rostering hours will only be changed after 7 days' notice is given. In the absence of such notice, overtime will be paid until 7 days have transpired from the date the notice was given, unless by mutual agreement between the employer and employee the notice period is waived, shortened or emergency outside employers control. Where an employee is required to stay beyond their rostered hours because a parent fails to arrive on time to collect a child this will not be regarded as an emergency and will be treated as overtime (page 22).

Within the National Regulations it states the following in regards to:

Educator to Child Ratios (QLD):

(d) for children aged at least 4 years but not more than 6 years - 1 educator to 13 children (page 279)

Rest Periods (no more than 2 hours during the day):

(d) for children at least 4 years but not more than 6 years of age (page 284)
- for the first 26 children, 1 educator to 26 children
- for any additional children, 1 educator to 13 children

Qualifications:

- for centre based settings caring for children (0 - 5 years), every 2 educators required to meet ratios should have their diploma or approved qualifications (page 279).

First Aid:

(1) Centre must ensure that the following persons are in attendance at any place where children are being educated and cared for and immediately available in an emergency and at all times (page 143).
- at least one educator hold a current first aid qualification
- at least one educator has current anaphylaxis management training
- at least one educator has current emergency asthma management training

I really hope this helps you understand what the requirements are in regards to the law and regulations within childcare. With some of the issues you mentioned you will need to discuss these with the director because according to the regulations some of these issues are being breached. Take a copy of the Regulations and Modern Award and highlight the points I mentioned and show them to your director. If she isn't going to make changes I'd go find somewhere else to work because there is no point continuing if they are not willing to make the necessary changes by LAW.

Hopefully you get these issues resolved,

,
L.A

[Sparklebum]

Thanks so much!

Our kids don't have a rest period in our rooms. Yesterday for 3 hours we had 2 staff to 41 kids, and a parent came in to observe (she's a kindy teacher elsewhere!) I rang the AD to remind her about our numbers but she couldn't help as she was staffing another room! Aaaaargh! Have asked for meeting with Dir today!

Thank you for your help xxxxx

[Existence]

Hi sparkles,
The working conditions your in is not right. at all times you are to maintain ratios no matter what unless their is an emergency of some sort that leaves you with no choice. the fact that you have children with additional needs that are physically aggressive towards others worries me more about the ratio because I feel that the director is breaching the regs and the code of conduct that we all abide by.

if there is someone higher than your boss I would be stressing your concerns to them as well as your union representative. the conditions you are in at the moment is very stressfull and if DOCS or DECS (whatever they call themselves now) do a spot check you guys will be in trouble and get fined.

[Barbie]

Be thankful you get your roster by Tuesday. Ours doesnt go up until last minute Friday for the coming week. I suspect so the director can keep stuffing people around with shifts eg/same old people always copping late shifts and doesnt want to have it up all week so people come up to her and ask for a different shift. Probably against the law to give the roster this late but what can you do.

[Sparklebum]

Little update on this one. I met with the Dir, who advised me it sounded like I couldn't cope... I gave my 1 hour's notice as per my contract and told her to staff he room herself and see how she got on... Had a meeting with the General Manager straight after, who also advised me that the numbers were legal as there were enough staff 'under one roof' in line with legislation... (I asked if there were 20 staff members in the staff room, but the kids were unsupervised at the other end of the building, would this be legal?!) Apparently it is my fault if I "can't maintain order and discipline", and I should be ensuring that I provide activities that engage the children without them having to have an adult to lead them, especially the kids with additional needs... At that point, I gave up and made a full report to the department. (The company then billed me for my blue card, my uniform - some of which I never received - and a first aid course I didn't attend! Nice and professional! Lol

Oh, and the roster thing. They were done Wed to Wed, so we were getting the rosters about 14 hours before the next one started (Tue eve for the next day)...!!! It is legal I believe, but "it's how it's done here" apparently!

However, I'm outties! I spent about 6 hours crying and shaking (I've never left a job the same day before!) but am happy to report I found another job the very next day, which is fabulous - and the company have an ops manual with all processes documented and are OVER staffed at all times to ensure quality and consistency of care. It'll be a cold day in hell before I trust another long day care setting though - I hope to god they got an unannounced inspection and a smack on the wrists!!!

Thanks so much for your help, you guys xxxxx

[Lorina]

After the way you were spoken too and the way that the issues you brought up were handled by the general manager it's a very good thing you left! They always make it out that it's your fault when it's clearly theirs! Just because things are done in such a way doesn't make them right!!! It's so frustrating for me to listen to such antics from a running, operational centre... I can only imagine how bad it's been for you!

Things they say happen for a reason and in your case there is a bright light at the end of a very long tunnel! Extremely happy to hear that you have moved forward and are currently enjoying your time at another centre! It's nice to hear that even though you had a shocking time you were still able to move on and continue to work with children. I think some people would of threw in the towel by now!

Thanks for the update and hope the future bring you lots of smiles!

,
L.A

[NorthLight36]

Sparkle,

I'm so sorry to read about the hell you were put through, but I'm glad you're somewhere better now. Still, even when a workplace is bad, it's hard to take the risk of leaving so I can understand you shaking and crying. Sending you a big hug from Victoria and my best wishes for your new job. Good on you for staying in childcare.

[Laiorwyn]

You are right, seriously not unreasonable to expect the boss to follow regs. Makes my problems seem small. At least we don't have biters in the preschool room.
Congratulations at finding yourself in a MUCH better environment. Good luck in the future.