As a public school teacher, my employment terms are determined by a contract. Individually, I can't really negotiate anything different. But, what the union negotiates influences my salary and my benefits positively, for now and in retirement.
There is one thing in our contract that recently caused an issue, and led to a conversation with an unexpected ally. I am hoping when the contract is up for renegotiation, in 2027 (which sounds bananas and futuristic even though it's only 3 years away), we can get it changed. Maybe even earlier.
We get two personal days without reason. These can be taken any time EXCEPT the day before or after a holiday or break. We get one personal day WITH reason, and that can be taken anytime in the calendar, but with caveats. Things like a boiler exploding, or a graduation, taking an exam needed for licensure, legal matters like closing on a house, etc. You don't have to use your personal days (and I rarely do, and up until now never more than one), and if you don't they roll over into sick, which is handy because that protects you with salary if you're out on a medical leave. I haven't used a lot of personal days, but I sure have used sick time for infertility, illness, and recovering from major surgeries.
Enter the problem.
We were planning our tickets to fly out to L.A. for my dad's Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony, which is on a Sunday at the start of February Break. I got nervous about flying out on Saturday (because air travel is horrific now), so we wanted to leave on Friday to leave enough buffer for delays, especially because we need to bring formalwear with us. I requested a Personal Day With Reason, because it is a celebration honoring a family member.
EXCEPT.
The contract only covers celebrations and honors for "the teacher, spouse, or child." Not parent. I had to go all the way to HR, and unfortunately didn't get my answer before we had to buy tickets, but we're leaving Friday evening so it worked out.
That's not the point, though. How freaking pronatalist that it only covers me, my spouse, and (nonexistent) children? It made me mad. Shouldn't it cover an event of celebration and honor for any LOVED ONE?
Because, we have an increasing number of younger teachers who are single and don't have children, and aren't interested in changing that at this point. It seems that younger people are less interested in conventional norms anyway (and god do I feel like a middle-aged old person saying "the young people"). Fewer millennials and Gen Z people are getting married and/or having kids for a variety of reasons. So that's excluding an awful lot of employees.
Then another teacher, who is fairly recently divorced and has grown children, was incensed. "It's not fair! It should just be two personal days you can take any time, and one you need approval for. People with kids can take so many more days! And I have really close friends who are basically family, but I can't use that day for their events. It needs to go."
I AGREE. Take out the specific caveat that makes you tier who is truly "important enough" in your life. Take out the specific caveat that leaves people who are single with no children unable to celebrate any of the other people who fill their lives quite nicely.
I wonder if we can change it sooner....
Do you have policies that favor people with spouses and children?
I hope you are able to get it changed sooner. A personal day with reason and then to further limit familial connections? No!
ReplyDeleteOur small-ish private company benefit manual does have some restrictive language but none that favors folks with kids over those without. Though, I do have to read the language surrounding the new this year, floating holiday. Congrats to your dad!
Such a usually-unnoticed example of pronatalism. I'm glad you're causing it to be noticed and re-evaluated!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! So weird and I totally believe it. The policy needs to be expanded beyond oneself, a spouse, or child. People have all kinds of important people in their lives. People's families aren't always blood-related or legally binding. Gahhh this stuff drives me bonkers.
ReplyDeleteTeachers in my board get one day of paid personal leave a year, and nobody asks you any questions about it. They accumulate up to two days if not used in a year (But I always use it.) We can also take an additional two per year without pay. Then there are about a dozen different paid days with various reasons: graduations, jury duty, court day, family emergency, birth of child, adoption, etc. I don't pay attention to most of those tbh because other than maybe family emergency it hasn't been relevant to my life. I guess I got a day for "birth of child" but it would have been rolled into leave.
ReplyDeleteI think having to justify your day off is somewhat weird, period. I guess there are rules because some people will abuse it, but people who are motivated to do that find a way regardless. And teachers who work hard don't need someone trying to make them feel guilty about taking a necessary day off. For myself, I take sick days if I am sick or the kids are sick or I have to take my elderly mom to an appointment....and I make zero apologies.
Yes, I 100% agree. If you have personal days that require a reason, it should be for a "loved one" who could be a family member, partner, friend, neighbour, whoever! That's infuriating. (I complained long ago about an airline that gives discounts for deaths/serious illnesses for immediate family. It would mean my nieces couldn't get discounts to come help me when I'm old, but they could to help their mum or dad or stepdad.)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how it works here in NZ for teachers. I must investigate.
PS. Yay for your Dad getting an award.