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Application forms
When I applied for this lunchtime supervisor (dinner lady) job, I dutifully filled in about five separate forms, answered honestly all health-related questions including the fact that I'd been on incapacity benefit and that I had problems lifting things.
Started today. Worked with Sylvia who has been with the school for 14 years. The first thing we did was to move a batch of tables (on wheels, so they weren't too bad) from the edge of the hall to the centre, then she took one off a stack where someone else had left it.
After the kids had finished eating, most of them stacked up their own chairs, but Sylvia and I cleared up the ones they'd left. Then she put the tables back.
When the head dinner lady came round at the end of the lunch period, I explained to her that I'd put on my application form that I had problems lifting because of my shoulder trouble. "Oh," she said, "I didn't actually read it."
What should I do about the chairs? "The pupils should clear those."
"Most of them do," I replied, but a few don't."
"Catch them as they go out and make them do it."
There's 200 children in that hall. Most of them leave around the same time. Sylvia agreed with me that there was no way you could tell which child was the one who had abandoned their chair, but this didn't seem to register.
I asked the head (nice guy, very hands on). He said "Leave the chairs if they aren't stacked by the kids." It's a reasonable approach, but I don't like leaving a job half done. Especially if chairs are in the wrong place. I was concerned about a stack that had been formed too close to a fire exit, but there was no way that I could move them myself. Sylvia says she doesn't mind doing the chairs, but a. that's unfair, and b. she expects to be leaving for another job in the near future (she can no longer get a lift, so it's two buses for her to get here).
Meanwhile, I'm back at home and my shoulder is hurting...
Started today. Worked with Sylvia who has been with the school for 14 years. The first thing we did was to move a batch of tables (on wheels, so they weren't too bad) from the edge of the hall to the centre, then she took one off a stack where someone else had left it.
After the kids had finished eating, most of them stacked up their own chairs, but Sylvia and I cleared up the ones they'd left. Then she put the tables back.
When the head dinner lady came round at the end of the lunch period, I explained to her that I'd put on my application form that I had problems lifting because of my shoulder trouble. "Oh," she said, "I didn't actually read it."
What should I do about the chairs? "The pupils should clear those."
"Most of them do," I replied, but a few don't."
"Catch them as they go out and make them do it."
There's 200 children in that hall. Most of them leave around the same time. Sylvia agreed with me that there was no way you could tell which child was the one who had abandoned their chair, but this didn't seem to register.
I asked the head (nice guy, very hands on). He said "Leave the chairs if they aren't stacked by the kids." It's a reasonable approach, but I don't like leaving a job half done. Especially if chairs are in the wrong place. I was concerned about a stack that had been formed too close to a fire exit, but there was no way that I could move them myself. Sylvia says she doesn't mind doing the chairs, but a. that's unfair, and b. she expects to be leaving for another job in the near future (she can no longer get a lift, so it's two buses for her to get here).
Meanwhile, I'm back at home and my shoulder is hurting...
Work and lifting
*Dont* under any circumstances feel pressured into doing anything that will hurt you - just KEEP telling people what you cant do , because they will forget. If your colleague says she doesnt mind then I magine she genuinely doesnt. She sounds a nice person - see if there is some way you can lighten her workload by doing something else. At Morrisons its generally acknowledged that as an older female I'm not expected to fetch frozen orders consisting of 20 plus heavy crates or move then around in the freezer when there are 19 year old lads working with me who do bodybuilding as a hobby - but I reciprocate by doing some of the cleaning jobs they dont like - or selling reduced items on shopfloor in the evenings- which they hate doing.Its part of being in a team- dont stress about it. The head is understanding which is good.
Cant you collar any passing kid to move chairs - its surely part of their learning to be socialy responsible to clear stuff up even if they didnt personally make the mess!
Re: Work and lifting
Agreed. As a person in authority, I think it's reasonable for you to ask assistance from the kids; I mean, we moved desks and tables when we were at school when the teachers asked us.
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It will certatinly not help if I add that here no one cares about one´s pains and problems - work or die - but some pupils are ALWAYS more reasonable than the personnel and go and do the job. SOME of them, that is!
I hope you will not give up.*Hugs*
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I don't suppose the school has a system of prefects or 'monitors' - pupils whose responsibility it could be to make sure that things are cleared away??
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