More stupid political correctness

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 19 Jan 2007, 11:19

I know there's already a thread somewhere but I can't find it! Yesterday we were informed at work that we were no longer to be referred to as "Support Staff" or even "Non Teaching Staff". Apparently the word "Non" give off terribly negative vibes

. We are therefore now to be known as "Staff, excluding Teachers". Apparently the word "excluding" is not deemed to be a negative word and the Teaching Staff should in no way feel excluded from the rest of us. Also, just to keep us right, we were reminded that, when referring to all the staff, we are to use the phrase "All Staff". This presumably includes the previously excluded Teachers.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:49

sounds complicated

gilo · Post by **gilo** » 19 Jan 2007, 20:40

So when someone asks what your job is do you have to say "staff excluding teachers"?!

aileenandfearghal · Post by **aileenandfearghal** » 19 Jan 2007, 22:25

sheesh. we're both teachers and hadn't heard of this. we work in east lothian though - is this an edinburgh thing?

crazy

Scorpion · Post by **Scorpion** » 20 Jan 2007, 18:38

sounds complicated

Simple, have "All Staff" write it out a hundred times and if they still get it wrong make them do it again

Scoop · Post by **Scoop** » 21 Jan 2007, 13:23

Who is it that thinks these things up, thinks they're doing a great job, and then sticks their hands out for cash at the end of every month? Are they mental?

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 21 Jan 2007, 17:35

Scoop wrote:Who is it that thinks these things up, thinks they're doing a great job, and then sticks their hands out for cash at the end of every month? Are they mental?

They're not the mental ones Scoop. We're the mental ones for putting up with this. The country is going down the tubes and we're just sitting watching it happen due to this kind of ridiculous edict.

What is required for those - like the teachers of Porty High - who are being subjected to this kind of nonsense to turn around and revolt and refuse to accept it.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 21 Jan 2007, 17:39

Jamesie wrote:The country is going down the tubes and we're just sitting watching it happen due to this kind of ridiculous edict.

Can you elaborate?

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 21 Jan 2007, 18:15

What was wrong with 'Support Staff'? As Epykat will know, in L&B Police non-police officers used to be referred to as 'Civilians', which I always thought was ridiculous. We are now 'Support Staff'. Or we were last week at least.

This sort of thing happens everywhere. Council departments in particular are forever changing names and job titles.

In most cases, I seriously doubt whether these constant re-branding and re-structuring exercises achieve anything, other than help fill the time and justify the salaries of those whose remit it is to do this sort of thing.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 21 Jan 2007, 18:27

Dadaist wrote:
Jamesie wrote:The country is going down the tubes and we're just sitting watching it happen due to this kind of ridiculous edict.
Can you elaborate?

We have an overstretched NHS and underpaid police officers/teachers. While this is going on public money which could be used to alleviate these problems is being set aside to allow someone somewhere to sit and work out the next ridiculous PC edict to inflict on normal people trying to get on with their jobs.

Far too many "PC Officers" in whatever guise employed in the public sector to waste their time and our money inflicting this this kind of nonsense upon us.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 21 Jan 2007, 18:29

Bob Jefferson wrote: In most cases, I seriously doubt whether these constant re-branding and re-structuring exercises achieve anything, other than help fill the time and justify the salaries of those whose remit it is to do this sort of thing.

You've hit the nail on the head there Bob.

ali · Post by **ali** » 21 Jan 2007, 18:34

Jamesie wrote:.

........................................................ public money which could be used to alleviate these problems is being set aside to allow someone somewhere to sit and work out the next ridiculous PC edict to inflict on normal people trying to get on with their jobs.

Far too many "PC Officers" in whatever guise employed in the public sector to waste their time and our money inflicting this this kind of nonsense upon us.

Where did you read this??? You don't seriously think that this is true, do you?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 21 Jan 2007, 19:03

Jamesie wrote:
What is required for those - like the teachers of Porty High - who are being subjected to this kind of nonsense to turn around and revolt....

Daughter of Porty says you can relax Jamesie , many of the teachers of Porty High are already revolting.

Izzie · Post by **Izzie** » 21 Jan 2007, 19:44

Porty wrote:
Jamesie wrote:
What is required for those - like the teachers of Porty High - who are being subjected to this kind of nonsense to turn around and revolt....
Daughter of Porty says you can relax Jamesie , many of the teachers of Porty High are already revolting.

Son of Izzie agrees

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 21 Jan 2007, 20:02

ali wrote:
Jamesie wrote:.

........................................................ public money which could be used to alleviate these problems is being set aside to allow someone somewhere to sit and work out the next ridiculous PC edict to inflict on normal people trying to get on with their jobs.

Far too many "PC Officers" in whatever guise employed in the public sector to waste their time and our money inflicting this this kind of nonsense upon us.

Where did you read this??? You don't seriously think that this is true, do you?

Someone is making this stuff up as policy and that person is getting paid to do it Ali! I'd be interesting to read the job description of the person who put together this particular policy for Edinburgh schools.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 21 Jan 2007, 20:11

Porty wrote:
Jamesie wrote:
What is required for those - like the teachers of Porty High - who are being subjected to this kind of nonsense to turn around and revolt....
Daughter of Porty says you can relax Jamesie , many of the teachers of Porty High are already revolting.

Set myself up for that one

ali · Post by **ali** » 21 Jan 2007, 22:48

Jamesie wrote:
ali wrote:
Jamesie wrote:.

........................................................ public money which could be used to alleviate these problems is being set aside to allow someone somewhere to sit and work out the next ridiculous PC edict to inflict on normal people trying to get on with their jobs.

Far too many "PC Officers" in whatever guise employed in the public sector to waste their time and our money inflicting this this kind of nonsense upon us.

Where did you read this??? You don't seriously think that this is true, do you?
Someone is making this stuff up as policy and that person is getting paid to do it Ali! I'd be interesting to read the job description of the person who put together this particular policy for Edinburgh schools.

Oh I agree with the particular point being made by Epy here - it's a form of madness - but I thought you were making general allegations about the public sector or had been reading the Daily Express or something.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 22 Jan 2007, 00:42

ali wrote: Oh I agree with the particular point being made by Epy here - it's a form of madness - but I thought you were making general allegations about the public sector or had been reading the Daily Express or something.

Nah not at all. Its not a problem which is unique to the public sector - plenty companies have "dignity at work" officers who seem to possess a fantastic talent for spouting this stuff. Apologies to any such officer who may be reading - feel free to prove me wrong.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 22 Jan 2007, 01:27

I had the same fears as Ali and am glad I asked Jamesie to elaborate - he has set my mind at rest. I thought there were shades of the Express there too but was wrong.

Next opportunity I get I'll give you a quote from our in-house magazine. I'm almost convinced that the nice people who create it, and those whose travails they report on, mean well and have found their vocation in life, but I will admit to having my weaker moments.

During those moments I wonder whether the balloons who come up with some of this tripe live in anything approximating the real world.

It's not just senior management that speak fluent guff but I think they originate most of the corporate buzz-speak doled out to - sorry - communicated to the workforce.

Sometimes I swear you can smell it coming off the pages.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 22 Jan 2007, 09:05

David Cameron is the easily the most accomplished I have heard. He uses so many words to seem to say something.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 22 Jan 2007, 09:32

Bob Jefferson wrote:What was wrong with 'Support Staff'? As Epykat will know, in L&B Police non-police officers used to be referred to as 'Civilians'....

In 'my day' we were referred to as 'Civvies' - followed by a pretend spit

. Was this a form of bullying or a type or racism?

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 22 Jan 2007, 10:25

I believe it was Unison who felt that the terms 'non-teaching' and 'support staff' had negative connotions and asked that the Council use an alternative.

I rather liked it previously when teachers were clearly acknowledged as the important ones and everyone else was defined by their relationship to them. Must have really dented the ego of some folk at HQ who earned several times my salary but were considered my 'support staff'

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 22 Jan 2007, 10:38

I spent a memorable couple of summers working with the jannies at my school. The school might have been posh but the work wasn't.

We had, in house :

clerk of works (daily trip down to Canonmills to get his pies. the man with the wage packets)

painter

technician (most lecherous person since Marquis De Sade. how we never crashed up town i will never know as he was mainly staring at pedestrians of a certain gender)

joiner (almost as old as the school itself, knee deep in sawdust)

accountant (the people at his golf club approached him to be the rep. on the committee for the retired - they didn't realize he had a full-time job he was on the links that much)

plumber/boilerman (notorious lunchtime card school)

spark (knew him anyway from being on the stage lighting crew)

gardener (bit of a closed shop although his junior was ok)

jannies (head jannie easily the inspiration for fred elliot on Corrie right down to the bald head and northern twang - i never heard this man speak, he only ever shouted, and only ever in rib-hurting comedy)

us (alternately worked like slaves or allowed to skive. let loose with sledgehammers, paintbrushes, plaster, entire empty departments)

No disrespect to teachers and that, but the classroom ain't where it's at.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 22 Jan 2007, 10:49

Dadaist wrote:No disrespect to teachers and that, but the classroom ain't where it's at.

So not such a daft suggestion to re-name the groups then?

BTW you can tell you didn't attend a state school. Imagine, in addition to the jannie, having a painter, an electrician and a gardener dedicated to just one school. I'd settle for a window cleaner - it's been 16 years (allegedly) since my classroom windows were cleaned. Mind you two of them have been smashed and replaced so they're not so bad as the others, though it's a rather drastic way to get a bit of light into the room

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 22 Jan 2007, 11:15

Some of the glass in our windows at school was so ancient it had started to warp. The chemistry department offers stunning views of the castle but the old glass in some of the panes made for surreal viewing.

I stared out of the window in chemistry didn't I.

Personally I don't think anyone or anything needs to be renamed cos the workies are naturally superior anyway. Overalls are much more commanding robes of office than mortar boards.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 22 Jan 2007, 11:36

You should hear what the educationalists at the new HQ are being subjected to... I keep asking who we're paying to come up with the crazy rules. An example:
Because they have hotdesking, even if nobody else ever does use your desk, you are not allowed to put anything personal on your desk. Imagine how the education system would crumble if someone left a photie of their bairns on a desk nobody else is going to use.
Nor are you allowed to leave a single piece of paper on said desk. If you leave at the end of the day, along with everyone else, knowing the only people likely to approach your desk between the hours of leaving and returning are burglars nicking your computer, and you leave a solitary piece of paper on the desk, the prefects (staff excluding people with worthwhile jobs?) come round and leave you a sticker. If you do it again, you get another one. If you do it a third time, they take away your solitary piece of paper, and you have to report to your line manager for a ticking off.

So good to know that the people who make the decisions about how to turn our children into responsible adults clearly can't be trusted to be responsible adults.

Signed,
Disgruntled of Portobello