Assaulted at work, told leaving would break my service

I am a single person living alone and currently work as a supply teacher in [council removed]. I am passionate about teaching and genuinely enjoy my profession; however, the current conditions surrounding supply teaching have left me feeling increasingly vulnerable, insecure and unsupported.

Despite being very successful in my probationary year I have been required to interview again for what is ultimately a zero-hour contract. The prospect of having to repeatedly interview for a position that provides no guarantee of work, despite having already demonstrated my competence and commitment, is extremely disheartening.

The requirement to have no more than 4 days without work in order to maintain continuous service is particularly concerning. For someone reliant on supply work as their primary income, this creates an enormous amount of financial and emotional pressure. It means that periods when I am not contacted for work can have consequences far beyond simply losing a few days’ pay. Knowing I am competing with over 300 people for just one council for even 1 day’s supply is awful.

This has become even more difficult due to circumstances beyond my control. I have been physically assaulted on numerous occasions while working (bitten, punched, spat on, kicked). Despite this, I have been informed by HR that leaving my supply position will result in my continuous service being broken.

This has left me feeling that I have no genuine choice but to continue working in circumstances where my personal safety has already been compromised. No employee should feel that they must tolerate being physically assaulted in order to protect their employment status.

I have also recently experienced the death of a close family member. Despite the significant emotional impact of this bereavement, I have felt unable to take time away from work because doing so would mean losing income and breaking my 2 years’ continuous service. Having to prioritise maintaining employment status and financial stability over properly grieving and dealing with the loss of a close family member has been extremely distressing.

The financial insecurity associated with supply teaching is also having a significant impact on my ability to secure stable housing. My current landlord is selling my property, meaning that I need to find alternative accommodation. However, because my income is not guaranteed and I do not have a conventional permanent contract, I am struggling to demonstrate financial stability.

I have subsequently been rejected by 15 mortgage lenders. The feedback I have received is that my employment circumstances are considered too risky, with the terms of supply teaching described as not providing lenders with sufficient confidence. This is particularly frustrating because I am working with find employment but so are thousands of teachers in Scotland and I have successfully completed my probation. Yet the structure of my employment prevents me from being viewed as financially secure.

I therefore find myself in a situation where I am working within the education system, contributing to schools and supporting pupils, while simultaneously being denied the stability and security that most people would reasonably expect from sustained employment. I am trying to build a secure future for myself, but the nature of my employment is making it increasingly difficult to obtain housing, secure a mortgage and plan financially.

I want to make clear that I love teaching. I want to continue working in education and contributing to the pupils and schools I serve. However, I feel that the current system of supply teaching is leaving people like me in an extremely vulnerable position.

I believe that there needs to be greater recognition of the impact that insecure supply arrangements have on teachers’ financial security, mental wellbeing, housing prospects and personal safety. Teachers should not be placed in a position where they feel they must continue working despite experiencing physical assaults, bereavement or significant personal difficulties simply to avoid losing their employment status.

I am asking for these concerns to be taken seriously and for consideration to be given to whether the current arrangements provide supply teachers with the fairness, dignity, security and protection that they deserve.

I want to teach. I want to work. I simply want the opportunity to do so with a reasonable degree of security, safety and respect.