Travel Time - should it be paid?

[sangie5952]

Travel to and from your place of employment, assuming you are even employed, is your responsibility. In my experience, mentoring is usually not even paid, never mind getting paid travel time.

 

If you have such a dim view of the "system" then perhaps you shouldn't participate in the scheme. It seems that toy begrudge the activity, so wouldn't it be better for all concerned if it were undertaken by someone who wants to do it?

[sangie5952]

This is the point. The school is not my place of employment, it is just somewhere I was asked to visit to see this young person.

If I worked as a carer, for example, travel time to clients and between clients is payable. If I were office based and had top travel to a client then the same would be true.

 

I am not saying the underlying motives of helping looked after children achieve their potential is wrong, it is fantastic and everyone should be encouraged and supported to do that. This is my dilemma, do you suck it up and let the broken system continue to exploit or do you make a stand and say enough is enough - clearly you think standing up for your rights is a good thing as you recommend recording phone calls

 

Maybe if you understood the universities do not do this outreach work for altruistic reasons, it is done as part of their funding agreements so they can charge fees of £9250 per year to students . maybe you remember being told these fees would only apply to the best universities when in fact they all jumped on the gravy train and ticked the boxes so they could charge them. It is of course also extremely good PR .

 

And that is my point, which you are missing. You don't have to do this, so don't. You do not work as a carer, so the comparison is irrelevant. And actually, if you did, travel time between appointments is paid, not travel time too and from first / last appointments.

 

If you do not wish to undertake this activity - and I'm still not clear it is "work" - then don't. I can't see any benefit to a mentee of having someone with them who doesn't want to be there, no matter what the reason, good or bad. And I do, in fact, fully understand the circumstances of universities and their students working in their local communities to benefit people less advantaged - most students do this because they want to, and if they do not want to they don't have to. In my quite substantial experience of the sector, there are benefits both to universities and their students, and to businesses and their employees, of altruism. But it sounds like altruism isn't your thing, which is fine, but then don't complain about not being paid enough for your altruism! You might want to look up the definition of the word.

 

If you wish to complain about fees, the correct address is, for now, Theresa May at 10 Downing Street. The fact that students must pay fees is the result of political decisions taken by the government, not universities. Maybe if you understood where the gravy train actually is located, you might be better equipped to complain about your rights.

[sangie5952]

I am sure they will find another mentor. You probably won't be the only person with skills on the books.