Reasonable Requests

[localzuk]

So in most of our contracts it has the usual 'any other reasonable request made by your line manager or the head teacher' or similar clause.

Now, what is 'reasonable' and what isn't?

For example, if someone were asked to go and wait at a gate, every morning, for a bus to collect something to take to another school, would this be 'reasonable'? (With no short time scale or anything, just an extra task)

Or is it how I think it is, a reasonable request would be something like filling in for someone who is off ill for a day and the school is short staffed? Or doing the waiting for a bus thing for one day or some short-term period of time?

Surely 'reasonable request' doesn't mean 'anything which your boss says'?

It does appear that the latter is what some managers seem to think it means...

[yabbadabba]

I dont mind most requests as long as people understand I work 10 hours a week for the school and thats it.
So if I go in 3 days a week and spend 1/2 an hour each day waiting for the bus that would leave 8 1/2 hours for IT specific tasks.
The other point is too make sure the person giving you said reasonable tasks is happy to answer to his/her manager when the network has just gone down, you have already done your reasonable amount of overtime and are walking out of the building

[witch]

If you are a techie, and that is your job description, then 'reasonable' would either be something IT related, or something not IT related that was short-term to get someone out of a hole - in the spirit of team work.
It is not reasonable to expect a techie to take on a long-term job that was not related to the rest of his work.

I have questioned this in the past, and the above is the answer I got

[SSFC]

I would tend to agree with you, a reasonable request IMHO would be one that is either short term but not necessarily linked with your primary job function, of one that would be but more permanent but is related to the job you are employed to do. There are of course times when a request will be asked that might not be either of these, guess in this case its up to you to decide if to say NO and argue your case or to just get on with it.

[Pete10141748]

A reasonable request is any request that you can be bothered doing

Really though, if you're a Tech then it should be IT-related, or something very small such as helping out with playground duty or lunchtime supervision, on the understanding that any of the other actual playgound/lunch supervisors will be dealing with any problems reported by you to them.

If you're the IT/Network Manager, then I guess you could reasonably be asked to do more seeing as how you are (in theory, anyway) in poition of higher authority.

[elsiegee40]

The last two weeks have been full of 'reasonable requests' for all the staff.
Our caretaker is on jury service...

The bursar and I have trained as school crossing patrols and I have been throwing myself in front of cars every other morning... the alternative is leaf-sweeping on the steep slope to the other buildings!

I did an extra lollipop shift today as the bursar was unblocking a loo... the secretary swept leaves!

I guess it's short term so everyone is mucking in.

As for a definition, I think it's up to the individual and the circumstances. Any long-term reasonable requests need to be negotiated though as I think they should be added to your job description

[SteveBentley]

For example, if someone were asked to go and wait at a gate, every morning, for a bus to collect something to take to another school, would this be 'reasonable'? (With no short time scale or anything, just an extra task)

If it's every day, then I'd be arguing that that is a substantive duty and should be on your job description. Reasonable tasks should be for things which are unforseen short term measures to dig the place out of a hole.

[torledo]

I did an extra lollipop shift today as the bursar was unblocking a loo... the secretary swept leaves!

that all sounds very swiss family robinson.....lovely.

[plexer]

I'll see if I've still got the response to this one from our hr department tomorrow.

It has to be related to your skills and position though.

Ben

[Sirbendy]

What about driving out to management's homes, sorting out the management teams home wifi? Arranging staffs home ISP? Ordering staff broadband equipment? Being at home to calls at 7pm on a sunday about it?

No? Damn.

Or..showing them how to work their car? No? Or maybe the site manager being asked to take the car in question into a local garage because it's making funny noises?

hmm.

All fun here..

[CyberNerd]

sounds like an interesting use of taxpayers money

[penfold]

I think witch's answer pretty much sums it up. And apparently if you do something for over 12 months it becomes accepted as your normal roles and respsonsibilities. If it is every day then it should be part of your job description.