Always on duty?

[Messie]

S'ok I'm not asking for advice (I'm quite clear on where I stand) but I am interested in other people's views.

Concerned citizen looking out for fellow citizens I have no problem with. It's the DUTY associated with the job you have that bugs me, and I guess the possible consquences of not doing it

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Of course they could become ill, and they will, it's generally known as getting pi**ed and throwing up, or a hangover. How else will you learn these things?

If you see a student in a pub and report them, they'll just move elsewhere and it will be an inconvenience. And rather than a quiet, sociable pint and a few games of pool, as we used to do after school. They will go somewhere quiet and sup a bottle of vodka apiece.

Drinking in a proper pub there's a landlord there to tell you to go home because you've had enough. Drinking down the park etc. then there is nothing like that.

When I went to uni I will admit to getting in the odd state of being completely and utterly mangled by drinking several months worth of recommended alcohol intake at one sitting. However I had an aim to do this and it was a serious rarity. The (mostly southern/posh) lot who had not had the advantage of drinking since age 13 would end up like that accidentally and put themselves into silly situations. Maybe because of lack of experience, more because of the "woohoo, freedom" thing.

I quite agree, the posh boys who have just started drinking now, they're terrible.. Thought they could drink as they had a glass of wine with meals on a rare Sunday.
God help them when they get to uni.

For an underager, I can keep up reasonably well, just can't hack the pace of the lads on a Saturday night Thats unreal..

I don't think ANYONE should have to be on duty or carry any (legal) responsibility outside of their job's working hours. They're paid to work at the time they work and no other.

However I think in many situations there is the moral responsibility to do or say something. And sometimes people want to do something even if there is no moral responsibility. But, it is completely separate to the job and at the end of the day - crucially - not legally mandatory.

[Red Herring]

I think it would be dangerous and unhelpful to try and determine a specific line as to when and when not a professional person should elect to put themselves at work. I think part of the responsibility of holding such a position includes being able to determine such things for yourself.
I do know of a senior police officer who sent a memo around his force aimed at officers who attended some of the various biker haunts around the county. He basically told them that they have a responsibility to act and prevent any dangerous or disorderly behaviour (wheelies/doughnuts and such like) and if they didn't, and it was subsequently shown that they were there, they would be subject to discipline. Needless to say he got short change and put back in his box in no uncertain terms.

[gruntygiggles]

YC and ArtyLady, I agree with you both...lol. I would also get pretty mad with someone telling me I couldn't drive my vehicle.....I must have not written clearly. What I mean is I think if I go to kwikfit and they notice as I'm driving off that my petrol tank is about to fall off...they have a duty to tell me. What I then do is up to me. BUT.....if they don't tell me and I am then in a nasty accident, but it could be proven that they knew of the fault and didn't make me aware....they COULD possibly carry some responsibility. I don't know the law, but you can be convicted for knowing about a crime and not reporting it so it's not that hard to imagine I guess.

If someone refused to give me back my keys though.....I'd report them for theft and impersonating a police officer......please tell me if there's something dangerously wrong with my car.....but don't withold it from me!!!

Originally Posted by Messie

Jackie Black - what's a tekka? And your last comment doen't make sense - are we or arn't we off duty for 13 weeks of the year?

But I don't want this to be specific to teachers

A tekka is a teacher (northernism) and we are off duty for at least 13 weeks of the year. My writing is crap as i'm a technology/woodwork/electronics teacher. Oh and as YC said before if kids from school were in a pub with their parents, it would cease to be my problem

I'm a solicitor. You'd be amazed how many clients I meet in Sainsbos who want to discuss their file in the middle of a crowded shop. This of course gives me the ideal excuse - 'it isn't very confidential here, can you call me at work' as no I don't want to discuss their file when I really want to buy a package of ham.

As a brief, I'm supposed to uphold certain standards. So if I got done for anything other than a minor driving offence then I could be hauled before the Disciplinary Tribunal. If I was convicted of dishonesty of any sort - or any form of violence - whether related to work or not - I'd be struck off. If I was made bankrupt my practising certificate would be automatically suspended as I couldn't be trusted with client money. Similarly, failure to reconcile my client account not less frequently than once every 35 days is a hanging offence, and if there is a shortfall I'm personally liable to pay it. And if my business went bust then failing to pay suppliers is not simply a credit risk for them, it's bringing the profession into disrepute.

[Shellywoozle]

As a Police Officer I am always on duty. If an incident occured when I was off duty that you would expect to require Police Assistance or medical assitance etc then I would not be acting repsonsibly in my position if I did not act in one way or another.

I would have to assess the situation and either deal with it and identify myself or call my colleagues and remain as a professional witness. I would do the later if identifying myself would put myself or others safety in jeopardy. I would not have back up or my personal safety equipment and in some instances I would not go wading in without calling it in.

Few examples - at Oulton Park few years ago someone in the campsite was having a fit, I waded in and helped like most people would, I culd not have walked passed hoping someone else knew what to do when everyone was panicking/.

On way out in a taxi me and a mate (copper too) came across a drunk driver, we hijacked the taxi for almost an hour and dealt with it, getting the car keys from driver and calling for patrol with breath kit.

But my latest thread is an exception to me as I have to consider my private life. I cannot ignore ped boy as the neighbours are affected but I am relying on colleagues to deal with it in a way that I am not identified. All dealt with now folks btw.

Sure many professions are the same, nurses especially.

There's a responsibility to uphold and a line to be drawn and everyone needs time off.

I'd say you are off-duty outside of work hours, until such time as you find yourself in a circumstance whereby you may need to come back on-duty for a short time.

It has to be a common sense thing, a superior telling you specifically when you should be on-duty outside of your working hours is not acceptable in my view, that's an intrusion into your private time, but an employer expecting you to use your discretion and put yourself on-duty as and when you see fit is normal.

I'm not in public service but if my phone rings for work on a Sunday I'm expected to make a judgement on whether or not it needs my involvement and act accordingly. I have left shopping trips, social events, etc early in order to get home to my laptop. My friends and family understand that it's part of my job.

[Spiderman]

Teacers always on duty? Only if you like to be hated. The best teachers i had and respect where the ones who treated me like an adult when i chose to act like one. I bunked off school when i was 15 and snuck to the local pub with a couple of mates. I was first in the door and spotted by a teacher who was in there and called my name. My mates pegged it but i'd been seen so what was the point in running and being childish? I;'m a firm believer of taking my medicin when i get caught doing something like that.
I went over to him and he said "i know you're too young to buy alcohol so let me buy you a pint while you tell me why you're bunking off" I had far, far more respect for him as a person and a teacher after that. And kept it to myself too. I never told those mates what came to pass, they just assumed i'd got into a lot of trouble and they were lucky they got away.