My partner’s colleagues are always off sick. Is it wrong to speak up?

November 6, 2026 — 5:12am

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My partner is a learning support assistant at a primary school. On any given day, about 20 per cent of rostered assistants are on sick or personal leave.

Although teachers on leave are replaced with relief teachers daily, assistants are not. My partner and other attending colleagues have to continuously cover the duties of absent colleagues. It’s not part of the school’s strategy to run on reduced staff – the day runs smoothly only if everyone is present. My partner is feeling fatigued with the constant extra duties, which they have been undertaking for a long while.

Since sick leave and personal leave are taboo subjects, and my partner would never raise or discuss it with colleagues, what are their avenues for discussing the issue with the school management without coming across as unwilling to do the extra work? What could the school even do about it?

Dr Meghan Stacey, an Associate Professor and ARC DECRA Fellow at the University of New South Wales, told me it’s no secret that schools, to a great extent, run on the goodwill of staff.

“Learning support staff,........

© The Sydney Morning Herald