Sent home from agancy shift- pissed off.

[Buffaloskull]

Can anyone tell me what will happen here. I'm really annoyed, this happned this morning and I'm still stewing over it 😆

I work for a care agancy, got booked in for a shift today, have been sent confirmation email and it's on my online rota etc.

Get up at 6am, get ready, wake 6yo dd to take to her dads at 7am and drive to job (get there at 8am) sat down with someone and had a chat about the job, I was really looking forward to it. Theres a knock at the door and two other women come in, confusion from the woman I was speaking too and she checked on their rota and the company had double booked, apparently they had done it yesterday too. So I had to go home.

I rang on call and asked what I should do but she just said as it wasnt her who booked the shift she would have to wait until monday to speak to the person who had signed me up for it. I asked if I would still get paid and she said it would "depend on who's at fault". From what I can tell the fault lies with the company who had booked me through the agancy.

Now I'm sitting here stressed. It was a 24 hour shift (with a sleep in) and I needed the money, not to mention waking up at 6am on a Saturday morning, getting my dd to her dads then driving the 60 miles there and back just to be told to go home.
Also, I was getting asked to cover various other shifts this weekend at a place I've been before but I turned them down as I was booked in for this one, now I have no work.

I'm worried they're just going to say tough shit, you don't get paid for hours you didnt work.

I'm not expecting to be paid for the whole shift but will be so pissed off if I get nothing for a day wasted.

I have looked at my handbook (still havent received a contract. ) but there nothing in that about things like this happening.

[SteveyFluff]

Your employer has to give reasonable notice of a cancelled shift. Regardless of whose fault it was, they failed to give notice and you turned up, therefore you need to be paid. The agency and the company can argue between themselves about who’s to blame.

[GreyhoundG1rl]

Depends on who's at fault
Under no circumstances would this be you. Insist on being paid.

[Babysharkdododont]

The agency need you Much more than you need them, good carers are so hard to come by, and you'll be making them a fuck load of money.
Tell them you need paying or your P45, I'd bet my mortgage they'll pay you.

[Cowbells]

@Babysharkdododont

The agency need you Much more than you need them, good carers are so hard to come by, and you'll be making them a fuck load of money.
Tell them you need paying or your P45, I'd bet my mortgage they'll pay you.

This. ^^ Don't let them bully you. You are owed the money. I hope they pay petrol or a travel allowance too.

[Buffaloskull]

Thanks for the replies.

So I'm actually owed the money for the whole shift then?
I'm not sure how it works, apparently it was the lady from head office (from the company I was booked for, not my agency) who has done it, she did the same thing yesterday apparently and someone else got sent home.
This is the first agancy I've worked for but I'm pretty sure in the past if we ever hired an agancy worker and cancelled within 24 hours we still had to pay them? I really dont know.. I'm sure that's what happened though.

God even if they cancelled last night it would be better.. not all that effort to get pack up, drop dd off, drive there and then back home again all for nothing.. even if they said they would pay mileage it wouldn't feel enough for the time wasted and disappointment. (Although I know "disappointment" wont hold up but it's still a massive shit thing to happen and I hope they realise this..)

[GreyhoundG1rl]

So I'm actually owed the money for the whole shift then?
Definitely. You've kept the time free on the understanding that you were required to work.

[SteveyFluff]

Imagine you had booked your child into childcare for the day so you could go to work. Then they cancelled your shift. You’d still have to pay for the childcare. You’ve also still paid transport there and back. So yes, they need to cover your expenses by paying you.

[itslategotosleep]

I’m a care manager and work with agencies regularly.
Obviously there are individual policies but if it was the fault of the care company/person who needed the staff member (e.g maybe 2 different managers did the same job and ended up with 2 staff being booked for the same shift) then they will pay, absolutely no issue, I’ve had to do it before when my deputy had decided to ‘help’.
If not and it was the agencies fault, your agency should pay you the fee.
This is something that happens pretty often with agencies and always gets resolved.
IME the carer who was sent home was usually happy as they knew they would get paid regardless. Still rubbish for you though. Hope you get it sorted.

[Bagelsandbrie]

They should absolutely pay you.

[TeddingtonTrashbag]

This happened to me when I worked in teaching supply and the agency made the client pay and the agency paid me. Check your contract with the agency. If they don’t pay then move to other agencies, or better still, direct work.

[Buffaloskull]

Ah ok thanks all. I feel better now.

I was imagining there would be some sort of loop hole that they would use to get out of paying me "you dont get paid for hours you dont work" kind of thing.

But I suppose, if the company dont pay ME then they dont pay the agency and I'll bet they fight tooth and nail to he paid if the fault lies with the care company 🤣

First time this has happened so I'm not sure of the way it works.

I was really looking forward to the shift too and all smung at how organised I was this morning to get there 😆 now I've just been at a loose end all day, no plans, dd with dad, now worrying about money.

Hopefully I will get paid and if it happens again I can be happy about it rather than stressed and pissed off haha.

[Buffaloskull]

*smug