Why do we accept having no breaks at work

Honestly I’d change care homes / go independent. I work in a small care home with only 26 residents two days a week. All staff get paid tea break and paid lunch break or other meals as appropriate, free meals on shift chosen from residents menu. Soup/ sandwich, salad or a hot meal. Not allowed to leave premises for breaks as still being paid but that seems fair. Some places run only on the goodwill of their staff. Your employers are taking advantage. Move on.

I really feel for you. I used to do care work, I'd get 30 mins for lunch and 15 mins for break in evening. There was no staffroom so you'd have to sit in the lounge/diner with the residents who had dementia constantly coming over to you. You were not allowed to leave the site despite it being an unpaid break. I used to go and sit in my car just to get some peace.

So glad i left and earn waaayyy more now for far less stress.

Thank the baby boomers, their destruction of employment rights, the unions who did nothing, and the way anyone who said anything was sent on change management courses and it was made very clear they were viewed as trouble makers. I don’t get a break either and it’s shit.

I’d quit, and make it really clear in your resignation letter why. As in literally write that you will be looking for a career that better supports a work/life balance and allows for proper breaks during the working day.

I used to work in care. Moved to retail work now, earn the same money and do way way less, and absolutely no stress at all.

You need a conversation with the home owners about the fact that they are currently breaking the law and they need to remedy it immediately. Also, how difficult can it be for them to sort out keypad entry systems, protected mealtimes and a system which tells you which door it is that a resident has tried to get out of?

I know it's not easy for them to recruit staff, but the converse of that is that it would be very easy for you to get another job. Your employers need to be aware of that.

Agreed. If you can't feel you can tell them whilst working there please let them know everything you've said here when you leave.

I worked for 2 years in a care home and then out on community care.

It broke me. And it's not until you get a decent job that you realise how shit is actually is. I'm type 2 diabetic and it was making me really unwell to keep going so long in between eating, and it didn't matter how many times I explained that I needed a 15 minute break every 6 hours. I often ate breakfast at 7am and then didn't get a break until 4.30pm - it was too much.

Before I started working for the NHS I couldn't understand why the working week was 37.5 hours rather than 35. Then I discovered the 30 minute lunch break. Previously I'd always had an hour (unpaid).
30 minutes isn't enough time to do anything except bolt some food

I think there are some sectors where this is just accepted.

Education is similar.

In my last role (school management) I didn’t take a single break in my 11-hour day at school. I’d eat my lunch standing in the playground on duty and that would be abandoned if there was a fight or a discipline issue or something else that needed my attention.

And then I’d commute home and start more (unpaid!) work after dinner.

I burnt out eventually and had to leave schools for a different sector.

You are working unpaid to make the care home owners a massive profit.

This is shocking and so wrong.

You need to report this to the CQC, as your management team is clearly not up to scratch.

Your home needs a visit from CQC . 2carers looking after 37 residents is dangerous ! Are there RNs on duty as well ?

30 residents isn't that small. We have 30 residents and I worked yesterday we had 8 carers and 2 nurses in the morning 9 carers after 4pm. Night shift had 4 carers and one nurse

I can't speak to care but it's the same for catering you don't get paid for breaks but are rarely quiet enough to take them.

Yanbu. This is partly why I stick to office work where I always get a break and a 30 min walk at lunch.

We don’t accept it. You accept it by continuing to prop up the system. You’re not exempt from the 11 hours rule. Educate yourself and go elsewhere. You’re being taken for a ride but you can say no! It’s not your problem to solve and as a PP said, your employer is likely breaking the rules around NMW.

@Willmafrockfit sadly you are very mistaken! This problem is universal across health and social care sectors regardless of government. Funded or independently run.
Nothing to do with how well they are run, there is not enough staff to be able to safely take breaks.
Not enough staff because the pay is appalling and roles not valued or respected by society or government.

I genuinely don’t know why carers put up with this ! I work in a care home that is well staffed ,we get paid for hour breaks and if we are late off duty we claim the time on our timesheets. Manager treats all staff in a respectful way ,always puts a thank you on our group chat if we have had an arduous day.
Happy staff = happy well cared for residents!

I get frustrated with my work as we’re not paid for our breaks unless we’re on duty where we get paid an entire £1.75 to spend only at the canteen.
But because it’s a unit for children with SEND there has to be a certain ratio of staff to children which means we’re not allowed to leave or be too far away and have to work every break anyway.

Fortunately, we often get to eat our lunch and use the toilet etc as there are lots of staff and we all support each other in doing so.

I would not put up with what you do.
You need a proper break.
I would not want someone caring for my relatives who hasn’t had a decent break.

I would definitely start looking for other jobs.

can you work for social services run home, or nhs?
i believe they will be better managed let alone better paid and valued

The 'opt-out' for the WTR is an opt-out on the 48-hour weekly working hours, it is not an opt-out for the eleven hour gap, the twenty minute rest break, etc. (A previous poster mentioned being told to sign the opt-out).

Who told you you're exempt from the eleven hour gap?

I would do something else if I were you. Such an amazing thing you're doing but it's it worth running yourself ragged for the peanuts you're paid. You'd be paid more than minimum wage in many supermarkets and also get breaks.

And I can see we are staff asked for a double shifts to go on the rotor because we would off and pick up a shift to add to the one we were on if we were in already but management would not do this because if you called and said they had a double shift to cover

Days off rarely together as well and when I asked for a weekend off once to visit family in another part of the country they gave me a fucking waking night on the Friday night and Saturday and Sunday off I mean that's the level of respect you get in social care

Some jobs are worse than others. I'm a librarian. I sometimes have to work an extra 10/15 min past end of shift but not every day. Most days I finish on time. I also take 30 min break (unpaid. )