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Employers expecting you to give your life up

35 replies

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 11:34

I interviewed for a domiciliary care position, which I have previously done on a 0 hours contract. This one offers guaranteed hours which sounded good, but after interview I've found out they expect you to be available 7am-10pm 5 days a week to meet this.

As I say I've worked in the industry before and know how it works, but I was never expected to work 5 evenings per week. In my old company I agreed certain evenings, certain mornings and afternoons etc. And I could be called to do overtime but it wasn't compulsory.

It'll be split shifts with a gap in the afternoon. They've said care staff need to provide this essentially 75-hour availability window in order to get the guaranteed hours? I think I'm going to have to decline, it's not fair to my relationship and I have pets who need feeding/letting out in the afternoons, it's not fair on them either.

Would any other industry ask this? Maybe I'm being unreasonable but they're essentially asking care staff to give up any sort of flexibility or freedom.

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DeftGoldHedgehog · 15/07/2026 14:25

I would report them to the CQC. If this is what they expect of staff, how will those staff tend to the residents properly?

DeftGoldHedgehog · 15/07/2026 14:23

MrsPinkSky · 15/07/2026 11:38

There are all sorts of jobs in different industries with crazy hours, but they suit some people well.

This doesn't suit you that's all.

This doesn't suit anyone at all other than someone extremely vulnerable absolutely desperate for work and wiling to do anything.

Musicaltheatremum · 15/07/2026 14:22

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 12:59

Thank you. I've declined the role, I can just see it being a nightmare having any sort of life outside of it. It's a shame really.

It is. And they wonder why staff leave. We need people like you but the whole care set up needs overhauling

Platypusdiver · 15/07/2026 14:18

Dh as a chef used to do this when working at a hotel. He used to cycle home during the break and sleep. His head chef used to take a taxi home and drink! Weekends were expected too. In fact, he never got 2 consective days off.

Really explotative. Obviously the staff turnover was huge.

Shinyandnew1 · 15/07/2026 13:58

That’s really crappy work hours. I would say I’m writing when I decline the job that split shifts allow no work life balance and you would be happy to work a mix of earlier or late shifts but having time off in the middle of the day does not work for you.

Hopefully if enough people are specific about why they decline, it will eventually sink in!

12234m · 15/07/2026 13:54

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 13:29

That's interesting, it may be the same, did you end up having to work a lot of full days?

No as I made my availability very clear but they still tried to push it. I know of some doing 7am-10pm but it's 2-3 hours off in the middle of the day. She became very ill.

Friendlygingercat · 15/07/2026 13:43

I was once asked to do split shifts and absolutely declined. Thats 4 lots of commuting time (as opposed to two) and not offering me time off when its useful to me.

It might be different if you were living in and there was no travelling time involved. I can understand that live in nannies and carers may have to do this.

StormGazing · 15/07/2026 13:38

Jesus! No way! I’m lucky as I’ve had an academic career in research, that’s bad enough having to mark some evenings/conferences/ fitting in extra work for lectures but that’s very different to 75 hours every week - I’d rather stack shelves!

CypressMoon · 15/07/2026 13:35

It's ridiculous that they ask this wehen there is such a shortage of reliable, experienced care staff.

It might be worth saying due to family commitments, you can only do specified hours (and include one or two night shifts in that.) They can take it or leave it.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 15/07/2026 13:33

This is precisely why I won't do this - you can't relax with a nice glass of wine after a hard day, because your time is not your own, but unlike an on-call surgeon, you will be doing this for minimum wage.
F that.

LondonKara · 15/07/2026 13:33

MrsPinkSky · 15/07/2026 11:38

There are all sorts of jobs in different industries with crazy hours, but they suit some people well.

This doesn't suit you that's all.

But the wider problem here is that these hours suit virtually no one, so the posts cannot be recruited to and instead they rely on overseas work visas to fill them.

It's not like most jobs where there's someone out there who will accept tricky shifts. It's literally not possible to recruit anyone for these roles.

randomchap · 15/07/2026 13:32

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 13:25

I think this 11-hour thing goes out the window in care- I used to finish at 10pm and be back in for 7 which was tough.

Which is illegal. However the companies don't care

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 13:29

12234m · 15/07/2026 13:27

This sounds very much like the company I've just left. So so similar.

That's interesting, it may be the same, did you end up having to work a lot of full days?

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12234m · 15/07/2026 13:27

This sounds very much like the company I've just left. So so similar.

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 13:25

Lunde · 15/07/2026 13:20

Split shifts really suck as it is hard to do anything in the few hours off in the middle.

DD2's friend quit care work because of this - she got a job as a hospital cleaner with fixed hours instead. I did know a couple of students who were OK with it as a weekend job.

How do they roster it to ensure you get 11 hours between shifts?

I think this 11-hour thing goes out the window in care- I used to finish at 10pm and be back in for 7 which was tough.

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Lunde · 15/07/2026 13:20

Split shifts really suck as it is hard to do anything in the few hours off in the middle.

DD2's friend quit care work because of this - she got a job as a hospital cleaner with fixed hours instead. I did know a couple of students who were OK with it as a weekend job.

How do they roster it to ensure you get 11 hours between shifts?

TheAmberKoala · 15/07/2026 13:19

MrsPinkSky · 15/07/2026 11:38

There are all sorts of jobs in different industries with crazy hours, but they suit some people well.

This doesn't suit you that's all.

Care industry is notorious for exploiting workers though.

BusMumsHoliday · 15/07/2026 13:19

My DB was a carer for a long time and the split shifts were one thing that contributed to him leaving. It was impossible to have any kind of life when you were working in the early evenings five days a week. I appreciate that's when people need care - evening meals and getting ready for bed - but it's awful for staff.

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 13:15

I've worked every weekend and all evenings before and it's brutal, you feel like you miss out on a lot and always worrying about getting time off for things.

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Crushed23 · 15/07/2026 13:11

I’m completely over giving my life to work. I’ve been doing it for close to 15 years and I’m DONE. Currently trying to pivot to an internal role with more stable hours. May need to take a pay cut but at this point I don’t care. I want my evenings and weekends back.

Just remember your employer gives not one fuck about you and your wellbeing. It’s on you to have boundaries and protect yourself from being exploited.

Gardenandseawitch · 15/07/2026 13:10

This is the type of organisation that will then complain that they can't fill their carer vacancies...

Well done OP for avoiding them.

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 12:59

Thank you. I've declined the role, I can just see it being a nightmare having any sort of life outside of it. It's a shame really.

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randomchap · 15/07/2026 12:03

If they want you to be available those times then they need to be paying you for that time.

You can't say to someone that they have to do what you want, in this case be available, without paying you for it

It's exploitative

Monty36 · 15/07/2026 11:59

Employers wonder why they cannot get staff.

3cats00 · 15/07/2026 11:52

Agree it would suit some people, but they'd have much better turnover of staff if they showed a bit more flexibility? I used to work with a lady who did 7-4 each day, and another lady who did 4-10 only, that was it, as the employer also worked around them.
Sadly that one was a 0 hours contract though.

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