People who can’t drive

[Frangipani2]

I work in day nursery and we all do shift work, we take it in turn with the different start and finish times. There’s one girl
who doesn’t drive and doesn’t live in same direction as anyone to share lifts. Regardless of what time she starts she finishes in time for bus. My issue is that means I usually end up
having to stay an extra 30/45mins to cover to ensure we stay in numbers.
this usually falls to me and the other girl that works in the same age group.
i understand that it’s good she is working but I am filling pretty annoyed that i usually end up working till the later shift just because she can’t drive it’s like I am been penalised for her not having a life skill.

rant over

Are you paid extra for the overtime? If so then she's missing out. If not then you all need to talk to your employer and explain that you won't be doing it unless paid.

Her argument is if she leaves any later the next bus doesn’t get her home till 8pm (last shift finish’s at 6pm) also that is the last bus so if it missed she would be stuck

hahahahaha. I choose to live at the arse end of the back of beyond, and when i worked in the nearest city i had to get up at 5:30 to get the 6am train for an 8am start, and then got home at 8pm every night, or later, for years.

She has made her choice, so find your voice and tell management that you won't always cover. And point out that since you all give her the courtesy of filling in when she leaves, she doesn't get the option of leaving earlier. Ever.

How easy is it to get a job? Look for one where you won't be taken advantage of.

How did you afford those lessons, plus theory test fees, test fee, car rental for the test and a car, tax, insurance, MOT, parking permit and petrol on NMW along with rent, council tax, bills and everything else?

Or were you a) living at home b) living with a partner on good money or c) earning far more money/not having to spend so much of your income on bills?

Are you getting a fair range of the shifts? If not, you need to raise it with your manager. A co worker’s transport issues is not your concern

@NeverDropYourMooncup i was living at home with parents at the time like she is now. While cost lessons etc has increased so has NMW

Tell your manager you’re not covering the time. Why on earth would you? It’s nothing to do with the friend or the bus, it’s a cheeky manager who is taking advantage

So she's not rushing fur the last bus ... she's skiving for the last bus that gets her home at a time that is convenient to her, to the detriment of other staff?

I stand by what I said upthread. She needs to get the later bus a couple of times a week. If she issues it, then Uber to home/town centre/somewhere more convenient to get home from.

I had a year of not driving because of medical stuff. My workplace was a 20 mins drive or an hour's bus ride with a change of bus, and I went out to clients from there. I either got to work stupidly early or left very late.
Your colleague is taking advantage. It sounds as though they're not actually working all their contracted hours. It's for management to sort out though.

Thank you for the replies it’s good to know others can see this from my point of view. I have previously raised this with management but they are reluctant to change/challenge this too much as we are short staffed (adverts are out for more staff) but if she was to leave we would all be working even more hours to cover. They say they are aware but there’s nothing they can really do as we need her in numbers but will easier when we have more staff.

Stop focusing on the girl. If you have a problem with your hours then talk to management.

Well they’ll struggle even more without you there so don’t worry about that. They’ll want to keep you above the person who leaves early

I find it so useful to drive. Others have all sorts of reasons why they can’t.

My Mother never learnt. Said she didn’t need to but it didn’t stop her when I learnt when I was still living at home giving me lists of driving tasks. Picking up my sister from her shift, wanting me to drive here and there. Even in her last years she was telling me as I was driving her that she always thought it was pointless to drive/learn to drive and she used to walk everywhere. When she repeated this for the 4th time I pointed out if I didn’t know how to drive she wouldn’t be doing what she was doing.

She genuinely didn’t understand. Some people look expectantly at you as a non driver and quite honestly I think they convince themselves that as I am sort of going that way what’s the difference? Cluless!

This! She is legally an adult and sounds as though she could complete her late shift in time but it’s just that she wouldn’t get home until 8pm. Also if she missed the last bus she’d be stuck. Well firstly she took the job on knowing these times and also what’s the realistic chance of her missing the last bus. Finally even if she did, then she would have to on that I assume rare occasion get a taxi. In the interim she saves for driving lessons/a car.

That said, it makes sense that someone would ask for those easements. However it’s just p really just very poor management from your workplace to allow them routinely so creating additional pressure on the other staff.

so, OP, back to the advice to tell everyone that on X, Y, and Z days you will need to leave your shift spot on time, no quibbling, because of something you have to do. You don't need to specify anything, it is not of their concern.

(easier in my job: when it was like this at a place i worked - office - i used to go to work in my best suit and make sure i left on time a few times. They were panicking i was going to interviews and stopped pressuring me to take on more work and made the others step up too. But i never said i was going to interviews, just wore a suit and left spot on time)

I think your attitude is a bit discriminatory OP. Being able to drive is not a skill your colleague needs to do her job.

I gave up driving years ago because I didn't enjoy it and I don't think it's environmentally sustainable for there to be so many drivers. Where I work, people who live out of town can apply for a parking permit but those who live in the city or suburbs cannot unless disabled etc.

ignoring the fact that this woman is swanning off not doing her actual job fully, leaving it to others.

Yeah.

They need to pay you for the overtime you're doing. I'd raise that with them.

It sounds like they've agreed this arrangement with her. Are they paying her the full hours? I'd guess they're not. I think it's management who are taking advantage here, not your colleague.

Your employers are breaking the law by not paying you as normal for the extra hours. Time in lieu is bullshit.

It’s not ‘people who can’t drive’ that are the problem but people who take jobs without being able to manage the contracted hours, and managers who dump the extra work on their colleagues.