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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBu To think I can’t just walk out of hospital to suit my employer

209 replies

Blueberrydreams · 05/11/2019 23:42

I am a carer
We are a small team of 4 caring for one lady. Her family employ us. One member of staff left six months ago and they decided not to replace her and they have no bank staff even thought it’s been recommended to them on many occasions by the agency that takes care of all the HR. She needs someone 24/7 though a day a week that is family members the staff all work around 40 hours a week.
One of the staff is on long term sick and we have been really stretched and struggling. again no move to get bank staff.

I was admitted to hospital 2 weeks ago with a bad infection. I thought I was better and went back to work last night.

The sister of the lady said how they had struggled to cope without me last week and she nearly had a breakdown.
Anyway fast forward to tonight and about 4pm collapsed in pain and am now in hospital on antibiotic drip and morphine pump.

My partner rang the sister and told her I would not be for night shift and why. The sister was lovely with my partner but then sent me a text saying I needed to come in later in the night once the hospital had controlled my pain as I am needed and she wants me in 6am at the latest to help with the morning routine
I am currently on a ward in immense pain, weeing blood and just want to ignore it or text something back rude

OP posts:
TheTrollFairy · 06/11/2019 09:29

@GCAcademic that’s awful!!

LemonPrism · 06/11/2019 09:32

Sounds a weird job set up, they'd be better off hiring from an agency as paying for someone in long term sick and lots of incidents sounds insane for the family who just need carers

Willow2017 · 06/11/2019 09:32

you need to be fair to her and give a date of return, be it in one week or 3 days, imo

Don't be daft how the hell does op know when she will be able to go back to work?
She is on morphine and antibiotics and pissing blood!
Do you have a crystal ball to lend her?

OP tell her you are not having any visitors as you are too ill so do not ask again.
Tell ward staff she is harassing you and plans to visit but you do not give her consent and to block her at the door. What a bloody cheek she has she doesn't give a fig just wants to try to guilt trip you to go to work how utterly mean and selfish.

Get your dp to tell her the same --and give her a piece if his mind while he is at it about harrassing you while you are ill and she must not contact you again. You will contact her when you are better. And tell her you will be taking it further if it continues.

TiceCream · 06/11/2019 09:32

Block her. When you’re better you need to get a solicitor and sue because her behaviour is against employment law.

WellThisIsShit · 06/11/2019 09:35

I hope your partner has been able to reply to your employers messages, to set a boundary and squash any more encroaching on her behalf.

You need to concentrate on yourself right now, not be worrying and feeling vulnerable about being intruded upon by a rogue employer.

Btw I employ carers for myself, as I’m disabled and ill myself, and I try and treat my employees/ team very well as good carers are gold dust!

They have very good employment contracts, which give clear direction on sickness communication, including sick pay and a request to phone or message me by 7am on the day, not later.
I’ve learnt to insist on this as people do try to struggle on, being very committed, and hoping to miraculously feel better and come in after all, and then not being well enough, and inadvertently ending up leaving me no time to make other arrangements.

Over the years I’ve often had to decide that an ill carer will be ill the next day / for the rest of the week and find alternative arrangements, even if the carer themselves isn’t capable of telling me themselves. People do tend to think they’ll be better tomorrow when they really won’t be! I’ve come to realise that it’s a sign of being really poorly, that you just can’t estimate your own illness and recovery as well as usual. I’m not talking about a sniffle of course, but something that knocks you flat.

I’ve also found that people are rather relieved when you sometimes end up taking it out of their hands and say ‘look, you’re clearly really poorly so I’m not expecting you to even think about work for x days, so please tell me how you’re doing but only because I’m concerned, not because I’m expecting you to even talk about work until x day’... there’s nothing worse than feeling awful and panicking about work at the same time.

Sooooo, I’ve learnt to be strong on sick policy, because my rather brilliant carers tend to be too committed. And even if I am feeling rather desperate about how I’m going to cover them, it always works out, mainly because you build up people you can ask over time if you treat everyone with respect as you go along, instead of using them up until they are wrung out like a dish cloth and have to run away from you!!!

Respect breeds respect, and I find that a sign of everything working well is when my carers are committed and caring about coming into work when they are ill, and I’m the one caring about them and ensuring they are not overdoing it.

If you have a situation where that’s flipped, and the employers is forcing carers in and making out like they are not committed enough... there’s something gone very wrong.

Chasing you down in your hospital bed?! I think that says it all!

Gazelda · 06/11/2019 09:39

OP, I hope you're feeling more comfortable today.

It seems as though your employer has no care or respect for you. There are plenty of other families out there, or care agencies, that would appreciate and value you working for them.

You owe money loyalty to this family. I'd resign if i were you. Do it on writing with a clear and factual reason why you're leaving.

BigChocFrenzy · 06/11/2019 09:46

"This was not in a contact we have signed it was sent in a email afterwards and told this is how most care jobs work"

It wouldn't be in a contract because it would be against your legal employment rights

You are only required to notify them of illness as soon as possible
The employer is required to find replacements; the sick staff are not

They sound like complete amateurs who aren't capable of managing their care budget
They reduced staff to save money, but that made the staff levels completely inadequate for the job

Don't resign - nothing to be gained and you are hopefully receiving sick pay as an employee

If you are employed by an agency, tell them you want different clients
If you are directly employed by the family, then tell them you will only be in when you are fit again and that you will resign if they don't stop pestering you

Lunafortheloveogod · 06/11/2019 09:53

She’s nuts, hand your notice in.. a job isn’t worth your health.

Care is the worst sector for this shit. I speak from experience, I had a manager call the hospital and demand to speak to me and only me even though my mother had told her I was out of it on oxygen and barely able to breathe. And again another manager years later told me there’s no way I didn’t plan a pregnancy or hg.. ah yes of course I wanted to vomit rings around myself! That’s exactly why I took the pill for all these years. She also insisted that heavily pregnant I still worked with violent service users because “you’re good with x” I still don’t think that merits x being aloud to kick n punch a pregnant woman for 13 hours a day.

I don’t know what sector I’ll go into once dc’s are older... but I know which one it won’t be.

Toddlerteaplease · 06/11/2019 09:57

There has been a couple of threads recently about someone in exactly the same situation a the OP. I really hope the other poster quit her job and that this poster tells them where to go. And that she gets better spins

Toddlerteaplease · 06/11/2019 09:57

*soon

Blueberrydreams · 06/11/2019 09:59

I don’t get any sick pay

OP posts:
LannisterLion1 · 06/11/2019 09:59

Speak to your company. She is harassing you. Offer to send all messages once well but make it clear you won't be contracted to this person again.

Give dh your phone or block her.

Span1elsRock · 06/11/2019 10:13

I've worked in care OP and don't anymore for this very reason.

A family have got a relative that requires 24/7 care, they are presumably trying to manage this at home. They need a team of 4, that is now down to a team of 1.

That's on them, lovely, not you. They've let this mess happen, so you send a message back saying you will notify them as soon as you are able to return, and that they aren't to contact you any further as you are in hospital and too unwell.

They're in the shit because they've allowed it to happen. They will have to arrange respite or a care facility if they can't manage. Hope you feel better soon.

Cuttingthegrass · 06/11/2019 10:18

Sometimes it seems it was easier when you couldn’t use Mobile phone so in hospital as this situation wouldn’t have arisen.

You need to speak to the agency who manage the HR and request they tell her all communication goes through them. I would contact the CQC as thy are ignoring advice from HR about use of bank staff... this doesn’t appear to be in the interests of the person requiring care if those providing are covering extra shifts (you say one left and one on long term sick).

Her behaviour towards you is bullying and harassment.

Hope you feel better soon and they get your pain under control

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 06/11/2019 10:27

Already lots of good advice, I'd agree with pps to get your DP to do all the communicating from now on with the employer, the Nurses not to admit her, and the agency and to keep screenshots of all communications.
You need your rest and not to have to worry about it.
What a way for that employer to behave!!!
Get well soon x

MissMarpletheMurderer · 06/11/2019 10:35

If you are employed you get statutory sick pay. I'm never one for quitting jobs before another lined up but there are hundreds of carer jobs.

Youngatheart00 · 06/11/2019 10:41

I’m not an employment lawyer but if you quit over this I wouldn’t be surprised if the constant harassment amounted to constructive dismissal.

Berthatydfil · 06/11/2019 10:43

Are they getting direct funding from the local authority?
If so it may be worth reporting them. If the funding value is based on 4 carers and they are managing on 1 where is the rest of the money going?
Is the funding being used properly on the care of the person needing it?
Also the la assumes that the person with the funding will be a competent employer and not break employment law.

Happityhap · 06/11/2019 10:49

I don’t get any sick pay
You will get Statutory Sick Pay, based on your NI contributions.

Get DH to tell your employer to get stuffed, and also to contact the HR agency to let them know what's happening.
I expect they are the ones who will need to get your sick note, when you have one, rather than your vile employer.

ffswhatnext · 06/11/2019 10:51

Sometimes it seems it was easier when you couldn’t use Mobile phone so in hospital as this situation wouldn’t have arisen

Yes, it would.
Ridiculous woman calls hospital switchboard and asks what ward someone is on and to be connected.
Ward phone rings and the ridiculous woman asks to speak to the person.
The ridiculous woman now knows where the person is, no need to text and ask.
The op would have taken that first call because well firstly she's off her nut on morphine. And secondly, for all, she knew the call could have been to ask about her health as a normal employer would if they made contact.

How can I be certain?
I have been in hospital pre mobiles. My boundary-pushing arsehole did the above. Even with security involved the fucker wouldn't get the message. Had to change ward in the end.

Happityhap · 06/11/2019 10:52

You don't need all this crap.

Block the woman's number.

Get DH on the case to deal with her and with HR.

Rest and get well Flowers

cannycat20 · 06/11/2019 11:36

@Blueberrydreams you did make me laugh with the comment about the duck. Hospital wards are such incredibly noisy places. Hope you're feeling a bit better this morning; there's some good advice on here. (Hint - if you need a bit of peace and quiet and the nurses don't need to run any tests, and they'll let you off the ward, the chapel or quiet room is often the best place to head for.)

  1. You've definitely done the right thing in letting the ward staff know you don't want to see this individual should she come stomping in. Just make sure they handover that information when the next team come on shift, if you can. And ask who the Caldicott Guardian at the Trust is - this is the person responsible for ensuring confidentiality of patient information.
  1. I loved the suggestion about telling your ghastly employer you're on a different ward to the one you're on. I mean, you know, patients get moved round wards all the time anyway, so it's hardly beyond the realms of possibility. Never mind batshit crazy, isn't this (verging on) harassment, for her to tell you she's coming to see you?!
  1. You know, your mobile reception could suddenly get really bad, or your phone could run out of charge too....
  1. Good suggestions on contacting the CQC and local authority too.
  1. As someone else has said, there is always respite care; this is the kind of thing it's there for.
  1. When you're better, you can find out more about sick pay at www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay/how-to-claim
  1. Loving all the comments from people about asking the doctors to give you an exact date when you'll be fit for work - last time I looked, "crystal ball" wasn't in the NHS Supplies catalogue....I'm sure if it were, it would be one of the best selling items, but I gather even the ones you can buy in Glastonbury get a bit hazy on occasion. They're tricky to tune in, so I hear.

Sending you serious good wishes. (And your hubby sounds like a good 'un.) Flowers Flowers Flowers

Dramaofallama · 06/11/2019 12:20

I work in care also op and in a similar set up where I care for one to one patients but under a company/agency.

Firstly the 48hr sickness policy is bull! Never heard of such a thing in any job, let alone a care job so ignore that.

Secondly ignore the texts aswell, she is harrassing you and has no right to visit you at the hospital. Tell the nurses if you are worried she will turn up.

Is the client you care for self funded? Or paying through local authority/CHC? If they are paying through local authority/CHC then they may be worried that their funding will get reduced if they have less staff than being funded for. Regardless of this though, that is their fault and they should of had bank staff and replacements available in this scenario as you can't not expect carers not to fall ill ect.

Thirdly I would speak to ACAS when you are better about this but to also look for another job. You shouldn't be rushed or made to feel pressured to go back to work when you are in hospital.
I hope you feel better soon.

BuildBuildings · 06/11/2019 12:24

This is awful. You really need to get a different job. For your own wellbeing. But just concertrate on getting better first. It's absolutely redic to expect you to work. A short clear message should surfice. She knows she is being a dick. Hope get better soon Flowers

Jellybeansincognito · 06/11/2019 12:38

Pass the text on to your hr department.
You’re in hospital and will SC for 7 days.

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