Caring job but ridiculous hours - is this legal?

[Bloodybrambles]

I've recently got a job as a community carer (looking after mainly elderly in their own homes). I knew it would be a lot of long and unsociable hours which I was fully prepared to do.

This seems to be a typical day:

Arrive at a house (20 minutes away with mileage and time unpaid) at 6:30:
-one hour, then another hour call around the corner.
45 minute break then to another client 15 minutes away (unpaid mileage + time) for another hour.

1.5 hour 'break' then three lunch time calls for 30 minutes.

then 3.5 hour 'break'

for then four 30 minute calls for dinner.

Out the house at 6:10, back home at 6:30.

During the 'breaks' i'm allowed to what ever I want but after the final call before the break no mileage or travel time is paid same with after the break. Apart from the three hour wait there's no point me travelling home and even then what do I really do?

Therefore next week, I would have dedicated 72 hours to working (over 6 days) to be paid for 39 hours work.

The hours slightly differ as sometimes i'd be home at 11pm to be starting the next day at 6:10am. One day i'm working from my first call at 6:30am with my last being at 10:30pm with one day just being 'lunch calls'. My long day there's 17 hours i'm expected to be in work mode for 8.5 hours actually been paid for.

AIBU to think I need to give my head a wobble (and maybe management who seem to think we're SO lucky to get SO many breaks as they wouldn't be able to go and sit in Costa during the day?!)

Just to add - it sounded really tough, and everything seems to be thrown into chaos by their manager changing shifts at the last second on a regular basis.

I did this exact job for about a year except I was on foot (and required to walk ridiculous distances in totally unfeasible amounts of time, think 1.5 miles in 10/15 minutes).

I was only supposed to be part time but was out of the house full time hours (30 odd) and sometimes only getting paid for 12. It was utterly backbreaking.

I work in a care home now on a lower hourly rate but am actually getting paid more for less time out of the house.

I'm also doing my nvqs in a few months funded by the home with a view to doing nursing in the future. They treat us much much better there. (and no walking about in the rain at night alone in some very dodgy neighbourhoods).

The drivers in my old company didn't get paid travel either.

Our community carers work this way that's why I work in the independent living facilities instead. Same call patterns but you tend to have more calls as your residents all live in the same building so a 3.5 hour break is not unheard of but also not usual. My longest break on my rota is 2 hours. My shortest is 0 breaks. I have a rota where my calls are back to back from 7am until 1pm when I have a thirty minute gap before finishing at 2pm. I also get a lot of back to back and split shifts ie lates into nights or mornings, off for 5 hours then back for night shift.

Maybe look around on Indeed or ask your coordinator if there are any independent living courts or care homes that your agency manage. We frequently get community carers in our building to cover staff absences.

I assume it's because the clients need wake up and get ready for bed calls? Not that it justifies shitty conditions, I'm not sure how you would avoid it unless you just work mornings or just work evenings?

Totally different but I used to split shifts as chef and i bloody hated it. 11-2 and 5-9. The middle hours were just dead hours.

Saying the same as the others - you should be paid to travel to clients, and have 11 hours between shifts www.crunch.co.uk/knowledge/employment/care-workers-what-are-your-rights-at-work/

Love the “you should be” and “your rights”
In reality they go out the window in care. There are a few, and I mean a few good companies out there. But by and large you will be treated like a robot and the very very often expected to waive the wtd. Or you don’t get a job. It’s that simple.