Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

Original poster

To ask if this is just how the workplace is?

18 replies

Teddybearcoat · 02/12/2021 10:12

I’ve been at sahm for a few years so I appreciate I was fortunate to find work at all. I started with a new job last February - it should be 28 hours a week. Four seven hour days and one day off in the week.
However the workload is massive and it is regularly going into my day off and my evenings and weekends. It pays around £11 an hour so it’s not hugely well paid - but it is a job with quite a lot of responsibility and emotional demand.
I’d say I’m doing more like 35 hours a week plus.
On top of this I was off sick on Monday (first day off I’ve had, worked all through having covid etc) but I’d had a vomiting bug Saturday and Sunday and still felt dreadful Monday. Some of the people I see are vulnerable so I rang in sick and rearranged my appointments. I did work from home for several hours catching up on admin though. Spoke to my manager on Tuesday and the expectation seems to be that I work Friday (my non working day in theory) to make up for Monday. I mean I would probably have done some work Friday anyway but no doubt HR will have recorded Monday as a day I’ve been off sick, when actually I will just end up swapping Monday for Friday.
Is this just how the workplace is these days? I don’t actually know any of my colleagues because it’s all been very much working on my own or out in the community seeing people for appointments. My own colleagues I rarely see. I’ve only met one of them more than twice.

OP posts:

Lifewith · 02/12/2021 10:20

I would say it's not normal and if the job requires more hours, it should have been advertised as such or full time.
Do you have manager you can speak to? What would happen if you stopped at your correct time?
You def should not have to work the Friday if you were sick Mon. What does your contract say?

Original poster

Teddybearcoat · 02/12/2021 10:22

My manager is aware of the very heavy workload - it just keeps increasing. I have three times as many people on my caseload as I was told I’d have.

OP posts:

EasyLikeSundays · 02/12/2021 10:23

Had to say YABU because it's not what a workplace should be like. You're paid a fairly low amount to do 28 hours. So do 28 hours. If you can't fit your work into that time then that's their problem- UNLESS you're not fitting all the work in because you're not planning work correctly etc. If you're doing everything you can to do everything within the 28 hours then stop doing extra. If you're off sick then you don't need to make the time back - unless they meant they were happy for you to work the Friday and wouldn't mark Monday as sickness etc but that seems wrong. You need to be more firm. What industry is this?

Original poster

Teddybearcoat · 02/12/2021 10:28

Health and social care. It’s similar to being a family support worker.
It’s running over because I have too many people, I am fitting in all the appointments in the day but then have to do all the admin for them afterwards.

OP posts:

EasyLikeSundays · 02/12/2021 10:31

Oh god not another care thread (sorry nothing to do with you but there's someone who's been making multiple threads about their care job, never takes any advice and just keeps posting the same thread over and over) anyway - stop doing extra. Cut off any calls outside of your working hours, tell your boss you'll happily do extra as overtime at 1.5x pay etc. Be firm.

EasyLikeSundays · 02/12/2021 10:32

@Teddybearcoat

Health and social care. It’s similar to being a family support worker. It’s running over because I have too many people, I am fitting in all the appointments in the day but then have to do all the admin for them afterwards.

Don't do admin after. Do it the next day. Cut down appts to fit in the administration. Explain why to your boss.

Lifewith · 02/12/2021 10:33

I would agree with the above. You never get thanked for doing extra and the more you do it, the more they expect.

purpleme12 · 02/12/2021 10:33

If you're off poorly you shouldn't then be making time back.
Cos you were off poorly
It's a legitimate reason

Original poster

Teddybearcoat · 02/12/2021 10:34

Oh is there? I’d not seen them.
I’m not sure if this is just poor working culture amongst my company. I think everyone is doing a lot of extra hours and no one is paid terribly well.
I feel as though we are working for less than the living wage if the extra hours are taken into account. If I’m doing 35 hours instead of 28 hours a week it’s £8.80 an hour, not £11.

OP posts:

PrivateHall · 02/12/2021 10:34

I thought you were going to say it was doing PIP assessments as everyone I know who moved to those roles had the same experience you are having. I would say it is absolutely not normal and I would be looking for a new job in your shoes. It clearly isn't going to get any better.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 02/12/2021 10:35

Unacceptable for you to work hours you're not contracted or paid for...

Although do carefully check your contract and any training you have.

With home visits there may be an expectation you are only there for say 15 mins... And if the people need more time, then your employers need to pay you.

Assume when you say admin-this is writing up notes?

Cjekc that you're not writing too much... I remember a very brief visit, everything was as expected and straightforward. ...would have required page of a4 maximum...
A student had written up PAGES and PAGES of unecessary notes... Waste of time and also dangerous as other staff wouldn't read and may miss something very important.

Foolsrule · 02/12/2021 10:35

Have a friend in social work who’s the same. Part time role, visits etc during working days and then ends up doing all admin on days off. She’ll leave eventually as it’s just not right. God knows how the management allow it as they know full well this is the only way she can even begin to manage the workload.

Forion · 02/12/2021 10:36

You have to be prepared to protect yourself in health and social care otherwise they'll quite happily work you to death. Do not be taken for a mug.

EasyLikeSundays · 02/12/2021 10:37

I dont know why people do it. Just say no. Stop working after your hours have finished. Look for a new job.

Megan2018 · 02/12/2021 10:38

It’s not normal, don’t get sucked in to doing extra hours as it’s hard to stop. When I was young and climbing the greasy pole I did put extra hours in, but that was for career progression and was short term.
I don’t do any additional hours now if I can help it. I do 30hrs over 4 days and that’s it. I don’t look at my email etc on non working days. People have to wait.
Different sector to you but the principle is the same.

Chimley · 02/12/2021 10:39

No all workplaces are not like that. If you're regularly going over your working hours and your manager is not prepared to do anything about it then you should look for another job. Without your manager on board this is not going to get better.

Flowers500 · 02/12/2021 10:39

It’s hard to tell because it depends a bit on the sector, in a lot of jobs unpaid overtime is the industry standard. Like if you complained as a lawyer about working after 5 you’d be laughed out of there. So in a lot of jobs, the three quarters version would be equivalent to a full time somewhere else.

Lolalovesroses · 02/12/2021 10:42

Ask for a meeting with your manager in writing, detailing the issues. Ask them if they feel you are doing unnecessary work in certain areas, request training if needed. Hand the problem over to your manager. If your manager has it in writing that you are consistently doing unpaid hours, they have to take action or they are neglecting their duty of care to you.

Flip