Was I exploited by this company? What can people do to prevent this?

[Donthaveagoodusername]

I imagine this is happening to a lot of other carers at present too, maybe newer and more inexperienced ones, when is this going to stop? It seems to be the nature of the business.

I still work for the company but only one day per week as full-time for them is unsustainable.

The coordinator is surely under pressure to get calls covered, but tried it on with me and others to see what he could get away with.

At interview I was told I'd be working alternate weekends only. Despite this, in my first month I was put down to work every single weekend until I spoke up. Funnily after that, I got my alternate weekends off.

No paid travel time, I don't drive but no contribution towards buses etc

Impossible expectations, put down to visit 9 different people in 2.25 hours, despite some calls lasting approx 30 minutes. Despite making very clear to the agency that I cannot fit all these people in, asked if I can 'just try and squeeze them in as we're short staffed'.

Rota done less than one week in advance. If you work that weekend, your rota is confirmed the night before. Rota can change an hour before.

If you say to them that you're free between 7am and 10pm, rather than giving you some shifts at some point between these hours, they will expect you to work all day between those hours.

Because they are short-staffed, they assume you will be put upon and cover long hours every day.

Once worked 3 weeks straight with no day off.
Used to work 12 days on, 2 off (but ended up working during those 2) for 4 months until I was finally given a day off.

I was expected to be free from 7am to 9pm 4 or 5 days on the trot. They would try and put this on my rota every week. Every week I would have to ring up to ask them to take off work.

Phoning up when you're not even at work, I stopped answering the phone. Once had 7 missed calls in a row. When I told the girl on the phone I couldn't come in 6 hours early, she sighed at me.

Promised extra overtime pay that I never received.
One evening I was asked to stay 3 hours extra, told them I could not. Looked at my rota and it had been put on regardless.

Stupid excuses from this guy "Oh I thought you said when you changed your hours from the 2nd that you meant the 3rd'.
And so on. I will never work for them full time again.

I was very naive, shy and lacked assertiveness. Luckily, I've learned to be firmer. I feel angry at how I was treated and I know I'm far from the only one. They saw me as an easy target and a fool who would do whatever they said, and I was.
Has anybody else been treated like this at work? Did you manage to escape?

Anyone please?

YANBU, yes, I think we’ve all allowed ourselves to be treated badly at some point in our careers.

I look back on some of my jobs and wonder WTF I was doing. Once I somehow got suckered into selling Kirby vacuum cleaners. Even worse, they put pressure on me to sell these £1500 machines to my family and friends.

I was also often treated as a second class citizen when I was an office temp.

But it all made me resilient and I now have a very successful career.

So don’t get bogged down in anger, just be glad you learned to be assertive.

This is standard for mobile care. I've never worked in mobile but I've worked in residential and supported living, and lots of my colleagues have done mobile care before and their experiences are similar. Always expected to rush through lots of clients in impossible times. It's so wrong and I feel so sorry for the clients as they're clearly not getting the proper care. I don't understand how it can be allowed yet it's the norm.

Sorry to hear others have had similar experiences

I shouldn't be angry over it but I think I've only just started to realised how they treated me and how they couldn't give a toss about me or others (even if I understand they're under pressure).

Almost feel like reporting them.

I don’t understand who they get away with not paying travel time. My friend can work 12 hours but only be paid for 8.

I don't understand why people join a mobile care team, when they don't drive.

The calls are relatively close by so for this round driving is not an issue, I have an electric bike.

I'm now down this Saturday from 7am-10pm, I've asked if it can be reduced a little as it's a 15 hour day, and the coordinator said no not really as we're short staffed ATM.
Yes but that is not my fault, it's not on me to cover everyone's hours! So annoyed

I said to them again tonight, I am available between X and X hours, that doesn't mean I want to work from start to finish non stop. They've said they will try to accommodate my request within 4 weeks.

Find another job i care.

I definitely will, want to wait until June so it's a year on my CV as it will look better. Then I will be gone

You've posted about this on a number of occasions. I'm very glad you're only doing one day a week now, but you have to put your foot down and set firm boundaries around what hours you're prepared to do. They've been doing this for months.

Thought I recognised the post under a different name.

They've come out with 'you can only change your availability once in a 6-month period' no I can't, it's a zero hours contract

Why wait to get another job? Doesn't matter if you been there a year or 2 years.

I've never worked in mobile care I did however have one job that just put over time on the rota without asking. Then after you came In Just randomly send you home. If there werent the hours one week then just put u down for a day or 2 holiday. Like holiday is precious and I'd actually like to have it when I can plan something to do on it rather than just used to make up hours. I walked out. It took thr piss

Keep voting Labour. It's all you can do.

Just find another job. The company is toxic and dubious about legalities oe. Working time directive. They won't change all the time they have staff and clients. Tbh I'd wonder what other corners they cut.

I work for a private care company and the conditions are much better.

@EvenMoreFuriousVexation

Keep voting Labour. It's all you can do.

My mother was a home carer during the labour government. It was exactly the same then. She regularly got calls at 8 or 9pm to go put someone to bed / get them up at 7 the next morning. All governments treat care jobs with contempt and Labour are as bad as the Tories (although, at least the Tories know who should have a cervix).

Why bother waiting for the year? Your sector are crying out for staff. Ask around your network to find out what the good employers are and go to them. I’d do it now and not wait!

It's sounds like very poor management, and I can see why it's annoying, and they sound awful to work for but unless they are unfairly or unlawfully penalising you for asserting your right not to work, I don't really see it as exploitation.

You keep posting about this company and it's never anything positive.

Why bother staying somewhere like this for a year when you're in a sector that's crying out for workers? Just leave!

Just leave. Care providers are crying out for staff you'll walk into another job. But be clear with them about how many hours you want to work. If uou told me you were available between 9 & 7 then I'd assume you were prepared to work that whole tome