To find this a bit rude?

[Saveittillthemorningafter1]

I've been in one or two agency care homes where the staff will all make a takeaway order and not ask you if you want anything.
Maybe I should say myself but I felt awkward. Anyway it was my first day, they were nice but all ordered takeaway coffees and frappes etc between them and nobody asked me if I wanted anything, then sat there drinking them.

This has happened once last year where they all ordered a chippy but i didn't get asked.

I would automatically ask the new person. It's just the polite thing. Felt Awkward sat there with them all

Having worked in care homes there are agency staff in every day of the week. Literally every single day you will greet new faces from the agency.

i was always polite (always) but I never included them in takeaway orders or anything like that as we all used to take turns in paying for the food and it was complicated getting agency workers involved when the likelihood is we would never see them again at the end of the shift.

dont take it personally.

I get it but i could have easily given them some change or transferred it, i did that in another home. It's just rude

I think it’s rude. I always go out of my way to include new people, even if they are temporary.

Very rude and unwelcoming.

@Saveittillthemorningafter1

I get it, I do. But when you are greeting new faces on a daily basis that you will never, ever see again it’s not their responsibility to keep looking after other grown adults.

They will be taking it in turns and no one has time to start passing bank details over etc. The breaks are short as you well know.

I agree about the agency worker thing. You will find it is a rounds system as such and they don’t want to pay for your food or coffee maybe as there are so many staff changes. If you were permanent I bet they would have gotten you one for sure as I found this to be the case. If you do want a coffee (if you happen to know ahead they are doing it, you could hand the money upfront and they won’t mind you joining in. It’s a pity they didn’t offer and just ask for it that way though really, personally I know what you are saying and I wouldn’t leave someone out myself but I get the whole can’t pay for all agency staff thing too.

I get where you're coming from and a lot of work places can be quite cliquey and exclude a new member of staff. It sometimes does take a while to 'warm up' to someone who's new. Having said that with the arrangement you describe above I'd only really do with 2 or 3 colleagues who I know won't take the piss - will either have the money / change at the ready or can transfer it literally then and there - it becomes a nightmare when ordering like this with someone who doesn't have exact change, someone else needs to transfer money or whatever other nonsense. Indeed even when some of my colleagues do this I actively avoid participating because I know it will somehow just become a bit chaotic and I don't have the energy. Give it sometime.

@JollyWilloughby that would come across as very rude, they don't know you take turns, nor would they expect to be part of that. It's not complicated to tell them how much they owe for what they've ordered.

@Saveittillthemorningafter1 it is rude & unfriendly to exclude someone, but hopefully just another group being inadvertently rude rather than intentionally.

maybe next time, just ask and add that you have the cash to pay whoever does the order?!

It would have taken 3 seconds to do it. I could have transferred the money immediately on a break or given change, wasn't expecting anyone to pay for it for me. Anyway I'll try to not take it personally

It also annoys me when I try to ask them questions about themselves and they'll answer but then not talk to me otherwise. It's part of being agency i guess

@Yummymummy2020

Plus having offered agency staff food under the expectation they will pay, it’s amazing how many seem to forget. They’ve probably been burnt too many times and now just think sod it, particularly when you are on national minimum wage.

@LoveSpringDaffs

have you worked in a care home before? When you’re on a 15 hour shift from 7am-10pm and your breaks are often split into 15 minute segments do you really think you have time to be messing around asking agency staff their bank details?

How many times have permanent staff paid for agency staffs meals for them to conveniently forget and for staff never to see them again?(which happens, like I said it’s new faces daily).

I could have transferred it at the end, plus lunch was 30 mins

@JollyWilloughby yes upfront is definitely the way to go with payment for these things i find saves everyone annoyance and nobody is shafted. Personally I avoid organising these things like the plague😂

@Saveittillthemorningafter1

Bingo. At the end.

They’ve been stung too many times.

Ask at the start of your shift "do you get take out or anything, I've got cash to pay up front to I can be part of it if you do?"

Make it clear you know to pay your way and that you want to be included?

@Yummymummy2020

Yep. Been there and done that. Been promised payment “at the end” by agency staff. They’ve either left shift never to be seen again, just didn’t transfer the money or “only” had a 20 pound note which I’ve never taken as I’ve never had change.

This is shocking manners! Ive worked in healthcare settings all my life and would never have treated anyone like this agency staff or not!

Rude, exclusive and very bad manners

Well they've somehow got time to order the takeaway and get all the orders

@Saveittillthemorningafter1

My bet is they probably know each other’s orders off by heart. When you’re repeatedly doing 15 hour shifts with the same colleagues you begin to know them more than family.

What I find shocking manners is (not you OP) but agency staff accepting a takeaway and then conveniently forgetting to pay when the likelihood is they earnt more on their shift than us permanent workers. When you’re on NMW every pound counts. I wouldn’t be quick to label them OP, have you not considered that they’ve probably been stung before too many times?

Hmm I’m split on this. I work in healthcare and would ask (don’t use agency but sometimes have students) but I have been burnt by people who order and promise to pay and it never comes and then like PP say they’ve gone forever. I now insist on immediate transfer else the order doesn’t go in but I can see why some wouldn’t offer someone who there’s for just one shift, sometimes it’s not worth the hassle.

It's rude.
What's the harm in mentioning there'll be a takeaway order going in, and if you had cash, then they could order something too.

@Kukdoos

But you are presuming the person ordering is going to pay via cash. How do you know that the person ordering isn’t paying for the order on a card and irrespective of receiving cash has the actual funds in their account?

On any given day there will be more than one agency staff in (particularly during recent times when the use of agency staff has increased).

Also at what point do you “mention” there will be an order going in? It’s not an office, care workers will usually meet at break times and then go off on their own into different rooms/areas etc when the break is over. Coupled with the fact breaks are often staggered and you add in a further layer of logistics to consider.

its not unheard of to organise the days food the night before on the group whatsapp chat once you’ve all checked the rota and you know who’s going to be in and who isn’t.

Yes it's rude. Once when I was working on a placement as a student nursery nurse one of the staff went round and made everyone a hot chocolate and never asked me. From then on if the was ever a student or new member of staff working with us I would always make sure they were included and made to feel welcome.