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Original poster

Why do we accept having no breaks at work

97 replies

Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:41

I work part time in residential care and I am very close to putting my notice in. I'm there about 25-30h per week and another 10h of my week is ad hoc work.
I am sick to death of not getting a proper break on shifts.
For a start care staff aren't entitled to the 11 hour rest break between shifts, so I got home at 11pm and had to be up again at 6:30.
Had things to sort out when I got in so got under 7h sleep.
We were down one staff member and couldn't get anyone else to cover so we had almost 40 residents to 3 care assistants.
Apart from wolfing down a quick bite to eat and going to the toilet twice I haven't had a break in 8 hours, yet I was only paid for 7, this is standard.
It's the usual problems, underpaid, under staffed. Even if you do try to sit down, the door goes, the phone rings, someone's asking you for something, and so on.
I don't know if it's related but I had a pounding headache at the end of my shift, I came home and vomited.
Also it's a very small home and absolutely everything is still on paper unlike many homes, so it can take a couple of hours to fill everything out due to constant interruptions.
This is the case on most shifts.
Does anybody else not get a break at work? Why do we accept it?
I can't cope anymore and it's not a healthy way of Working.

OP posts:
mycoffeecup · 20/05/2023 17:42

It's a scandal how little we pay carers. Are you qualified to do anything else?

Chamomileteaplease · 20/05/2023 17:43

You say it's a small home, is it independent?

Are you able to say to your manager, look I am not getting paid for my lunch hour therefore I want my lunch hour! How can they argue against that?

I would be tempted to go outside somewhere so you physically can't do all the things that crop up.

Original poster
Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:43

Luckily I am! I really enjoy looking after the residents, it's the taking 1 hour lunch break off you unpaid but you actually get 5 minutes. My Mum works as a nurse, she says she doesn't always get a break but that at least hers are paid.
If someone rings in sick which is usual then tough, you're expected to get up twice as many residents and do everything twice as fast .

OP posts:
BluebellBlueballs · 20/05/2023 17:44

You are not exempt from the 11 hour rest breaks, I say this as a HR Manager who's worked in care.

Pinkbonbon · 20/05/2023 17:44

I'd quit.

The reason they do it is because people accept it.

Original poster
Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:44

Sadly it's not possible due to safety, people at risk of falling, people fighting due to dementia etc
You're needed every minute, 'Can you just do xyz please "

OP posts:
BluebellBlueballs · 20/05/2023 17:45

Nor the 20 mins per 6 hours breaks either!

Original poster
Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:45

Really? Maybe I misunderstood. I thought shift workers weren't entitled to the 11h rest breaks

OP posts:
Pandorapitstop · 20/05/2023 17:45

I’ve worked in a care home just like that. I left and am now very happy working at a far better managed home with plenty of staff. It won’t get better where you are. Look for something better.

Original poster
Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:46

You're right, it won't get better. I'm dreading giving my notice but these things have to be done.

OP posts:
Pandorapitstop · 20/05/2023 17:48

And I agree with Bluebell re the eleven hour break between shifts. Isn’t this Working Time Regulation law?

Nomorecoconutboosts · 20/05/2023 17:49

I empathise with you. I’m a nurse and in my Trust the breaks are unpaid. So I work 13 hours paid for 12. There’s a bit of a culture where I am of not taking breaks for many reasons. The biggest is staff shortages and pressure of work so taking a break just delays your finish time as the work is still waiting.

However some days we are better staffed and the area I am in (community) we can do paperwork from home and potentially finish a little earlier in effect taking the break at the end. (but still have to take any phone calls/referrals etc) So some staff get annoyed with those of us who do take a break as they perceive it as us preventing them from going a bit early…

In a previous similar role we had the hour blocked out as a break and mainly took it (I’m going back to that role soon!)
I think as the shift progresses people get increasingly tired, irritable and in my case headachy. I also get a lot of migraines…

Fedupofdiets · 20/05/2023 17:49

Nurses breaks aren't paid. I work 12.5 hour shifts and we are deducted 30 minutes pay for our breaks which we never get either. You have my sympathy I worked in a care home years ago before I did my nurse training and will always say it's the hardest job I've ever done. It's a scandal that carers are paid less than supermarket workers (who also deserve every penny they get) it shows how much value we place on the role as a nation.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 20/05/2023 17:50

And re the 11 hour rest break. Shift finishes 9pm back on duty 8am which is fine. But we frequently work over as we can’t cut a patient off mid conversation and nor would I wish to….

ItsCalledAConversation · 20/05/2023 17:51

Not in care (you deserve so much better for the job you do) but when I worked client-side as a marketing director for a brand I worked 10 hour days 5 days a week with no break. The “break” would be wolfing down a sandwich at your desk while trying to keep on top of a mountain of emails, or occasionally having to do a working lunch (basically a meeting with sandwiches). I hated it and it burnt me out. I’d never, ever go back to that kind of job. Sadly I think this rhythm, and worse, is absolutely standard for senior office based roles.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 20/05/2023 17:51

When I first starting nursing we got a 15 minute paid tea break as well as unpaid lunch. Mainly on the ward everything stopped for 5-10 minutes where possible for tea and hot buttered toast. The good old days Wink

BluebellBlueballs · 20/05/2023 17:52

Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:45

Really? Maybe I misunderstood. I thought shift workers weren't entitled to the 11h rest breaks

There are some exemptions, such as security guards. But not care workers. I know this as I ran a project to ensure we changed the shifts to allow compliance with this for a care company . They had 14 hour shifts which meant only 10 hours break on 2 consecutive shifts. So I do consider myself somewhat qualified to answer this one.

Nomorecoconutboosts · 20/05/2023 17:56

@BluebellBlueballs
yes and that is my understanding as to why many nursing shifts changed to long days - as the old late shift followed by early didn’t meet the 11 hour rule.

when I used to do rosters it physically wouldn’t let me amend a shift time if it broke the rules. It was a pain if someone kindly stayed till 10 for example to sort something critical out - the system didn’t like it and all kinds of forms had to be signed off by a director. Same with trying to input a shift when the person wanted the hours rostered to reflect they missed a break, computer said no!

HappyHolidai · 20/05/2023 17:56

If you are working for more hours than you are being paid for then it's likely your employer is in breach of the National Minimum Wage rules. A call to HRMC might get them on the radar to be inspected.

Original poster
Mrsblobby12 · 20/05/2023 17:56

Sorry I meant my Mum's particular care home paid nurses' breaks, but indeed I know many that don't.
I'm also constantly bloated for some reason even though I'm always on the move.

OP posts:
tulippa · 20/05/2023 17:58

Can you ask to be paid for the breaks you're not getting as you're essentially doing unpaid overtime?

whatsinanameeh · 20/05/2023 17:59

I worked in the social care sector 10 years ago and the management Made us exempt from working time directive rules by having a sign document to opt out

It was completely as standard you didn't question it so absolutely I would finish work at 10:30 pm for a 6 am start routinely

Don't get me started on 9 am till 11 pm shifts and then sleepovers until 7 am and then working till 3 pm when they know you are on your feet constantly and overnight there was no extra pay for actually having to attend to people, you knew you were not sleeping any part of that sleepover shift

It's accepted because it's viewed as necessary we don't have enough staff to make proper rotas and if social care staff went on strike this country would absolutely be fucked

The people in social care who really care go above and beyond every day to treat their service users with respect and courtesy and empathy but they are worn out by the obligations of duty and the demands of an underpaid and so understaffed And undervalued industry

autienotnaughtym · 20/05/2023 18:01

Some jobs are worse than others. I'm a librarian. I sometimes have to work an extra 10/15 min past end of shift but not every day. Most days I finish on time. I also take 30 min break (unpaid. )

whatsinanameeh · 20/05/2023 18:02

And I can see we are staff asked for a double shifts to go on the rotor because we would off and pick up a shift to add to the one we were on if we were in already but management would not do this because if you called and said they had a double shift to cover

Days off rarely together as well and when I asked for a weekend off once to visit family in another part of the country they gave me a fucking waking night on the Friday night and Saturday and Sunday off I mean that's the level of respect you get in social care

blahblahblah1654 · 20/05/2023 18:04

I would do something else if I were you. Such an amazing thing you're doing but it's it worth running yourself ragged for the peanuts you're paid. You'd be paid more than minimum wage in many supermarkets and also get breaks.