Can I refuse ?

[lucie333]

Little summary - I've been doing my care job for 6 months now. rota for 4-9/10 o'clock at night. I was told at interview that I wouldn't be finishing that late as I could do everything I needed at visits and move on to next and be done by 8:30, exactly what I have been doing. My last patient I get to at 8 o'clock & he's kicked off a big fuss about my timing saying I'm far too early- he doesn't go to bed I'm just here to assist him into pjs and give meds, he can't leave house so he sits and watches telly until he wants to go to bed. My boss has asked me to ask me to wait in my car till 9 o'clock ( I won't get paid) I've refused- I've reminded her what I was told at my interview. Am I being unfair ?

I work in home care too OP.
I would ask for a few more patients added on to your rota in between that time instead of sitting about. Or even put that patient on to another carer. Sounds as if they don't have a lot of clients.
In my company we can have massive gaps but I don't allow it, we do 15 hour days (full time) sometimes an hour or 2 break. Meant to finish at 10 but can be done by 9 as me and my partner are quick and efficient. We would not tell the office this though or more patients would be added on.

So are you being paid 4-10 or 4-8.45pm? Or is the issue that you get paid the same either way and you'd like to finish earlier?

I get paid for 4 hours as there's travel time in between that I don't get paid for

I'd be finding another job. That's not on.

Do you get at least NMW for the hours you work from arriving at your first client, to leaving your final one each day? If not, your employer is breaking the law.

https://www.litrg.org.uk/tax-guides/disabled-people-and-carers/caring-someone/issues-facing-paid-care-workers#:~:text=It%20is%20not%20a%20requirement,long%20gaps%20spent%20at%20home.

Is it that he just doesn't want that timeslot, or does he have an official timeslot of say 9.30 and you are consistently turning up early?

This all stems from the fact that carers are underpaid. It's ridiculous you don't get travel time paid. I think maybe that is what is pushing you to finish early and get ahead of schedule, to get even close to NMW. And ultimately you're taken advantage of and the service user loses out.

It's a no win for carers. Mil is currently furious that her relatives carers are literally popping in for 10mins when they are paid for 30mins, she is lodging a complaint. Not carers fault as they don't get paid for travel so cut visits short.

Carers should be paid for visits and travel, same with nursing home staff. Same as TA in schools should be paid properly. All under paid and over looked for vital jobs they do

He has an official time slot for 8:30 but he doesn't know that none of the clients do because it can change when we get new Clients, they all know what time roughly we come at. I'm slightly early because I can drive the rest are walkers. But he wants me to come for 9:9.30 but im not prepared to wait in my car for 1 and half hours unpaid

Ahh tell him your not insured to carry out his care at this time (we have 30 mons each side, especially if medication is involved where we can adjust times) don't know where you are and if this applies with your work.

He's paying for a service. If you can't do what he wants at the time he wants tell your boss to find someone who can.

I can't believe the company refusing to tell what time they will be there. The clients should be in charge not the company. If I'm paying for a service I expect to dictate the terms.

Disgraceful.

Just tell them to take him off your rota. Email it in to them saying you won't be going from xxx date and it will be their fault if theres a missed visit cos they put it on your rota.

Don't back down. They'll try to bully you into going but yes, you can refuse.

However if you need the hours and your area is away with carers, they may try to punish you by removing your hours (I'm assuming you're on a zero hours contract)

Awash, not away

I cant understand why you are not staying for 2-3 minutes when you should be there half an hour. Tidy up and chat with them. Poor things

YANBU

Did you read the post CORRECTLY? Most my visits last the 20/30 minutes? Only ONE visit lasts 2/3 minutes as she's in bed, has dementia & wouldn't appreciate me coming and sitting on the end of her bed to chat with her, all house work is done at tea time! I can't understand why you decided to read one part of what I said and not the rest.

They don't pay, social services pay. It's impossible to get everyone the time they want

Honestly OP you need a different job. Loads of adverts for carers where I live. I thought there was a national shortage?

I'd be sad to leave all my patients and their families-I'm very close to them all but if I come to it I'll have to😢

He can’t a 9.30 slot just because he wants it.

My boss has asked me to ask me to wait in my car till 9 o'clock ( I won't get paid) I've refused- I've reminded her what I was told at my interview. Am I being unfair ?

Have you asked your boss why you should wain your car for 1.5 hours unpaid?

Talk about an industry that exploits women’s labour.

That's not how it works 😂

What if all of OP's clients decided they wanted a 9.30 slot?

She's only one person - what's she supposed to do?

There has to be some give and take and not from the OP.

It's blindingly obvious that there won't be enough carers for everyone to have their first choice of visits to coincidence with meals and getting in and out of bed so people need to accept what is available.

Then if agencies expect people to wait around between appointments they need to be paid for it. Carers have a right to earn at least NMW from the start of their first appointment to the end of their last one. Including travel and any other dead time between appointments.

Maybe if the industry wasn't so exploitative, more people would be willing to work in care?

Not if you are paying bugger all for it.

I work in dom care and it's always been that we've been able to pick our own hours.

I would check out another dom care company. You'll probably find another company will pay more and be more reasonable. I'd be telling my boss where to stick it if they said that to me.
Care company's are always crying out for carers. I'm just lucky I have an amazing company

My nan had carers in a few months before she died and they were a god send. I wouldn’t have coped without them coming in. It’s such a shame they are not paid and treated well as they do an invaluable job within our society. My nan loved to chat and if one sat down and talked to her it made her night and she would phone me to tell me about it. I understand not all clients want to or can chat but maybe you could make the 15 min visits last a little longer with the ones who like to chat so there’s less waiting time?

Speak to your employer maybe ask for more clients during that time frame so you’re not waiting around and can be paid for another visit. Or ask for this gentleman to be taken off your schedule if he wants a later visit. Carers are in short supply so it might be worth looking for another care agency.

I don’t blame you not wanting to sit for an hour unpaid in your car. That sounds exploitive, unfair and wouldn’t happen in any other job. If your paid for 4 hours of work does that mean you’d be scheduled to see 8 clients with 30 min visits each?