Not allowed to receive phonecalls from childminder

[CharlieMc]

Hi I am a nurse in a nursing home and my employer told me that I was not allowed to receive any phonecalls from my childminder whilst at work, I wondered if this is right or if there is any employment law regarding this as surely I should be able to be contactable at all times?

That is outrageous, what if you need to go and pick up your child if they are ill or hurt.

My boss isn't always contactable - If there was an emergency then they would put me through but otherwise I just send a text and she calls me when she is on a break.

Dont see why she would know. Mobile phone in pocket on vibrate and text. Problem solved.

There are lots of types of employment where you cannot receive calls when on duty.

Not allowing use of personal mobile is however not the same as forcing you to be out of touch.

Give the childminder the landline number. Make sure that whoever answers the phone is fully briefed about likely urgency of call and knows where to find you.

I don't agree that this is outrageous. Presumably there is an office number you can give your childminder, so that she can leave an urgent message to be passed on to you. Presumably also you trust your childminder since you leave your child with them.

There are lots of jobs where people simply can't have their phone on all the time.

Sorry guys, I didnt make myself clear, we are not allowed to carry mobile phones, in fact they are not allowed on the premises. My problem is that my boss would not allow my childminder to call via the nursing home office/landline.

Presumably your employer is just saying it won't make an exception to an existing 'no personal calls/mobile phones' rule. Lots of jobs where that is the case. As long as your childminder has the landline of your employer in case of emergencies eg illness, that ought to be fine surely?

And again how would they know. Honestly there are many people walking round icu's with phones, and no adverse effects ~ dont tell me the equipment will suffer because I wont believe it.

You just dont get caught

Cross post. So your boss is really saying that if your childminder called to say your child had been taken into hospital orsomething he/she would hang up and not tell you??

Can you speak to your boss and clarify that childminder has the landline for emergency use and would only call in the event of child being taken to hospital or becoming very ill? After all I'm sure that your boss (or the nursing home staff) call the patients/residents' next of kin when they are taken ill?

Do ask your boss what the problem with taking an emergency call, I'm intreagued.

Personal phone calls are one thing as in "Hi, having a nice day, what would you like for tea?" type calls.
But you should be contactable by your childminder. I would be inclined to just give out the number anyway.

In an emergency, of course your employer would pass a message on -- I cannot imagine they wouldn't. Just give the childminder your work landline and tell her "genuine emergencies only".

And where's your DC's father in all this? Surely your CM could ring him, assuming you're together/on good terms? Our nursery know to ring DH first because he works locally.

How often do you think she will need to call you?

Have you been getting lots of calls and this is why they are saying this?

Surely they would have to let you know if something had happened if the childminder phoned?

I don't think there's any law as such, or legislation that I have heard of, but I think you need to bring it up again with your manager. Just explain that you need to be contactable in emergencies. Surely your childminder doesn't ring you on a daily basis?

I am not contactable during the day unless an emergency via our main office. It's never been a problem.

Surely you have to be contactable in order for you to be able to execute your parental responsibilites should there be a need to give consent for medical assistance or suchlike? Lots of jobs don't allow you to be immediately contactable (driving jobs or suchlike), but to be totally uncontactable? That only encourages staff to covertly carry around mobile phones...

SurreyDad, if you are not contactable then the person caring for your child will have to give consent for medical emergencies.
Parents who use a childminder or a nursery will have given them permission to seek mecical help in an emergency.

I might be wrong, but I believe only a parent can give consent for medical stuff. In the event of an emergency where life is in danger, and a parent is not available, medical staff would act in the best interest of the child.

Hi, The Nursing home I worked in had same 'no mobile policy' but I admit that I ignored it.

DD's school do not ring if there is a problem and only text, so I carried my phone in pocket. How will they ever know unless they search you and they will not do that