What should I do, people arriving late to work every morning.

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, I work nights in a home for young people with Learning disabilities. Every shift I work, I come in about 15 mins before I'm due to start to receive a hand over. The evening staff will take advantage of this and leave early. Which is fine.
On a weekday I have to get my DD ready and take her to school which is a real rush to say the least! There are certain staff who always arrive late, and I'm sometimes 5-10 mins late leaving work which makes a huge difference! We are getting letters from school about her late marks.
I just wish they would show me the same courtesy as I show them. I'm not sure how to go about complaining though. I don't want them to turn against me, but this does have to stop or I'll have to drop my weekday night shift and just do Fridays and Saturdays.
I work alone at night. We have 4 young people to care for. The day staff insist that there are 2 of them in the house before I can leave. Even if all the residents are still asleep! This morning, I asked if I could go, as it I was 5 mins late already, the residents were all still asleep and she said I'd have to wait until someone else got there. I then said that I wish they'd arrive on time as I have to get my DD to school. Then she said rather huffily "Oh we all have these problems!" Well, she doesn't for a start. She doesn't have children. She usually really nice as well, so not sure what that's all about?
So, should I write a note in the communication book, write it up as a staff concern or speak to my manager? I only see her on her own once every 6 months. There is a staff meeting once a month, but it'd look obvious if I asked to speak to her in private then.
Thanks.

Speak to your manager - do you have a phone number for them? Tell them that you really need to leave on time but can't due to day staff not arriving on time. Then let the manager sort it out.

I'd start with the communication book, try to keep it light-hearted if you can! Not sure what it is about the care industry, but it seems acceptable! I have never experienced it in another job - but that said, I've not had another job where you cannot leave at the end of your shift due to duty of care!!

Request a formal meeting with your manager and let them address it.

In the meantime, stop coming in 15 minutes before the start of your shift.

Completely share your frustration, poor time keeping at work drives me mad.

Keep note of every late show. Talk to your manager and show your notes.
It is their responsibility to be at work on time. Not yours to stay extra 15 min you are not paid for.

I'd let your manager know.

Thanks everyone. I will phone the manager.

As JeanSeberg says, stop coming in early as of today. I'd be feeling resentful and inclined to be petty in your shoes so I might start coming in just as late as you get to leave, whether that's 5 min or 25.

Objectively this is not a mature way to handle things, but it sounds like people are walking all over you and taking advantage, so I'd do the same back and see what happens. I bet someone would complain pretty sharpish that you're coming in late and they can't leave on time, which then gives you the chance to say at the staff meeting that everyone else has been doing it to you for months, and no one seemed to be bothered about the problems it was causing you, so why is it now an issue?

I don't work in care so don't know anything about it, but have worked in other shift-related jobs where the next shift start time was at least 10min before the end of the previous one, largely to avoid this problem...

Is it obvious I'm having a bad day myself?

Do you have regular supervsions? I work with adults with learning disabilities and this would certainly be something that would be brought up.

I personally wouldn't write this in the communication book as some will no doubt complain that this is a personal attack.

Any good employer would monitor staff arrival times and deal with constant lateness accordingly.

Orlea- I will stop coming in early! I'm tempted to come in late, but without speaking to the manager first, it'd be my word against all of theirs.

merry- I have a supervision about once every 6 months. I wouldn't exactly call her a good employer, but at least she leaves you alone...
I'll give her a ring before then and I'll mention it again in supervision just to make sure it's been logged somewhere.

Once every 6 months is in my opinion is too little, I have to complete 6 a year as well as work performance reviews on the staff that I supervise.

I would staff to put the extra minutes down on your time sheet that should get a response. Good luck x

It won't do you any good to start arriving late. Two wrongs don't make a right!

I see no reason why you shouldn't leave as soon as your shift finishes, though, so long as there is at least one member of staff is there.
It's not your responsibility to pick up the slack for lateness in others, and that would be what I would say to the colleague who says you can't leave yet-she needs to complain to and about the person who arrives late, not to you for not covering for the late person. When it's time to go, you go, provided you're not leaving the residents in any danger, and if they're all still asleep, then it makes no difference if you're in sole charge or the day shift staff are, does it?

I would also begin writing down the time I arrive and leave every shift, and who is and isn't there, so that when you do get to speak to the manager, you've got a record of what's happening to show to her.

Suggest don't mention that it's making your daughter late for school. Focus only on i) others are turning up late; and ii) they're making you late finishing your shift.

Those without children may have little sympathy so you don't want them to focus on the consequences for your daughter. The focus should be on them not fulfilling their contractual responsibilities.

If nothing is done by your manager you could say to your manager that as a consequence of their lateness you might not be able to handover properly so there could be consequences for the people needing care.