Care Agency and working hours

[hotlips1]

If working for a Care Agency surely you choose the hours you want to work ??? Can I refuse to take on extra hours? I work in the community (18 hours I'm contracted for) and to cut a story short I was told I had to take on an extra client/service user as there was no one else to do it. I actually work more than 18 hours a week as it stands and don't wish to take on any more hours. I had open heart surgery 3 years ago and choose to work part-time now. I'm having a meeting with my manager on Monday about this. Any suggestions greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[bednobs]

are they saying you must do more hours or (more likely) saying you have to do more work in the alloted hours?

[hotlips1]

It's both and what they do is expect you to cut yourself in half and do two clients at the same time.

[bednobs]

so if you took on the other client they would pay you more money because your hours have gone up?

[boxtops]

What does it say in your contract of employment about hours? You can't be asked to do extra hours without your agreement to a change in your contract.

[LoftyLottie]

Care agencies are the worse employers ever. I felt so sorry for the carers that came in. Apart from the poor wages their time allocation for each client took in their travelling time as well and they were often given loads of extra hours and extra tasks to do with no notice whatsoever. What happens is that is a large turnover in care staff because the poor carers can't cope and the people they care for have strangers turning up most of the time.

It's appalling.

[hotlips1]

I agree with you Lottie. I'm on £8 an hour. my clients are either 30 minutes or 45 minutes so it's £4 or £6. My 'area' is near where I live and within walking distance. They take on clients from Social Services and Private without a thought of who is actually going to give these people care. I work more than my contracted hours and I do help out when convenient to myself. The 'office boy' as I call him who does the rota informed me I had to go to this new client as there was no one else to go.! We constantly work short staffed as in so many places, I said he couldn't make me do something I didn't want to. Perhaps if they treated what staff they do have a little better and also when they take on people then they would stay! In staff hand book it says you will work as on rota and nothing in contract. I'm afraid my days of chasing around like a lunatic are long gone. I'm 52 years old, have had a mechanical A.V.R. am in good health,have lovely, regular clients and don't need the stress. I don't see why I should be driven out of a job I love doing.

[cassa333]

I'm supprised you have a contract at all tbh.

Care work is notorious for poor pay and timeings.

A lot of people that go into care work do so for the convienient hrs but get sucked into doing more and more because it is so poorly paid.

What are your contracted hrs? Are they 18 hrs whenever they need you or 18 set or spacific hrs?