Am I being unreasonable? Distance of travel to session.

Maradona10

Last week I Informed the office that my 2-5 session today will be cancelled because the person is on Holiday. I stay available when a session is cancelled so I know I could be sent to support someone else.

I work from Monday at 1pm until 5 pm on Tuesday, I do a sleep session over the night. My 2-5 session on a Tuesday is literally down the road from my house which is the reason why I agreed to do it in the first place, I can at least be home by 17:05 and rest up before work on the Wednesday which is especially important due to the nature of my job at times.

Anyway, they ring me up ask me this morning to go to an area that I have never been too to support someone I have never met, now had this area been somewhere central or one that I knew well I would have been up for it especially as I like to help out when I can.

However, the round trip is 22 miles and as I use the bus it would have taken a hell of a long time to not only get there from my 11-1 session but also to get home in rush hour traffic.

Am I being unreasonable in not doing this session?

KiKi

What is a 'session'? A session of what?

Torry_Quine

I'm presuming that she's a support worker helping people in their home.

No I don't think that you were unreasonable and it wouldn't have been good for the client to be with someone they had never met before. However what were the circumstances that led to you being needed for a client you don't know at such short notice. Had someone gone sick and they needed someone to cover.

maninthestreet

11 miles is not that far to commute....

Sambucus_Nigra

What does your contract say about traveling to the sessions [AKA work]?

arbroath_lass

maninthestreet wrote: »

11 miles is not that far to commute....

Maybe not but it's likely to take 30 - 45 minutes on a bus, could have to wait an hour for a bus both ways (depending on where it is - reasonable sized towns usually have an hourly service between them), bus fares are expensive and all this for three hours paid work? I wouldn't be doing it.

Notmyrealname

Maradona10 wrote: »

Anyway, they ring me up ask me this morning to go to an area that I have never been too to support someone I have never met, now had this area been somewhere central or one that I knew well I would have been up for it especially as I like to help out when I can.

However, the round trip is 22 miles and as I use the bus it would have taken a hell of a long time to not only get there from my 11-1 session but also to get home in rush hour traffic.

Am I being unreasonable in not doing this session?

Yes. For most of my working life I've travelled in excess of 22 miles EACH WAY as have most of the people who work in my town including those going by bus and train.

Torry_Quine

Notmyrealname wrote: »

Yes. For most of my working life I've travelled in excess of 22 miles EACH WAY as have most of the people who work in my town including those going by bus and train.

Not really comparable though. This was a journey on public transport for only 3 hours work.

marybelle01

Surely a better question would be, will my employer think it's unreasonable? They are, after all, the people who presumably decide whether you get any sessions or not? Or is the reason you are asking because they have decided?

mazza1985

As a support worker I would refuse.

Sambucus_Nigra

Torry_Quine wrote: »

Not really comparable though. This was a journey on public transport for only 3 hours work.

Probably cost more in fares than the OP gets in wages.

But it all depends on what the contract is.