Asked to cover a shift at work while on holiday

Nessy86

Is it ok for my boss to ring me while I'm taking paid holiday (time off) to ask if I'm willing to come in to work a shift?

To clarify I work as a care worker on the night shift in an elderly care home. I generally work 44hr sometimes more due to the horrendous sickness as of late within my workplace. I often will pick up shifts if needed and have also recently been promoted but have yet to sign a new contract.

I generally don't mind helping out but it seems whenever I take holidays I will get many phone calls or messages asking me to come in that night because someone has phoned in sick. I'm only on the 10th day of my holiday and I've had 4 different messages on different days asking if I'm willing to come in and help out by the 4th time I didn't reply because I was sick of being pestered.

I really needed this break from work for health reasons as I have recently injured my back and had to see my GP but was wandering, am I legally bound to come in if it's a paid holiday?

BorisThomson

You're not legally bound to go to work whilst on annual leave.

It is ok for the employer to ask.

elsien

You're not legally bound to do anything.
They are ringing you because you've picked up extra shifts in the past so they reckon they've got more chance of persuading you.
You just need to make your position clear. I had care staff who wanted me to call them on leave because they wanted the overtime, so with their permission I always tried them first. Other staff I'd never contact when they were on holidays because people have a right to their break undisturbed.

Tell them no. Tell them not to phone again and that you won't be picking up or answering any messages. Then do what I do. Get a cheap phone with PAYG sim just for work, turn it off when you're on holiday or on days off and don't turn it back on till you're back at work. They'll soon get the message. But you have to be assertive because as long as you keep answering, they'll keep calling. They couldn't call you in if you'd gone abroad. Leave in this country shouldn't be any different.

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Just to check, if this is the 4th time in 10 days, and you are only now asking if you have a legal obligation to go in, does that mean you went in on the previous three?

Nessy86

ScorpiondeRooftrouser wrote: »

Just to check, if this is the 4th time in 10 days, and you are only now asking if you have a legal obligation to go in, does that mean you went in on the previous three?

No I didn't go in, told them on three occasions I wouldn't cover as I was on my holiday.

jobbingmusician

Also....when you go back to work, make sure you get a very clear answer to this question.

"When I work extra shifts, I understand that I get paid for these. Do I also accrue extra holiday for working these extra hours?"

If you are working extra shifts at your normal rate of pay, and NOT accruing holiday for these extra hours, you are actually working for less than your normal rate. It's a common trick that some employers use to get cheap labour!

DCFC79

Get a basic phone with a payg sim and give that number to the employer, if you do this you can have your time off and not be pestered.

Its ok for them to phone amd ask you, be annoying though.

Sncjw

What are they going to do if you go away for holiday.

Tell them no. Could they not arrange cover from an agency

ohreally

Perhaps you're sending out signals encouraging then to contact you.

You need to impress on them not to contact you.

montyrebel

they can ask, you can say no, that's it