New to Homecare, need adivce about extra work

emilyjay87

Hi,
I've just started a job caring for someone in their home who requires 24/7 care just over a month ago. I keep getting called in for extra shifts, which goes with the job I suppose, but with like 6 hours notice for night shift. The shifts are usually at least 12 hours with waking night included (8-8 shifts usually). I know I could in theory say no but we're so short staffed they really try to persuade/push you into it. When I took the job on it was meant to be 3x 12 hour shifts a week and now I'm lucky if I can get a full day off that isn't a 'sleep day' after night shift.
My question is, someone who works for an agency said she can ask for increased rate of pay to cover a shift at such short notice but I can't find anywhere if this would be applicable to me?
Any advice appreciated! I'm only 21 and this is my first non-hospitality job so I'm not too sure what's considered reasonable.

elsien

If you don't want the extra work, get another phone just for work use and turn it off when you're not there. Then you don't have to have the conversation in the first place.
Yes in care work there has to be flexibility and a bit of give and take. But not if it's all one way. They pressure the people they know will cave in and agree to do it - it is not your responsibility to ensure shifts are covered, it's the managerss and they will take advantage of your good nature if you let them. (I say this as an ex-manager who regularly had staff complain about the pressure from other managers, and I said the same to them.)
It is ok to say no if it's getting too much. You can ask for extra - we used to pay extra as a last resort if all else failed - but it's a bit of a double edged sword in that it then leads to increased expectations of you picking up the shifts at short notice. It won't be in the policies because it's not contractual, it's a last resort and won't be agreed every time.
So you need to decide what you think is reasonable and stick to it. Because the more you agree to do, the more you will be asked.

ETA -are you opted in or out of the working time directive?

dawyldthing

I’m a second for either get another phone or just put it on silent to work numbers. As sad as it sounds you have to become quite thick skinned or you could live at work. It’s brillant for wages, but not so good for yourself or your life. It’s the same in most healthcare settings mind, they are just generally really understaffed as there’s a lot of folk needing support and decreasing numbers wanting to do it

TELLIT01

How long have you been doing the job and how many times have you been called to do additional shifts at short notice? If they have a short term problem you may be willing / able to assist, but if it is long term, and the calls are becoming almost a standard part of the week, you need to start saying No to them.