Carer - training times

Bully86

Hi, my wife works as a carer at a local nursing home and does 3 x 12 hour night shifts 8 till 8, she's been there almost 2 years now and the 3 shifts can be any days of the week, however management keep putting her down for training a few hours after her shift has finished when she should be sleeping or early in the morning when she is due in later that night.

I've checked her contract and it only states she will be paid day rate for any training undertaken and reasonable notice will be given when working night shifts, but they  hardly give any notice, usually a day or two before and then she gets threatened with verbal or written warnings if she can't get in.

I feel she should be given more notice and they need to be more accommodating or can they just make her go into training whenever?
Any advice? I'm no good at this sort of thing so thanks in advance!

theoretica

The working time directive may be relevant - daily rest - ensures she gets time to sleep! 

Savvy_Sue

I hope your wife has the support of a union, and will work with their support and with her colleagues to get the employer to give more notice

TELLIT01

If the training is outwith her working times surely it should make sense to everybody that it needs to be on a non-working day.  To expect anybody to take information in after working a 12 hours shift is simply stupid.

elsien

theoretica said:

The working time directive may be relevant - daily rest - ensures she gets time to sleep! 

Residential care falls under compensatory rest guidance. There is an exemption from the normal rules.

What sort of training are they calling her in for? In person? Online? 

If she only works three days a week can she not go in on one of her nonworking days? Has she actually spoken to the manager or whoever organises the training about this? As above, it is a particularly stupid time to arrange it when she’s knackered.

Care homes are crying out for staff at the moment. It would be in their interest for them to consider how they can keep their good staff. If not she may just want to up sticks and move somewhere else It shouldn’t be hard finding another job in care as things stand right now.