I got a new job 2 days ago and am already gone. It’s a community care role, so going to peoples homes and helping them change and eat etc. they hired me knowing I can’t drive and said there would be a set pickup and drop off point near my house where drivers will collect me between shifts. So to understand this I’ll have to explain the schedule, for example, someone may need help getting up in the morning and then getting their lunch and dinner. So a days work is split. Such as 7:30-9:00am, 12:00-1:00PM, and 4:00-5:30PM. Between these times, I am NOT on the clock or getting paid in any way.
So day one, the girls drop me off and pick me up in a different location every time, 6 locations total all around town, up to an hours walk apart and nowhere near my home. So we finished morning shift at 10AM and we’re due to start lunch at 12. They left me a 45min walk from my house and about the same to get to the next location they wanted me at. When it would have taken them an extra 5mins to drop me off in the company car with company fuel, you know, doing the thing I was promised in the contract I signed. (Dropped off close to home). So basically, if I walked home I would have 30mins max and have to walk again or I could stay in town doing nothing in heavy company clothes carrying a bunch of shit with nowhere to go that I knew of at the time. In the heat. My boyfriend managed to get me but this continued the whole day. Again, I was specifically told this would not happen by management. I got home that night and just text my employer saying I’m really sorry but I’m essentially working a 9 hour day for 5 hours pay if I’m having to spend my entire time transporting myself between locations (where they operated the max difference I would have to walk was 2hrs). So I quit. She called me quite rudely, saying that all the other girls manage (they drive?) and if I was that down bad I could come to the office in town for a cup of tea and wait for my next shift everyday. I said no. She said “I don’t see why you can’t take your lunch breaks in the office like everyone else” I said it’s not a lunch break, it’s a finished shift with another starting in a few hours. But I am fully off of the clock, that this isn’t what I signed up for and I will not choose to spend my free time in an office drinking tea and staring at a white wall. She told me to call management and tell them I quit, then asked where I live because she’ll send someone to collect my things? I didn’t even get a chance to phone management myself, they phoned no less than 10mins later and the conversation went somewhat like this.
“(Employer) called us saying you’re quitting?”
“Yes. Sorry this just isn’t the job I signed up for if I’m having to spend an entire day walking town for 5 hours pay.”
“Well I don’t see your issue, you live in town, get picked up in town, get dropped off in town, and work in town. So I’m confused what your issue is”
“Yes that’s true but that can be a long walk still”
“Toril do you live in town?”
“Yes”
“Work in town?”
“Yes…”
“Get dropped off and picked up in town?”
“Yes but-“
“I’m sorry I’m just not seeing your issue”
I then explained exact streets to her and the distance between these streets and how I was being told to walk this in free time when they’re supposed to collect me. She let out an “oh..” and said yes that’s against protocol. And she’ll call me back in 5mins. She called me with a decided pick up and drop off point that is a 2min walk from my house if I’ll stay. I agreed to continue working.
Day 2, today went perfectly fine up until the bedtime shift. I was on with a totally new girl I haven’t met and she text me 35mins before the shift started with
“hey Toril, meet me at z place at 6:30.” I replied
“Hey coworker, I actually can’t drive so management has set a pick up and drop off point for me at x place.”
She got a text about this the night before btw. After typing and going offline etc for 5mins she replied with and I quote.
“Sorry but I’m not getting paid to pick you up. See you at 6:30”
It’s now 6PM, this place is a tight 30min walk so I’d have to leave asap or I’d be late. It was also raining and I have to carry massive bags with PPE and documentation on me. That was honestly the nail in the coffin. I just screenshot our conversation, and called management telling them I am done. This isn’t what I agreed to and while they (upper management in different town) are lovely the people working in my town are just messing me about and treating me like a burden and I feel disrespected by the way I’ve been spoke to in 2 days alone. I also got an email I can write a formal complaint to. I’ve done 27 hours of work for these people so far and won’t receive any pay for this. I’ll add some additional annoying things below.
-the girls leaving me in the middle of nowhere (all of which could drive) were dropping each other home and picking each other up but not me.
-even though they can drive there is supposed to be a guaranteed meet point in town that all staff follow 100% of the time. They just weren’t following this and therefore didn’t have one so management made one that tailored to me more.
-I found out after they kicked me out of the car 45mins away from my home that they did so to get lunch together at a place nearby, didn’t even ask me if I was hungry or wanted to tag along.
-every single time I walked to a meet point the driver had picked the other workers up (all of which could drive themselves) but they made me find my own way.
-they ARE in fact paid to pick me up.
-the first employer I spoke to one full well they were breaking protocol but wanted to make me feel bad and that I should sit in an office for hours with her before walking to my next shift in my free time.
-management seemed horrified.
-I get no pay and was 100% treated as a burden and spoke to rudely even though they chose to hire me.