Strap in folks, this is a long one. Used to work in a nursing home, in Scotland, as a nightshift carer. Shifts were 8pm to 8am.
After a mess up, nurses were being paid to come in at 7.45 (only 15 minutes before major shift change, same in the morning as night) to receive a hand over about the clients, medication checks etc.
About a week after this was implemented management told carers they had to come in 15 minutes early. We asked if we were getting paid. We were told it was a trial. Most staff worked four shifts a week, so management were getting an extra free hour from us. No extra time for breaks were going to be given. We couldn't leave early if the handover was done and the next shift was there.
As we didn't get paid, I called ACAS (government advisory service about working laws, as I'm not in a union). They inform me if I'm not paid, I do not need to be there early (the 15 minutes), however I am expected to be on the 'floor' to start work on time, not just arriving at the building etc etc (so a few minutes, depending on person).
So I don't arrive early. I get a few passive aggressive comments from some staff, but I ignore them because I ain't wasting energy
After a few weeks it comes out we would not be getting paid for the fifteen minutes, but the nurses will continue to do so. Eventually this happens:
Night shift manager (NSM): you need to come in early for the handover.
Me: Am I getting paid?
NSM: No, but-
Me: sorry, if I'm not getting paid, I'm not coming in early.
NSM: Its only 15 minutes.
Me: A, its my fifteen minutes. B, I have family obligations so leaving early for work unless its required (meeting, emergency etc) is difficult so not happening. C- ACAS says legally I don't have to.
NSM: If you don't do it the other staff will stop.
Me: Good. I've been telling them what ACAS said about it.
Eventually the home manager stops by one night for a check. We have the following conversation:
Home Manager (HM): I hear you aren't attending the handovers?
Me: the handovers are given to carers by our nurses once the past shift leaves.
HM: yes but you could be more efficient and get the report with the nurses.
Me: last time I tried that I got told I didn't need to listen…
HM: so you're going to start coming in at 7.45?
Me: Am I getting paid?
HM: no-
Me: there's your answer.
This might seem like a bit much over 15 minutes a shift, but this fight is due to training.
One day warning signs went up, saying we had two weeks to complete online training. This is before we even had the information about them!
Home Manager pulls a few of us in at a time to give us log ins and information. We are 'advised' to do the training at home, because we need to be focused at work.
Feel petty about this, but doesn't sound too bad.
Open the first training file, and doing everything properly, it takes over 4 hours. There are about 25 files. (Background, laws, information, examples, evaluation/tests, home policy etc).
Can you see where I'm going with this?
We have a regular staff meeting. We get told off for not completing the training. I ask the manager if we are able to use the work computer if its free to work on training since it would be easier to do at work.
HM: you can do it at home.
Me: I tried that and it took me hours. I an unable due to family commitments.
HM: you can do that on your lunch break then.
Me: sorry, lunch is for lunch. I have called ACAS and they said I do not need to do training during my lunch if I do not want to. They said you should be proving time and space to do the training here.
HM: Fine, you can have 20-30 minutes a shift, but thats it. And clients come first.
Me: of course.
HM: so when do you think you'll be done with the training? Two weeks?
Me: laughs wait you're serious?
(Ended up working with a nurse who let me sit on the computer and focus on training a few nights for a while to get them done. It would be quicker to just skip to the evaluation/test of each section, but need to read everything, and make notes. Can't rush training!)