Home Carers
A regular reader has been in touch to some concerns about the working conditions of Home Carers in North Lanarkshire Council.
Apparently, the full-time Home Carer who contacted me is required to work an 11 hour day from 7.00 am until 6.00pm with a half hour unpaid break which is supposed to be taken between 12.30 and 1.00pm.
Not surprisingly, the person feels that this is a very long day which is made more onerous because there are no scheduled breaks, other than lunch, which has its own problems because Home Carers don't have a 'workplace' like other council staff because they work in their clients' homes.
Likewise with other things that other council workers take for granted such as going to the toilet - Home Carers often have to ask their clients if they can use their loo, as there are so few public toilets in operation these days.
But back to the length of the working day and the absence of proper rest breaks - 'What can I do about the situation?", the reader asks.
Well it seems to me that Home Carers need to get together to discuss these issues and gather information about how other groups of workers within the council are treated, for example.
A few of the points I would be raising are:
- Why is the working day so long and why is there only one 30 minute break?
- Is the start and finished time influenced by a desire (on the council's part) to avoid making shift payments?
- Why is there no provision for other paid rest breaks during such a long working day, an opportunity to grab a cup of coffee or tea, for example, which other council workers take for granted, of course?
