Calm me down about work issue please.

[Geckos48]

We have a new senior at our work, we'll call her A. I never have this trouble with the other one.

Two weekends ago I was doing some extra calls on Saturday morning because they had nobody in to cover, I was promised by my boss (B) that I would finish at 11am, which was clear from my rota, I get a call from A as I am heading to my last call;

'When you've finished you will go to '

No please or thank you, nothing. I was in front of a client so just said 'okay speak to you in a bit', when I called her afterwards I said 'is there anyone else who can do it? I'm supposed to be off now'. She said no, a girl had gone sick. Again no please or thank you.

Last night was a cock up and I ended up going to a call twice because the office messed me calls around, I ended up out until 9.30 when I was rota'd in til 9, not great on Christmas night. It wasn't A's fault but she could have gone and done the call much earlier and saved me staying up later than anyone else at work.

Today I had my first call at 7am but a gap between 8 and 9 so I checked with my client who I am good friends with and he said I could come between 7.30 and 8am instead ( the call is for an hour) after fannying about with the car being frosty I finally managed to get to his at 7.50 leaving plenty of time to do the call, I get a call from A

'After your call you need to go to ...' I said 'sorry I can't, have just arrived at first call and can't do it'. 'that doesn't matter, I need you here' she starts shouting at me and I hang up (eventually) looked at my phone ten minutes later and had a missed call, so I phone her

'Yeah don't worry about it, I've had to go and do it, I should have finished by now but because or you I have to go to another call'

Now this woman has no kids, gets paid a healthy premium for being on call and it is her responsibility to cover not me.

I sent her a message saying that I am only available for the calls I have agreed, that I will be speaking to the office tomorrow and that I don't wish to be treated like a skivvy.

She phoned me and I said 'is this about the calls I have this morning' and she said 'no I am trying to be nice Gecko' I said I didn't want to talk to her about it and hung up. The thing is she gave the impression that I was in some sort of trouble and by making a report about her I would be shooting myself in the foot and I am worried about it. I am always going out for extra calls, working as hard as I can and often working on my weekends off. I am now worried about tomorrow :(

[Geckos48]

I think basically they have got used to saying 'jump' and me saying 'how high' that they just put it on me now, but I expect some common courtesy!

[ChippingInLovesChristmasLights]

Try not to spoil the rest of your day by worrying about it.

She is in the wrong, not you.

You come across really well - I am sure you can explain to the management what is happening and hopefully B will back you up too.

Have a enjoy your family and don't let her take up your head space.

[Geckos48]

Yes that's what my husband said. Unfortunately I can't have a drink because I am working again this evening x

[tribpot]

I can't really make sense of how your work is structured.

It sounds like you have fixed appointments that you go to and she is providing holiday cover for all other appointments. So why did you need to speak at all?

Could she reasonably have expected to be able to ask you to do an extra job between 8 and 9 this morning, or are you only meant to work your fixed appointments?

I think, given you've hung up on her a number of times (because she was shouting at you but she'll neglect to mention that bit I'm sure) you could with writing down a timeline of the events so far and having that with you when you go to work tomorrow. There is no reason why you should have to be shouted at. It also sounds like you've had to do unpaid overtime because she couldn't be bothered attending to a call, just left you to do it after the end of your shift. This may have caused some inconvenience to the person you were calling on as well, I imagine?

This needs sorting out. She appears to be failing to do her job. So, not surprisingly, she's told you not to report her. Do you know her manager? What about the previous boss, has he or she moved on now?

[pickledsiblings]

It sounds badly organised to me although I'm sensing that for this job to work well for both of you (whilst remaining flexible) you should try to amicably resolve your issues. Perhaps arrange for a coffee and a chat, she's new isn't she so maybe if you explain what has worked for you thus far she'll take it on board. It doesn't sound like she is being deliberately spiteful. I wouldn't mention her lack of kids etc as that should really have no bearing on how well (or not) she does her job.

[Geckos48]

My work is homecare so it's zero contract hours and yesterday was very unstructured.

I was given a list of calls to go to and I went to them, one I had to go to twice.

I don't think it was reasonable for her to expect me to do a call on Boxing Day at the drop of a hat, had I not arranged to go in later, I would have spent that precious hour with my family rather than ran around doing extra calls.

It is the sheer nerve of it that gets me, the assumption that I just will work without so much as a shred of appreciation.

I have a young family and I was doing them a huge favour working over Christmas. I just didn't expect to be treated like that.

[Geckos48]

She is new to the senior role but has been in the actual job the same amount of time as me.

[atomicYuleLoghurt]

I also don't entirely understand your work situation, but if this lady is your boss you need to make a reasonable effort to sort it with her before you go higher. Because phone calls are getting a bit fraught I'd suggest you do this in writing. Email her and explain how you feel about the situation, that you understand having to cover when other staff let her down but your family situation means you don't feel you can be reasonably expected to constantly work extra hours.
Also you would feel better if she would deal on a more civil manner, that saying please and thank you is basic civility.

If she can't deal with that then go higher. You will get more from management if it seems like you have tried your best to deal with a difficult situation.

[Geckos48]

She is my senior but not my boss. She is not in a management position.

I have a good working relationship with my boss and I would much, much rather speak to her about this than A.

[tribpot]

Well, this sounds like a matter for your boss. She's not your manager so you're effectively just two people in a team, one of whom happens to be on a higher grade than the other? She seems to have done some appalling and unnecessary rank pulling to make her own shift easier over Christmas.

The unexpected call on Boxing Day - are you not on a shift and you do whatever calls come up in that shift? Or are you paid per call, and the rest of the time is your own?

[Geckos48]

We are paid per call, obviously normally I would be available between 8-9 if there was a gap in my rota but as it is Christmas I would have spent that hour with my family, which I did but before the call rather than after.

I can understand her phoning me, but to then get aggressive about my inability to do anything about the situation in hand (I had already stayed in bed half an hour and got up to do my call later) was needless, especially when she could easily have done the call herself.

Assuming that I would do it despite my situation was crap of her and trying to make me feel guilty for her own issues was also a bit off I think.

Today I worked from 8 til 10.30am and will be working from 3-9.30pm, every moment with my family is valuable to me

[clam]

Not excusing the manner she spoke to you in, but did she not perhaps assume that, because your first call was originally meant to be at 7am, you would be free for the extra one she asked you to do? She presumably didn't know that you had privately arranged to push it back later and were therefore tied up?

[Geckos48]

As I said, I can understand her phoning me but once I had explained the situation and that there was nothing more I could do, surely then she should have just done the call rather than had a go at me?

Also regardless of what time I did the call, I would not have been happy to take on an extra call at short notice because it's Christmas and I want some time off too.

[clam]

Does she not realise that you were "doing the team a favour" working over Christmas, then? Again, not excusing her tone, but if she thinks you were rota'd on under normal terms and conditions, she might just have thought it was reasonable to ask (OK, tell!) you to do the extra call.

[Geckos48]

But I haven't said it was not appropriate for her to phone me, I have said it was not appropriate for her to guilt trip me and shout at me when there was nothing I could do about the situation in hand. Especially as she was not on a call and could easily do it herself.

[Geckos48]

I don't know if you are just not reading my posts properly? I think they are quite clear??

[tribpot]

I don't think a lot of us reading are familiar with this kind of work, Gecko, where you're paid per call. I'd expect that if I was on a shift and my schedule showed a gap between 8 and 9 I could reasonably be expected to be available then, but I appreciate from what you describe that that's not exactly how your work goes. If I was co-ordinating the day's calls and I didn't know that you had pushed one back (which it sounds like you have the flexibility to do?) I might be frustrated not have known that sooner but if you're paid per call it's up to you whether you accept additional ones in the gaps. So even if you had done your first call at 7 you could still have turned this one at 8 down.

Either way, there was no reason for her to speak to you as she did, which is the point you should highlight to your boss.

[Geckos48]

Yes that is exactly it, it was up to me if I took an extra call, not up to her. In all the home care jobs I have worked it has been like this. I can totally understand her thinking I had a gap there, but not that she didn't have any time for anything else I could be doing or that I might not want an extra call, especially considering she had a gap herself to do the call! That is what really annoys me, she had space, she was off last night and STILL thought it reasonable to put guilt and pressure on me to do that call.

[UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea]

You are not doing anyone a favour, you are doing paid work.

If you were unable to work beyond your rostered hours you need to state it clearly.

If you rearrange a client's appointment you need to tell your organisation.

A sounds like she is brusque and presumptuous but her marital or parental status don't come into it.

[Geckos48]

No trust me, had I not have worked over Christmas the management would have been out doing calls, they had no one.

I often cover for people at late notice and am always a team player.

I just don't like being treated like a skivvy, it is not a big ask.

[oadcb]

Homecarers often get treated like rubbish.Its so wrong.Hard work 365days of the year.

Definitely a meeting is needed to air all this. Senior needs a lesson in people skills.

[Geckos48]

Yes well judging from some of the comments on this thread you can see why!

[clam]

"judging from some of the comments on this thread"

Where are you getting that from? I've read it as though everyone is agreeing with you that this colleague has dealt with you poorly.

[LCHammer]

How does your zero hours contract work? Do you have to be available at all times? I hope at least you get a higher rate for working over Xmas.

[Geckos48]

Zero contract hours are a bit crap for everyone really, they can't dictate how much I work anymore than I can dictate how much work they give me.