Trouble at work

[Wifecomes1st]

Hi all, needing some advice. I currently juggle being a Carer for my wife and working 5 days a week. My employer is changing my days of work and will require me to to work 9 days in a row, I have explained my careers responsibilities but have been told that it’s not their concern. Not sure where I stand, any advice would be great. Thank you

[Chris From The Gulag]

Difficult situation.

Two links on the relationship between the employer and the working carer :

https://www.carersuk.org/help-and-advic ... ts-at-work

https://www.peoplefirstinfo.org.uk/look ... s-a-carer/

My recommendation is to seek specialist assistance ... ACAS offer such a service :

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042

Failing that , the HR manager / union rep within the company / business ... bear in mind the question of loyalties ... are they really independent ?

There is NO easy answer to this one.

The Law is one thing ... trouble is , it does NOT protect a carer in a PRACTICAL situation.

At any stage , there can be a serious clash of priorities for a family / kinship carer.

Earning monies to put food on the table / heat in the meter OR care for the caree.

A balancing act that would defeat the world's best acrobat !

[jenny lucas]

Others here have mentioned 'disabled by association' - ie, if you care for a disabled person, you too are 'disabled by association' and therefore employers have to (or only 'should'???!) make 'allowances and accommodation' as if YOU were the disabled person (or face discrimination charges??)

If it's impossible to get around the 9-days-at-a-stretch, you may be faced with the choice of keeping your job and your wife getting in outside carers for those days, or finding another job????!!!!

Will it not 'all come out in the wash' though ? Presumably the 'nine-days-at-a-stretch' is then followed by a FOUR day 'double weekend'? It had better be!!!!

Check your contract and all the detailed Ts and Cs....you never know!

Defo join a union.

Sometimes it comes down to the brutal 'my employer needs me more than I need him' ....or not.

[jenny lucas]

Who looks after your wife currently while you are at work now, and what is wrong with her?

[jenny lucas]

Sorry, you don't have to say what's wrong - simply unless it affects what care she needs and who, potentially, could provide it if not you....

[Wifecomes1st]

We currently manage her care ourselves and have arrangements based around my working days, I have worked the same pattern for over 3 years. I have looked at the disabled by association but I’m not sure how this would work as I don’t think I’m actually registered as her Carer. The issue is mental health.
It would be 2 days off after the 9 then back at work For a 5 day week. This would be 1 9 day stretch a month the rest being my normal 5 days. Hope that makes sense

[Chris From The Gulag]

Slightly different angle IF one had to rely on the protection afforded to carers if one is not the primary carer ... as maybe evidenced by Carers Allowance.

One for ACAS , me thinks ... again ?

Discrimination ... carer's angle ?

Always tends to be indirect ( Unless one looks at our Lord Kitch ) ... so many " Shoulds / woulds / coulds " as opposed to a simple " Yes " and " No " ... shades of the Care Act , 2014 again ?

Any lawyer asked to mount a case would be faced with the same problem.

[Wifecomes1st]

Slightly different angle IF one had to rely on the protection afforded to carers if one is not the primary carer ... as maybe evidenced by Carers Allowance.

One for ACAS , me thinks ... again ?

We don’t claim carers as I earn too much to qualify
I will contact Acas and see where I stand

[Chris From The Gulag]

Agreed.

Correction ... you are the primary carer , said protection afforded to carers WILL kick in ... for what that proves to be worth in the final outcome.

Let us know how you get on ... it may help others will similar problems in the future ... especially so with that Green Rizla Paper due by the end of the year.

[Wifecomes1st]

I will let you know, thanks for all the info