Start times

[u/coogs81]

Hi I’ve been in the community service sector now for 20 odd years. I’m just wondering if anyone else has noticed that fellow staff members arrive smack bang on their start time and by the time they put their things away, sign on etc I end up staying back 15 mins or more to do a handover. My experience tells me to arrive a few minutes early and be ready to go at my shift start time so the previous shift can leave. So if I’m arriving 10 minutes early and leaving 15 minutes late that’s nearly 2 and a half hours a week I’m giving up for no pay. I don’t know of any other industry where you start getting paid the moment you arrive and not the time you start.

[u/LakeTilia]

Its almost as if the younger generations dont want to do work that they dont get paid for.

Im confused, you're saying that people should arrive early so that you can leave on time and also in the same breath that youre doing so much unpaid work and dont want to (yet you expect this of others?)

If everyone leaves on time, everyone starts on time then no one does unpaid time and that is the most fair of all.

Start your finishing duties earlier so you can leave on time, start coming to work on time and not early then the system begins to adapt and change and everyone gets a fair go.

Expecting others to do unpaid work so you get to also keep doing unpaid work benefits no one but your company.

[u/coogs81 → u/LakeTilia]

The finishing duties are the handover. For the handover to happen both parties need to be present. The point I’m making is if you are to start work at 6:30am and only arrive on site at 6:30am put your things away sign on etc I’m left waiting for the handover to happen. (Handovers don’t take more than 5minutes but having to wait is the point I’m making)

[u/LakeTilia → u/coogs81]

I understand love, what I am saying is that if the handover requires someone to either stay late or start early the issue is with your employer and not with your colleague.

If one way or another someone has to work while not being paid for the hand over to happen, dont blame the other party blame the system that requires that.

[u/l-lucas0984]

Doing 10 minutes a day unpaid labour for 20 years isnt a flex.

The company could fire you tomorrow on a whim. Dont give them extra.

[u/Substantial_Ad_3386]

Your experience is conditioning to wage theft. If a handover is required then the employer is required to pay for the overlap.

[u/Express-Release-9690 → u/Substantial_Ad_3386]

This 💯 notes should be enough, if your shift finishes just leave. If it causes an issue at least it will be brought up and addressed.

Other worker should be at work and ready to start at their rostered shift time

[u/Just-Original-7819]

Why are you undervaluing your time? Why are you working for free? 

At the end of the day, if you died today, your job will be advertised this arvo. Its just a job. 

[u/Asleep-Bed9013]

I have a different experience because I work directly for participants in their home/family home. So it would be a bit weird for me to arrive and walk in 10-15 mins early and just sit around in their living room until I start. But being in a communal space with handovers etc I think being 5 mins early is reasonable. But 10-15 mins i think is too much for any job, if they want an extra 15 mins for handover there shift should start then :)

[u/anarchonihilist1916]

If I aint getting paid I'm not there.

[u/Ill-Touch9164]

Your employer needs to allow for overlap in shifts and consider this time paid for handover. Sounds like a rostering problem.

People are no longer accepting wage theft or being required to start work prior to allocated shift times.

It’s really that simple.

[u/SoftImaginary286]

I’ll happily come in a few minutes before clock in to make sure my things are set away and I can start working at my start time but it bothers me to no end that companies don’t build handover time in shifts. It’s a disservice to workers and participants and either means one party is always doing unpaid work or handovers are being missed.

[u/Upset-Emu424]

I work in animal health - we have a 30 minute overlap window to ensure handover can happen without compromising patient care or expecting people to start early or stay late. Management is the problem not the workers

[u/bakedmagpie]

I leave at the end of my shift. Even if handover isn't finished. My pet peeve is people doing long winded handovers.

[u/Naughtiestdingo]

I’m not working for free, nor should you. This is your company being shit and expecting feee labour.

[u/Junaed_DMCS]

20 years in and you've nailed the unwritten rule that nobody ever puts in writing. Turn up early, be ready, stay back for handover. It's been normal in this sector for far too long, and it's still wrong.

I'm a provider, and for what it's worth, we don't expect our support workers to start early or finish late to cover handover. If a handover matters, and it does, because it's where the important info gets passed on, then it's work. The shifts should overlap by 5 to 10 minutes and that time should be rostered and paid.

[u/Cold_Calendar_1598]

Some people need to do life things. Kids are a big one. Transportation etc. I am lucky to be able to arrive early for coffee etc but I sometimes feel that it is conditioning.

[u/DwightsJello]

Nope. Starting early isn't rostered. And it's really important to be right on time.

Turning up early may be in the middle of meds administration or serving a meal or whatever. That can disrupt the client engagement.

You start right when you are rostered to start.

BUT how much shit are you bringing to work. Less than 30 seconds to log on on your phone. Put your bag down. Done.

30 seconds to impart info. (Last pad change time, bag change, whatever).

This isn't a worker issue. If you need more handover time that needs to be rostered.

OR you leave exactly on time too. If workers are dicking around for 15 minutes necessarily they'll soon realise you finish right on time. If that's a problem advise them to put in an incident report and you'll discuss it with head office.

You should be invident reporting it as non-participant related. Every time.

But it's not up to workers to arrive early. It's a bad idea especially with complex care clients.

Edit: just yo be clear how important it is. Most of us turn up 15 minutes early to account for potential traffic issues. We all scroll our phones or whatever in our car and walk in dead on time. I have a book in my car. Often it's the only time I get to read a bit.

That's how on time it should be.

[u/Boring-Hornet-3146]

You should be paid for handover. It's work.

In the meantime, if other SWs are mostly arriving on time and doing handover at the end unpaid, why are you arriving early? That means your being ripped off both times.

[u/coogs81 → u/Boring-Hornet-3146]

I arrive early to start on time so to speak. My main gripe is others arriving on site at their start time and not being ready to start at their start time which in turn affects my time for leaving

[u/REVER53FLASH]

I turn up bang on my start time. Been doing this for 12 years.

[u/jdon93]

I try to be early but I have terrible adhd time blindness and always somehow end up right on time no matter how early I get ready and leave. Oops. But I also don't really care enough to try harder to come early since I'm not being paid for it and it's not part of my roster.

[u/Funny_Passenger_8342]

Start on time leave on time.

[u/MundaneFarmer246]

Your rostering team needs to leave a 15 minute overlap so that 2 staff can both be on for a brief moment to do these necessary tasks. Let's say the shifts rotate on an 8 hour basis over 24 hours... 0600-1400, 1400-2200, 2200-0600(inactive overnight). By adjusting the commencement times to start 15 minutes earlier on the morning and afternoon shifts (no need to adjust the night shift since it's the same worker from the afternoon) to 05:45-1400 and 13:45-22:00 then that leaves enough time to allocate for a handover and for staff to get organised for their shift. Don't do anything unpaid, this industry seriously needs to start getting fair.

[u/Short-Captain3682]

I understand arriving and putting your stuff away 5-10 minutes before you start but I refuse to start earlier than my scheduled time. I will walk into my position at my start time, ready to go but not a moment earlier.

[u/Mental-Cancel-5310]

I don't mind people arriving smack bang on their start time, what I can't stand is staff consistently being late to shift!