Shared Shift Requirements

[stoofur]

My girlfriend works in a doctors surgery in the back office. She shares a 37 hour contract with a colleague. i.e She works 2 1/2 days a week and the other lady works the other 2 1/2 days. When one is on holiday or off sick then the other person must work the other 2 1/2 days. This sounds fine. A few times the other lady has called in sick and my girlfriend has had to cover the sick days. When this happens we have to pay for childcare which is around £5 per hour. My girlfriend only earns minimum wage which means she is only actually earning around £3 per hour after the childcare costs. To me this seems crazy and unfair. What are your thoughts? Is there a case of trying to claim back the costs incurred having to cover for the illness of someone else?

[bookbinder]

It isn't really the other lady's fault that she has been too ill to work. Whom would you send your claim to, anyway?

[woofgang]

Sadly she agreed to the T and C.......

[Baldric]

If your GF needs to work and has to pay for Childcare every now and again, see it as a living expense and absorb it.
Who would you expect to claim from anyway?

[bednobs]

she could just say no when asked (or conveniently leave her phone off on her days off)

[woofgang]

bedknobs, I don't think she can say no if its in her contract to cover...and if she doesn't cover because she isn't contactable, I am guessing that's breach of contract too.

[bednobs]

you have to be joking - what if you're climbing up snowdon?

[stoofur]

Thanks everyone. I kind of thought what you have all been saying. It just seems crazy that she is in effect "on call" when earning minimum wage. Her job is to scan in documents. I could understand the need to be on call if she was a doctor or something. Anyway I just thought I would ask.

[stoofur]

We are off to Italy in a couple of weeks. Could be interesting if the other person calls in sick then.

[ladybirder]

Perhaps your girlfriend should consider taking a litte sick leave stoofur;-)

[Maydup]

I wrote a sensible answer about clarifying the job share agreement and lost it. But my less sensible head suggests she calls in sick for a couple of days and cancels her child care for those days to get the time back that she is owed. She doesnt need a doctors note for 2/3 days off. Do it as often as the other one does it.

[woofgang]

bednobs, I don't have to be joking...as I said it depends what is in the contract

[fiction-factory]

Sounds like a job share agreement where the cover is part of the arrangement