Overtime pay at Christmas axed: It discriminates against the other religions, say care home bosses

By Daily Mail Reporter

A chain of care homes is refusing to pay its staff overtime this Christmas – claiming that it would discriminate against other religions.

The firm said it had an ‘ethical belief in equality’ which means it cannot favour Christmas over ‘other religious festivals’.

Staff were told that it would only pay bonuses for bank holidays, which rules out Christmas Day and Boxing Day this year because they fall at the weekend.

Nurse with elderly lady at homeScores of care workers who provide 24-hour care for the elderly have been told they won’t be getting any type of bonus for working over Christmas

Scores of care workers who provide 24-hour care for the elderly were told of the pay arrangements during recent meetings with Guinness Care and Support.

One member of staff said: ‘We have learned that senior head office management have decided that all staff who work on Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be paid standard, flat-rate wages with no bonuses whatsoever.

‘The management themselves are on two weeks’ annual leave. It has come as a shock and left us all stunned.
Guinness Care and Support said it had an 'ethical belief in equality' which means it cannot favour Christmas over 'other religious festivals'Guinness Care and Support said it had an ‘ethical belief in equality’ which means it cannot favour Christmas over ‘other religious festivals’

‘Due to the nature of the work we expect to work festive times and give up our own time with our families knowing we are giving time, care and support to those who are
unfortunate enough to need to live in care homes.

‘But for the management to deem that we do not deserve some sort of bonus, like the majority of other employees at this time of year, is not a reflection of their mantra of care and support in the community. It obviously excludes their own staff.’

Mick Green, senior human resources manager for Guinness Care and Support, said that it was company policy not to pay extra to staff working at Christmas.

He said: ‘We would like to make our position on pay clear. We have a strong ethical belief in equality and diversity and are unable to recognise one religious festival over others.

‘Our policy is not to pay extra when staff work during a religious festival.

Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said he will contact Guinness Care and Support for a more comprehensive explanation of its positionExeter MP Ben Bradshaw said he will contact Guinness Care and Support for a more comprehensive explanation of its position

‘We would like to stress that many of our office-based staff will also be working over the Christmas period in order to support staff in our homes during this busy time.’

Mr Green said there was a statutory responsibility to recognise bank holidays, and people working on Monday, December 27 and Tuesday, December 28, would receive extra pay
as outlined in their contracts.

Guinness Care and Support runs more than 20 residential homes across Devon looking after hundreds of elderly men and women.

Exeter Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said that he would be contacting Guinness Care and Support for a more comprehensive explanation of the company’s position.

He said: ‘I am surprised at their stance. We are still an overwhelmingly Christian society and Christmas is a religious festival and a public holiday.

‘Other religious festivals are not public holidays and I do not think Guinness is comparing like with like.’

Hugo Swire, Conservative MP for East Devon, added: ‘I can give you my reaction in one word – bonkers.’

Sarah Austin, an employment expert at Foot Anstey solicitors, in Exeter, said: ‘Unless there is a contractual provision to the contrary, employers aren’t actually obliged
to pay more than the standard rate of pay to employees who work on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

‘But they will sometimes exercise their discretion to do so in the interests of maintaining good relations with their employees.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1331767/Christmas-overtime-pay-axed-care-home-bosses-say-discriminates-religions.html#ixzz1634Gz4ps

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

4 Replies to “Overtime pay at Christmas axed: It discriminates against the other religions, say care home bosses”

  1. ‘The management themselves are on two weeks’ annual leave.”
    Figures, guess the not bothering with religious festivals didn’t include themselves.
    It wouldn’t be so bad, but you just know there contribution to religious equality will be ignoring Christian festivals, and grovelling to any passing asian or blacks religious views, no matter how vile.
    Mom only wants women to view her wrinkled old body, well no stone must be left unturned.
    The staff should threaten to strike, they’d reverse themselves like the dirty rotten scavengers they are.

  2. It was only a matter of time before someone decided to try this, the anti-Christians have managed to gain a lot of ground around the world.
    Welcome to the world the left has created.

  3. Interesting. I anticipate this policy shift (elimination of holiday premium pay scales) on this side of the pond as well.

    Fallout from ObamaCare is quickly becoming visible. Elder care facilities which rely on Medicaide and Medicare in the USA fear the inevitable cuts on the horizon. Grandma is in such care. She was informed that she could go home for the Thanksgiving holiday AND sleep in her own bed overnight for the first time in two years because she has demonstrated achievement in therapy. Grandma is beyond elated. Grandpa . . .not so much.

    Grandma hasn’t had any ‘therapy’ since she was moved from the rehab unit over a year ago. She is legally blind, suffers extreme vertigo when standing and sustains total impairment on her left hemisphere due to a stroke. Nothing on her left side functions at all.

    However, if she does go home (all of us will be there to assist) and stays successfully overnight in her own bed which is on the third floor (grand-dad is in ill health too), the care center has the legal justification to permanently release her to grandpa’s care. He just got out of the hospital himself. Using granny’s dream of going home in such an underhanded way should be criminal.

  4. The Unions have Christmas pay in their contracts, as long as that continues the rest of the people will be paid holiday pay to avoid a union vote.