Charity to pay care workers minimum wage for sleep-ins
20 June 2017
Mencap has agreed to pay care workers above the national 20 June 2017 for sleep-ins, following a successful campaign by UNISON.
Carers working sleep-in shifts spend the night at either a care home or the home of someone requiring care. They are permitted to sleep during these shifts but must respond to issues as they occur and are obliged to stay on the premises at all times.
The charity Mencap has been in dispute with UNISON over its failure to pay care staff the minimum wage when providing on-call night care.
Some carers had previously been paid a flat rate of £25 for a nine-hour sleep-in shift – which works out at just £2.80 an hour. Staff will now be paid an average of £7.50 per hour for every sleep-in they work from April 2017 onwards.
The changes follow representation by UNISON on behalf of Mencap staff in January 2017.
Mencap has appealed an Employment Tribunal case taken by UNISON relating to back pay for care staff undertaking sleep-ins. The appeal date has not yet been set.