Sheltered housing staff win tribunal case

Friday, 5 September 2003 12:00 AM

Nine members of staff at a sheltered housing site are to be compensated for abuses of their working rights.

The women took their employer, the London borough of Harrow, to a tribunal over rules that forced them to stay on site and on call for 76 hours per week.

Each of the women was paid to work for 37 hours at the sheltered accommodation site, which provides homes for elderly people. They were then required to stay on-site for a further 76 hours per week.

The tribunal ruled that the 76 hours were working hours, putting the council in breach of the working time regulations. It also highlighted that the women were not paid the national minimum wage for their time on standby.

Harrow has been ordered to pay the staff £1,500 each to compensate them for the breach in working regulations.

Staff took the case to tribunal because they felt they were being denied the right to a social life outside of work as they were effectively forced to stay at home for five days of the week.

The staff were backed in their case by the GMB and it appears other employees will now be able to claim the same rights.

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