What happens if a worker leaves a shift early?

If your needs change or your scheduled services are completed early, you might
consider asking your support worker to leave their shift early. While this may
seem straightforward, there are some important rules and processes in place to
ensure that everyone is treated fairly when it comes to last-minute service or
roster changes.
Before requesting an early departure for the worker, consider if there are
additional tasks the worker can assist with, but regardless of who initiates the
early departure, it’s important for either you or the worker to contact the office
before they depart.
Support workers are assigned specific shifts, and their pay is based on those
scheduled hours. If a worker leaves early, it can affect their pay, your funding,
your out-of-pocket contributions (if any), and the overall quality of service.
There is a difference between our obligations to pay our workers as employees
and the way your Support at Home funding is charged for the care hours you
receive, so how we respond will depend on:

• Our service agreement covering ‘late cancellations’ by either party
• What services are agreed in your care plan
• What was booked and confirmed with you for the specific service
• Whether the worker is an employee paid under an Award or if they are
  engaged by you as an independent contractor.

If you ask your worker to finish their shift early, you are generally still required to pay for the full scheduled period. This is because your worker has set aside that time for you, and the service provider (their employer) is still responsible for their wages.

There may be an exception if the worker requests to leave early for personal
reasons, and you (and we) agree; in that case, you’ll only be charged for the
time they actually provided support.

However, if a service ends early and it was your decision, the remaining time is
considered "cancelled without notice" and will usually still be charged to your
quarterly budget, as the worker must be compensated.

In unavoidable situations, such as if you experience an urgent personal or
medical event, we may or may not need to charge your quarterly budget for the
time that was missed. We will discuss this with you depending on the situation.
It’s a good idea to make a note of any changes to your regular care schedule in
your calendar or diary and to check your monthly statement against these
notes. This helps ensure there’s a clear record of what was agreed upon,
protecting both you and your support worker.

If you notice any discrepancies or have questions about your charges, please
contact the office promptly. If you did not agree to the worker leaving early or if
their early departure put you or anyone else at risk, please contact us
immediately to report the situation.

Additionally, it is never acceptable for either the worker or the participant to
agree to fabricate or alter shift details to manipulate the system.
By understanding and following these guidelines, you can help ensure that your
services continue smoothly and fairly, with clear communication and mutual
understanding.

Please let us know if you have any questions
about how we manage early departures for
your support workers.