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I am a live in caregiver, I get paid 400.00 per week. I never get a day off or even just a few hours to go out, oh I do go to the grocery store. It just gets to me sometimes. I feel like I sometimes don’t know who I am and then when her family comes over I am expected to cater to them. Any suggestions on how I could approach this situation?

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No one can work full time without a break without burning out.

Please look into a caregiver contract with your clients.

Best wishes to you.
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Hopefuture111 Mar 2021
Are you able to apply for respite caregiver help? You can have some time off and get some much needed rest and relaxation.
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I do remember you from another post---but I am not 100% sure.

Is this family you're caring for? Family will abuse a good natured person nigh unto death.

But..
is does not make it OK for ANYONE, family or no, to abuse you in this fashion. You MUST get a lawyer on board to draw up a contract that is abided by. You look pretty young in your picture and I hate to think of you wasting 15+ years in servitude and not even having the possibility of SS to look forward to.

If they balk at paying you what you're worth, you walk.

Even if this were a straight 40 hr workweek--at $10 an hour, you are not making much. I was paid that 15 years ago when I began CG for a job. No health insurance, I imagine, right? And you probably sleep with one ear open every night because your job never ends. You don't get weekends off? OR even ONE day a week?

Honey, that is called being a full time MOM and I don't think these are your kids!

Joking aside--if you don't advocate for yourself, nobody else will.

Good Luck!!
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Looked back on ur previous posts starting with Feb 2020.

Seems you have been having problems for a year with this couple. You need to contact your Labor Board and find out the law in ur State concerning live in Caregivers. You are entitled to time off. You are entitled to room and board free. Sounds to me like they are paying $10 an hour for 40 hrs. If so, thats what u work, anything over that is time and half. You should have a contract. They should be deducting taxes and SS (matching it) and making sure IRS and SS gets the amts. No one should be expected to work 24/7.
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How did you end up in this situation?
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100% agree with Alva and Grandma1954: the arrangement is not legal, not reasonable and not healthy.

Under your current arrangement the IRS would consider you a full-time employee of the PoA/elder. This means they should be complying with their state's tax laws for withholding, reporting, etc. You are robbing yourself by not working "above the table" so that you are having Social Security contributed from what's withheld from your paychecks for your future needs.

The family probably loves you and the arrangement. I'm an employer, so I recommend you gather all the facts, including job-hunting (you may have to do this online if you don't have any time-off) to see what you can get in the marketplace. I don't know if they can legally kick you out right away (it may be possible) so make sure you have a place to land before you talk to them). Then make an appointment to present the info to the PoA (and don't be nervous -- you are doing nothing wrong). Tell them the current situation is unsustainable for you (you do not need to elaborate). Present them with a written request for getting paid by check, your required hourly rate, no more R+B arrangement, and the maximum hours/which days you are willing to work. I strongly recommend you do not continue to live with her. Couch surf for a while if you must but living there just gives them the chance to take advantage of your presence. If they don't accept your offer then it's time to leave. Give them 2 weeks notice in writing. They've had it good for a long time and now comes the reality check. Good luck!
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If you get no time off what you are being paid is not legal. Let me repeat that. It is NOT legal. (even worse if they are claiming you would be paid more but for the "room and board")
That is about $2.38 cents pre hour.
And if they are not paying into Social Security for you and abiding by the rules (I seriously doubt they are) it will harm you in the long run when you are missing quarters for Social Security.
I STRONGLY suggest that you contact the Labor Board in your State.
Do be prepared to leave your job. (not much of a loss if you ask me)
You can do far better even if you worked for an agency.
Please do not sell yourself short on this. You are worth FAR more than what you are being paid.
And typically a "live in" will work 3 to 5 days and will get at least 8 hours per day of "off" time.
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I think that Beatty's maxim applies here: "There will be no solutions as long as you are all the solutions". You are doing it, apparently without complaint, or asking that it be otherwise. I am not certain what your hourly salary comes to if you are expected to work 24/7 without a break (? illegal under labor law) but minimum wage may be violated as well as numbers of hours continuously on duty. I am not well enough versed to say. I would see a labor law attorney to discuss. I would ask to breaks and if the family instead fires you you may have a lucrative lawsuit against them. See someone about labor law in your area.
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