can they force me to do weekend work?

sillygoose

Hi,
My job is traditionally roughly 9-5 weekdays although often varies a bit in hours, as per my contract. I have not worked weekends in this job (over a decade now). Some colleagues occasionally volunteer to for a large overtime payment but don't normally either.

My employer is likely to move to a weekend cover rota to impress our customers (although they have never been given this service) so can they force me to work a weekend day and give a day in lieu?

I am deeply unhappy about this as a parent of young kids, a day off in the week when they are at school and wife is at work is not the same as a weekend day spent with them, even if they butter it with some money.

Is their any legal protection for weekends or changing the days you work?

Zazen999

What does your contract actually say?

987654

As you have children, you have the right to request flexible working - which covers not be able to/ wanting to work at weekends due to the need/ desire to be with your children.

sillygoose

Having trouble finding it just now but I remember my contract states along the lines- you will normally work core hours 9 - 5.30 weekdays but may be required to work outside these hours at times of exceptional business need.

Which doesn't to me give carte Blanche for switching to regular weekend work.

Horace

An employer should sit down and discuss this possible change with all employees. Are you in a union? If so what do they say?

Saving_spree

Changing the day depends on the management.May be you can decide for the overtime or weekends works, that they can not force you to do.

jdturk

987654 wrote: »

As you have children, you have the right to request flexible working - which covers not be able to/ wanting to work at weekends due to the need/ desire to be with your children.

As far as I am aware this depends on the age of the kids and also its not a right to flexible working, as you said it is a request that if the business can show that there is a need for that person to work those hours then they don' have to allow the request.

However as the person isn't contracted to these hours the employer will find it very hard to force someone to work weekends.

Also it should be noted that thousends of mums work weekends

cazziebo

The way a company stays sustainable and successful is to continually "impress the customers" so if this is a genuine business need then yes, they can enter into consultation to make the change to business practice.

If this is a decided change, then you might be better putting your energies into ensuring the best possible deal for weekend working. This might mean that others will volunteer to take the weekend shifts which makes it easier for others to do the weekdays.

jdturk is quite right - there is no right to flexible working and many, many parents work. I have to confess to getting a bit peed off when employees play the parent card. (I'm a parent myself) Many employees have commitments they believe to be equally important and if everyone did their bit, it would be fairer all round.

Oldernotwiser

"A cover rota" sounds as if this would only be an occasional arrangement, which would be quite a different situation from having to work a day every weekend. Have they given you any idea how often you would be asked to do this?

sillygoose

cazziebo wrote: »

The way a company stays sustainable and successful is to continually "impress the customers" so if this is a genuine business need then yes, they can enter into consultation to make the change to business practise. .

Actually the company would be more successful if it got on with developing products that could compete with our competitors far more attractive ones, its a (many, many) multi billion £ company after all.

Trying to shift tired products at the expense of the staff's family life is not the solution, especially for a company that makes big noises about concern for work/life balance. The competitors don't need to offer weekend cover because their products are more reliable!!!!

I take offence at the suggestion I am playing any children card, I moved into this field 10 years ago to get away from weekend work - that was my choice - and now find that through no fault of my own I will face the choice of do it again or move on again.

Employers (and for many other people I know) are outrageously using the recession as an excuse to milk employees to the bone and infringe into their lives at all levels. Employment is a mutually beneficial arangment... not a mission from God!

BligBlag

If working some weekends is a condition they're giving ALL staff and not just yourself, I can't see how you'd be able to exclude yourself completely (on the grounds of being a parent). There are probably lots of people at your work who are parents, and even the ones that aren't probably don't like the idea of giving up their weekends.

But it doesn't sound as though it'll be every weekend from what you say. A company going from working weekdays, to weekends too, I wouldn't have thought they'd need the same amount a staff. So it might be a one weekend in four type thing?

Weekend work isn't alien, I know a lot of parents who work looooooooong hours on weekends (especially those in the retail/medical trade) and of course it's not ideal, but it's the way things are and they get on with it and work around it.