Overtime query Please help?

Spitroast

Overtime in our company is normally done on 1st come 1st serve basis. I put my name down 1st for some recently, but they've now removed it saying it goes to the internal team first and I'm not allowed to do it. I have exactly the same trained skills sets as the people in the other dept so don't think it's fair they remove my name.

I've checked the direct.gov website which states:
Unless your contract guarantees you overtime your employer can stop you working it. But your employer mustn't discriminate against you, or bully you, by letting others work overtime but stopping you from doing so.

There's no procedures or emails documented and nothing in my contract about having to be in that dept. I have the same training and qualifications as my colleagues in the other team, so is the company right to not allow me to work the OT?

terra_ferma

Sounds like they are not discriminating against you because you have blond hair, big feet, smelly armpits etc, but that they have decided that they want internal people to do overtime, for whatever operational reason they may have.

If they had said everyone else can do it except spit, then it could have been discriminatory, but in this case I really doubt it.

Roobarb73

The only thing I think you can really do is put in a grievance about it.

floss2

What is the difference between you & the "internal team"?
Where is the overtime based, i.e. in your office or the office of the "internal team"?
What does the overtime consist of, i.e. is it your normal work or the normal work of the "internal team"?

Spitroast

The OT consists of general stuff I do everyday along with the other dept. It's in the same office (at the desk next to me in fact). They are saying they can offer the OT to their team first and then they if they don't get any takers they then send it out to other teams.

I am grateful to get any OT, I just wanted to check as it seems they don't distribute OT fairly to me. I guess I'll check with Citizens advice when the lines open on Monday.