Forced changes to working contitions-Is it allowed?

easy

DVardysShadow wrote: »

But it won't help them to sack him if he is not prepared to work those hours. The only benefit is if tehy wish to send a message to other staff like 'we are so focussed on our bottom line we will sack our best salesman to get results', which is not necessarily the best message to convince remaining staff

No, but we don't know enough about the manager, or the situation, to comment on that.

I'm simply saying (from previous experience) that it can be very difficult to manage a team of staff, if they see one member of the team being given preferential treatment.

One other point has been overlooked in all this.....

Contact with his son is set by his expartner and she will not negotiate over chainging the days he can see him.

This guy may also need to consider this situation. While he is at CAB getting advice about his rights at work, he should also ask about his son's right to see his father. The mother can't just dictate "you'll only see him Saturday/Sunday", if the Father's job makes that impractical.

Maybe that is the angle your friend should be pursuing??

ceridwen

DVardysShadow wrote: »

But it won't help them to sack him if he is not prepared to work those hours. The only benefit is if tehy wish to send a message to other staff like 'we are so focussed on our bottom line we will sack our best salesman to get results', which is not necessarily the best message to convince remaining staff

...and one of the things that gets forgotten so often is the old phrase "You can take a horse to water - but you cant make it drink".

They could make your friend work weekends and he would be sitting there "physically all present and correct" and generating the enthusiasm for his job of a tortoise (even if he was genuinely trying his best - a lot of customers would pick up on his lacklustre presentation and not buy after all).

That is what so many employers just dont seem to realise - ie that they can make someone sit there and do the job they are paid for - but they cannot make them be enthusiastic for it/do it well generally/etc - and the difference shows....

DVardysShadow

easy wrote: »

No, but we don't know enough about the manager, or the situation, to comment on that.

I'm simply saying (from previous experience) that it can be very difficult to manage a team of staff, if they see one member of the team being given preferential treatment.

One other point has been overlooked in all this.....

<quote>


This guy may also need to consider this situation. While he is at CAB getting advice about his rights at work, he should also ask about his son's right to see his father. The mother can't just dictate "you'll only see him Saturday/Sunday", if the Father's job makes that impractical.

Maybe that is the angle your friend should be pursuing??

Where I work [when I am not posting here], there are blokes working all hours and doing everything to get out of debt and support families in broken situations. No one gets gripey about it, most people understand. Given how mobo99 writes about him, I think we have a well adjusted workplace where possibly some colleagues might welcome this guy not being present at the weekend because they get a chance to make the sales.

While there may appear to be scope for this guy to resolve the situation by making the mother cooperate, ceridwen makes the point about his motivations. Plainly, he does his job for his child. It takes a fool of an unimaginative manager to take away the force that drives a man to produce top results on the hardest days.

jdturk

ceridwen wrote: »

That is what so many employers just dont seem to realise - ie that they can make someone sit there and do the job they are paid for - but they cannot make them be enthusiastic for it/do it well generally/etc - and the difference shows....

Dosn't take long for employees not doing their job well to get noticed and get the boot

nearlyrich

DVardysShadow wrote: »

There is of course the matter of killing the goose that laid golden eggs. If he is in the top 3 sales people year on year and hits his targets, despite not working weekends, then the boss would be a fool to get rid of him for a more compliant person. The only thing he is doing wrong is not doing it the boss's way, but the results say quite plainly that the boss should not interfere in how he does the job.

Some managers don't have two braincells to rub together, they get the scent of power and everyone has to do things their way and when it doesn't work out doing it their way they sack you for being unproductive, seen it too many times.:(

mobo99

Thank you all for your replys, some invaluable advise/information. I have advised my friend to contact CAB, document EVERYTHING and inform the manager in writing of his grievance. This person is a well liked and who is good at their job, most staff understand this persons circumstances and accept it. There is no jealousy, I and most of our collegues are happy to be in jobs and those that do not need "special" arrangements for working hours keep their heads down and do their jobs to the best of their abiltys(always room for improvement, can always get more blood from a stone, just depends how hard you are prepared to squeeze). We have always had a great family team at my workplace, new members are welcomed as long lost friends whilst longer serving member are there to help and guide. All familys have ups and downs, but knowone likes a new "stepfather" who has their own methods of disapline, if you catch my drift.

Waves have been formed, lines have been drawn but I am hopeful war will be avoided. Through communication and diplomacy and a little bit of give on each side. Maybe our family can get back to what we are used to.

Thanks again to all those that replied.
Best regards, Mobo99.:T