Change to shift rota for new year. Where do i stand?

bbl_2

Hi All,

Got an unusual situation which i hope someone can clarify where i stand exactly...

Basically i currently work on a four on four off basis alternating between days and nights.

Now next year i have various events including hosptial appointments, mums wedding and two stag do's. Planning well in advance (September this year) i ensured i checked the shift patterns to book leave and for all but one day i did not need leave. Now they are changing the shifts as of the 1st of jan next year.

The shifts will still be four on and four off however the have changed my position on the rota which results in me having to use all these days as leave wiping out around 60% of my yearly allowance!

Previously i worked on a 9 week rota then got moved onto the four on four off, i myself did not have a problem at all witht the shifts or any leave entitlement however a colleague did and as a result the company honoured them as extra days leave which amounted to 20 days (On top of normal entitlement).

Now i have raised the issue and my supervisor (who barely knows his own job) states that i will have to like it or lump it basically.

Now where do i stand with this? The shifts themselves are a change in working conditions as they are changing to two days, two nights and four off (not a fan and would disrupt lifestyle immensely) and i cannot afford to take the hit in terms of leave.

Sorry for a long story but can anyone help?

Many thanks in advance.

Chris

redcard

I don't get it.

You still have the same holiday entitlement, right?

DVardysShadow

redcard wrote: »

I don't get it.

You still have the same holiday entitlement, right?

bbl has been diligent in arranging his commitments to fit with the shift pattern. Now the company have changed everything.

bbl, I don't know what to suggest, short of raising a grievance - or at least going above your supervisor's head - particularly if the supervisor had a hand in making these changes.

DCFC79

redcard wrote: »

I don't get it.

You still have the same holiday entitlement, right?

correct me if im wrong OP,

what i think the OP is saying is that there are various events that he is planning to attend which would have been on his days off

wait have i misread it as reading the post again he says he used holiday for the events so how has he lost out,

redcard

DVardysShadow wrote: »

bbl has been diligent in arranging his commitments to fit with the shift pattern. Now the company have changed everything.

bbl, I don't know what to suggest, short of raising a grievance - or at least going above your supervisor's head - particularly if the supervisor had a hand in making these changes.

There's nothing in the post to suggest shift patterns have changed, or that they were ever confirmed in the first place. The OP seems to have wrongly assumed that the same shift pattern for 2010 was going to continue into 2011.

Torry_Quine

This is hard but I suspect there is little or nothing to be done. People who work shift patterns often find that the pattern will change. The hospital appointments your employer may well allow time off without using holiday entitlement but you will probably need to use your holidays for other things. Although surely a wedding and a couple of stag dos won't use many days? As an alternative could you swap some shifts as others will no doubt be in the same boat?

bluetownbarry

Forget about raising a greivance. You wouldn't win & all it will achieve is to possible single you out as a trouble maker. Your employers have every right to change their shift pattern to suit the needs of the business. They are under no legal obligation to grant you extra leave to cover your personal commitments.

If I were you, I would forget about your supervisor. Ask to see your line manager &/or someone from HR. Explain your predicament to them. Presumably, they went through a consultation process with those affected? Was this brought up? You won't be the only one inconvenienced by this so surely the rest of the team must have been affected? It would be unreasonable to expect your employers to allow everyone extra leave but it may be possible to persuade them to make an exception in your case. Best approach would be to appear reasonable & flexible. You have nothing to lose by asking but remember, they are under no obligation at all to assist.

Good luck

Oldernotwiser

Have you discussed this with your union?

bbl_2

redcard wrote: »

There's nothing in the post to suggest shift patterns have changed, or that they were ever confirmed in the first place. The OP seems to have wrongly assumed that the same shift pattern for 2010 was going to continue into 2011.

I did not wrongly assume that the shifts would be the same, this has come in over the last couple of weeks basically by email, so wedding plans holidays etc which i played around with my days off are now not feasable with the short notice of shift change.

bluetownbarry wrote: »

Forget about raising a greivance. You wouldn't win & all it will achieve is to possible single you out as a trouble maker. Your employers have every right to change their shift pattern to suit the needs of the business. They are under no legal obligation to grant you extra leave to cover your personal commitments.

If I were you, I would forget about your supervisor. Ask to see your line manager &/or someone from HR. Explain your predicament to them. Presumably, they went through a consultation process with those affected? Was this brought up? You won't be the only one inconvenienced by this so surely the rest of the team must have been affected? It would be unreasonable to expect your employers to allow everyone extra leave but it may be possible to persuade them to make an exception in your case. Best approach would be to appear reasonable & flexible. You have nothing to lose by asking but remember, they are under no obligation at all to assist.

Good luck

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Have you discussed this with your union?

Thanks for the response, there has not been any consultation. When asking mangers reasons there was no reason to it at all! Only reason i am worked up about it is that a person previously had been given extra allowance and yet it is not happening with myself.

Have given a suitable alternative which would for me to continue in the same place on the rota then i would not need any additional days but supervisor literally cant be bothered to change it!

bbl_2

Torry_Quine wrote: »

This is hard but I suspect there is little or nothing to be done. People who work shift patterns often find that the pattern will change. The hospital appointments your employer may well allow time off without using holiday entitlement but you will probably need to use your holidays for other things. Although surely a wedding and a couple of stag dos won't use many days? As an alternative could you swap some shifts as others will no doubt be in the same boat?

Thanks for the reply, hospital stuff etc could possibly lead to overnighters, which i cant risk to call in last minute.

In terms of the wedding and other events with how they fall on the shift pattern they conflict with the next days shift i.e day or night shift.

bbl_2

redcard wrote: »

I don't get it.

You still have the same holiday entitlement, right?

Yes i do but now i got to take a big chunk out of it as a result of a pointless change with no reason behind it :S