Handing Notice in - Do I have to work shift?

jazzyman01

It is a contractual requirement. The Company agrees to give you notice and you would expect payment if they terminated your employment. Equally you have agreed to give notice. Whilst there is very little that a Company can do if you do just walk off, it would cost too much, I would not make a habit of it.

Uncertain

HappyMJ wrote: »

You don't even have to give notice if you don't want to. It's not compulsory it's just nice to do. If you want to say "you can stick this job. I'm off" and leave straight away then that's it you're out. Don't expect a reference.

Strictly speaking that is not true. If you are in breach of contract the company can, in theory, recover any unavoidable losses this causes.

However, apart from in very senior or specialised positions, it is very rare indeed.

myteeduck

Thank you for the replies.

I wrote my notice with the words that my last day was Tuesday, therefore was leaving now. Her impression gave me the idea that staff must never work their notice, as she turns nasty the minute you opt to leave. Its happened to a few people as I've since found out.

The reasons for leaving were partly to do with the way she treated my mum on her first day - she left her on her own for 5 hours in the pub on launch day, struggling to keep up with the demand and never gave her a minute for a drink or the loo.

The main issue is that the hours have changed and it would mean that I wouldn't leave there until midnight and have to start at my main job at 7am (time to be there). Also she had me due to start at 5pm, I only finish my main job at 4pm. I was not going to have a chance for any rest or food in between, considering the jobs are a 20minute drive away from each other. I also wouldn't have been able to have a break most days and if i did, it would have been 10 minutes, so just due to the hours I couldnt keep it up. (She used to let me start at 6pm and end was 9.30-10pm).

I had similar hours at one job 2 years ago and alongside other reasons, it made me sick and depressed enough that I walked out and nearly took them to a tribunal. I didn't have the strength then. However I have learnt that I don't have to be treated like that.

On the upside, I got paid today so all ok in that instance. I may recieve a little next month for the limited work I did this week, but I dont hold out any hope.... I'm happier now i'm not there. Found out yesterday that the staff never seem to stay there.... I wonder why??

Uncertain

myteeduck wrote: »

I may recieve a little next month for the limited work I did this week, but I dont hold out any hope....

Well, if they don't pay then this is a very simple claim to make which they would be most unlikely to defend. It would be unlikely to involve you in more than a little form filling.

Do remember that there is a strict 3 month (less one day) time limit in submitting a tribunal claim (ET1) so don't let it drag on.

If they don't pay send a recorded delivery letter before action giving them 14 days then file a claim.

Savvy_Sue

I'm going to slightly play devil's advocate here: I'm not suggesting there weren't problems, but ...

myteeduck wrote: »

The reasons for leaving were partly to do with the way she treated my mum on her first day - she left her on her own for 5 hours in the pub on launch day, struggling to keep up with the demand and never gave her a minute for a drink or the loo.

While I can see that was difficult, it wasn't illegal. And, was support available and refused? Or was your mum just the only person there. Because the former would be very poor management, and the latter would perhaps be a failure to predict how busy the place would be.

myteeduck wrote: »

The main issue is that the hours have changed and it would mean that I wouldn't leave there until midnight and have to start at my main job at 7am (time to be there). Also she had me due to start at 5pm, I only finish my main job at 4pm. I was not going to have a chance for any rest or food in between, considering the jobs are a 20minute drive away from each other. I also wouldn't have been able to have a break most days and if i did, it would have been 10 minutes, so just due to the hours I couldnt keep it up. (She used to let me start at 6pm and end was 9.30-10pm).

The thing is, when a job has set hours, those are the hours. And somewhere like a pub or cafe, there will be busy times and quiet times. And what you do outside your hours is your affair, just as how you get yourself to work on time is your affair, and how you manage the rest of your life is your affair.

Just because you have one job which starts at 7 am and ends at 4 pm doesn't mean that any other job has to offer you hours which fit in with that: if they need you at 5, that's when they need you! If the hours started out at 6-10.30 pm, were they supposed to try and get someone else in for an hour at 5 and again from 10.30 to midnight because you didn't want to work longer hours? Plus there is no legal requirement to give you a break if you're working less than 6 hours - and in some jobs it doesn't happen!

So your decision to resign was the right one if you didn't want to work the revised hours, and if this manager keeps chopping and changing the arrangements then that's not a great place to work, but the best thing is to be informed about your rights as an employee - and also what's not your right!