How much notice for a change of working hours?

bob_dob

Hi,
Please can someone tell me how much notice an employer needs to give it's employees to change their working hours from a day shift to actual shifts (6am-2pm, 2pm-10pm)?
Thank you- Bob

KittyKate

It may depend on your contract, but in my company it is three months.

SarEl

It depends on why you want to know. Failing anything specific in your contract, there is no requirement to give any notice - unless you are refusing the change and your shifts are, or have become, contractual. So if you explain why you want to know, we might be able to advise you. But on this little information then anything we can tell you is worthless.

bob_dob

Ah i understand! No problem- last week we were asked to sign forms exempting us from the maximum 48hour working week and this week we hear that there will be 'changes' next week or the week after....the fact that we are very busy with lots of overtime leads me to believe that the 'change' may be shifts you see.
Does this help explain things?

SarEl

Nearly! And if they change your shifts, will you be agreeing to the change or not? In other words, are you looking for a way to stop or delay this - or are you simply curious? Because if you don't disagree they can change shifts immediately.

bob_dob

Hmmm...well i was just curious but i think a large part of the workforce would be very much opposed to working them so yes, we'd like to know if we could stop them/refuse it.

agrinnall

Presumably the objection would be because you'd lose out on overtime pay if the work is being done in pre-determined shifts. In which case you'd have to try to negotiate a shift allowance in order to compensate for the loss of overtime. Did you all agree to be exempted from the WTD? Are they going to take on more people to man the two shifts?

bob_dob

No, only a few have signed the opt-out forms....but even they are now asking for them back! No they have not taken on more workers yet.....we just assumed that they would just split the current work force up to two shifts....but obviously that would still get the same output.....!

SarEl

If you wish to object to the change you must refuse a change to your terms and conditions in writing. The employer will then either forget it (unlikely) or sack you - quite literally. You will be served notice and given a copy of the new contracted shifts, which you will be asked to agree to. If you do not the law says you have resigned. So at best you can delay it a week or two depending on your notice period - but at the expense of royally !!!!ing off the employer and possibly getting your cards marked. You can certainly refuse to opt out of the WTD, and theoretically the employer can do nothing about it. Theoretically...... but I would make sure that you are never two minutes late for a shift, forget to phone in sick on time, or one of the thousand other things that employers can find wrong when they look. Not all employers are sangiuine about employees exercising legal rights, and there is always more than way to skin and employee....