Shop working hours

kr15snw

Think this is definately a retail thing.

When I worked for a large electrical store (used to wear orange...) one member of staff had to cash up the final till at the end of the day. Obviously we could not take this till the last customer had left the store.

We shut at 8, and stopped customers at 7:50 from entering the store. BUT most nights customers were in the store until 8:10 or later and then it took 10 - 15 minutes to cash up. If it was peak time we could be serving until 8:30 (as the computers turned off then automatically) and be cashing up for a further half an hour.

This was always unpaid.

Even when I worked in a much smaller store we had to cash up after we shut. We got paid till 6:15 and shut at 6, but more often than not it took longer than that to cash up and lock up / mop up.

The best place I worked at gave us 45 minutes to cash up / tidy up meaning most nights we got to leave early. But this was made up by nights when it went wrong and on one occasion I remember being upstairs with the boss till 2 hours later because we could not balance the till (was massively out!!!).

I guess this is just retail! lol

*Chattie*

ceridwen wrote: »

Sorry to hear of the problems you are having with this Reverbe.

Its obviously not fair for an employer to expect an employee to work on after hours unpaid. Its obviously the case that you are being paid a bit less than NMW in effect - if the stated payrate is NMW - but then you are being expected to do compulsory unpaid overtime.

The one practical suggestion I would make to you is to keep a diary of all hours you work (both paid and unpaid) and if things go T*ts up at any point with this job on the one hand - or you get to work for longer than the 2 years necessary to protect yourself from unfair dismissal on the other hand - then consider, at that point, putting in a claim for all the time they owe you under those NMW provisions (2.5 hours per week for 2 years would come to a decent amount you were owed for instance).

You may or may not ever use this evidence they owe you money - but, at least in keeping a detailed record of this, you have the chance available to use this evidence to try and reclaim the money they are starting to build up owing you at any future point that seems suitable to you to put in that claim for it.

its a part time temp Christmas job which is very unlikely to continue for much longer let alone two years.

The OP finds the job too much, too hot, too many stairs to the toilet, too little money, and yet wonders why a fellow worker gets more hours and they get less after the first couple of days. Even in the op of this thread they cant make up their minds if its 1/2 or 15 minutes extra.

Its not just retail any job you are in you should still be at your position at finishing time not standing at the door waiting to leave no matter what rate you are paid.

ally67_2

im a cleaner and work for a cleaning company ....and we clean a retail store and only get £5.95 a hour ? and retail staff moan

SHIPSHAPE

ally67 wrote: »

im a cleaner and work for a cleaning company ....and we clean a retail store and only get £5.95 a hour ? and retail staff moan

And therein lies the problem.

The OP of this thread is not being paid for this duty, at least you are.

jazzyman01

Ally67 I suppose the good news for you is you are due a payrise:)

If the OP's job description includes cleaning then that is what is required. It is very rare in the current market to have clearly defined job functions.

Where contracts state "and such additional hours as appropriate" or similar it is usually where the individual is not on the minimum wage as any additional work effectively means that they are not getting the minimum wage. That, as has been pointed out, is illegal.

With respect, what is the reference to Nazi Germany in here for? I am not sure that they were linked to poor pay? A lot of extremely offensive things can be laid at their door but we are talking a long time ago and should we not move on?

SHIPSHAPE

jazzyman01 wrote: »

With respect, what is the reference to Nazi Germany in here for? I am not sure that they were linked to poor pay? A lot of extremely offensive things can be laid at their door but we are talking a long time ago and should we not move on?

It was in reference to a reply which essentially stated unpaid, forced work is fine.

It is not, it is unlawful.

Nazi Germany used to enforce it too, hence, the UK is not Nazi Germany.

jazzyman01

Many contracts have reference to additional work being expected and it is included in the contracted pay. It does mean many employers get additional work from staff without the cost element. In the current market I think many more employers are taking advantage of this. However, the only point at which it would be unlawful is if it takes the pay below the national minimum wage.

Even Germany is not Nazi Germany, thankfully they also have moved on.

Gillyx

I thought most retail contracts had a list of supposed duties and normally something along the lines of "light domestic tasks" I know mine said something like "although this list is not exhaustive and employee is expected to do tasks for needs of the business" Obviously a bit more sophisticated than that.

SHIPSHAPE

Gillyx wrote: »

I thought most retail contracts had a list of supposed duties and normally something along the lines of "light domestic tasks" I know mine said something like "although this list is not exhaustive and employee is expected to do tasks for needs of the business" Obviously a bit more sophisticated than that.

These duties are not the problem for the OP. It is not being paid for doing it which is the basis of the thread-read the thread title.

SHIPSHAPE

jazzyman01 wrote: »

Many contracts have reference to additional work being expected and it is included in the contracted pay. It does mean many employers get additional work from staff without the cost element. In the current market I think many more employers are taking advantage of this. However, the only point at which it would be unlawful is if it takes the pay below the national minimum wage.

The lady in question is working in a shop right up until her contracted hours, on minimum wage.

She is then expected/forced/told to work beyond those hours cleaning.

This takes her below the minimum wage, it is unlawful.

She seems peeved at having to clean, yes, but even more so at not being paid, and rightly so.

Even Germany is not Nazi Germany, thankfully they also have moved on.

I somewhat agree.

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