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Change of working hours
columbiana
Posts: 73 Forumite
Hi every one,
Just looking for a bit of help for a friend who doesnt have internet access, I'll try to give as much detail as possible, but feel free to ask if I have missed anything out and I will do my best to find out and answer:
Friend has worked for the company for 11 years, and has always been part time, contracted to work 18.5 hours. A couple of weeks ago the company informed all staff that they were going to change the shift patterns.
My friend has 3 children, and while she can usually arrange child care for the evenings, she has always made sure that she is able start after 10 to make sure she can drop the children off at school. Her normal shifts are 2 days per week, either Friday, Sunday or monday, from 12-9pm. At the weekend her partner can look after the children, or she arranges for a friend to look after them until her partner gets home at around 6 during the week.
The new shifts increase her working hours from 18.5 to 27 per week, and will involve starting at 7am untill 8.30pm. She has never asked to increase her hours, and would be unable to find anyone who could look after the children that early as her partner would be leaving for work at 6 and she would have to set off around the same time, which would mean dropping them off at 5.30am...
The company have arranged 3 consultations regarding the shift changes, but have cancelled on all 3 occasions. Most of the other staff have had consutations, but for some reason my friend has not. In all three cases it has been the company that cancelled, not my friend.
She has 3 weeks of anual leave starting this weekend, and when she returns she will be expected to start the new shift pattern.
It will not be possible, due to child care for her to work these new shifts, so her questions are...
1, Can they increase her working hours by 50% without asking first?
2, Is there any way to persuade them to allow her to start later to assist with the children? (She did mention either job share or flexi time to her line manager but both were flatly refused)
3, What is the best way to resolve the situation?
I am no empoyment law specialist, but I have advised that they would be able to do this providing she has had her consultation, but as they have failed to do this I thought it was worth raising a formal grievance. Would it be better to do this, submit a written request for flexible hours, or just resign and move on?
All advice an opinions welcome,. Thanks
Just looking for a bit of help for a friend who doesnt have internet access, I'll try to give as much detail as possible, but feel free to ask if I have missed anything out and I will do my best to find out and answer:
Friend has worked for the company for 11 years, and has always been part time, contracted to work 18.5 hours. A couple of weeks ago the company informed all staff that they were going to change the shift patterns.
My friend has 3 children, and while she can usually arrange child care for the evenings, she has always made sure that she is able start after 10 to make sure she can drop the children off at school. Her normal shifts are 2 days per week, either Friday, Sunday or monday, from 12-9pm. At the weekend her partner can look after the children, or she arranges for a friend to look after them until her partner gets home at around 6 during the week.
The new shifts increase her working hours from 18.5 to 27 per week, and will involve starting at 7am untill 8.30pm. She has never asked to increase her hours, and would be unable to find anyone who could look after the children that early as her partner would be leaving for work at 6 and she would have to set off around the same time, which would mean dropping them off at 5.30am...
The company have arranged 3 consultations regarding the shift changes, but have cancelled on all 3 occasions. Most of the other staff have had consutations, but for some reason my friend has not. In all three cases it has been the company that cancelled, not my friend.
She has 3 weeks of anual leave starting this weekend, and when she returns she will be expected to start the new shift pattern.
It will not be possible, due to child care for her to work these new shifts, so her questions are...
1, Can they increase her working hours by 50% without asking first?
2, Is there any way to persuade them to allow her to start later to assist with the children? (She did mention either job share or flexi time to her line manager but both were flatly refused)
3, What is the best way to resolve the situation?
I am no empoyment law specialist, but I have advised that they would be able to do this providing she has had her consultation, but as they have failed to do this I thought it was worth raising a formal grievance. Would it be better to do this, submit a written request for flexible hours, or just resign and move on?
All advice an opinions welcome,. Thanks
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