Can you be sacked for not doing overtime?

The_pc_tech

At the moment it's pretty much an employer's market, there are more people than jobs so they can pretty much dictate what they want as there will be someone out there that will be happy to take it that perhaps doesn't have the commitments you do.

I'm not saying it's right but that's the way it is just now and will remain while unemployment stays high.

It might be an idea to hammer this stuff out at an interview.

scooby088

The_pc_tech wrote: »

It might be an idea to hammer this stuff out at an interview.

Many of the jobs OP and I go for has very little or no negotiation as what is acceptable, it's either take it or lump it and thats when the climate was good too.

LittleVoice

falko89 wrote: »

Whats reasonable to one person can be unreasonable to another, for me anything over 40+ hours is to long for a start, never mind expecting you to do overtime on top for min wage I might add, I was unemployed, I applied for a totally different job in the company which was earning £80 pw more than I am getting now only to be told it was gone or rather probably didn't exist in the first place, I was offered this job on the spot, if I declined I would bet I'd be no sooner out the door than they'd be on the phone to the job centre = benefits cut, had this all be layed out on the table before hand I wouldn't even of applied, I got badly caught but then thats what they wanted.

Its actually a well thought out plan if your a company with a bad reputation, Advertise a job with a decent salary etc, lower hours, yes was advertised as 39 and wait for the unemployed to apply, once you get one through the door pull the carpet away from under them and if they don't like what you offering get onto the JSA.

As I said in my post to which you are responding, according to your contract, you are not the sole judge of what is reasonable.

How do you get to your basic hours being 43 hours/week?

falko89

LittleVoice wrote: »

As I said in my post to which you are responding, according to your contract, you are not the sole judge of what is reasonable.

How do you get to your basic hours being 43 hours/week?

8am-5.15pm minus 15 mins morning minus 15 mins for lunch.

princessdon

I guess it depends really on the job. Being honest if I was earning minimum wage in a job I didn't like and the overtime was negated by tax credits I wouldn't particularly want to either.

But that said I work approx 20 hours a week UNPAID overtime, have never had a lunch break in approx 8 years and my OH if you include getting up at 4 am for flights and doing emails/keeping his phone on works approx 40 hours a week unpaid.

For some of us working unpaid overtime is part of life, there are many others willing to do the job if we don't and the thought of unemployment means we are willing.

So yes I do think we are in a culture where exployers expect you to work a lot more than they are even willing to pay and whilst the economy is in a downturn I can only see this getting worse TBH.

whitelabel

jeez when I had staff, they worked 8-430 and had an hour for lunch
Id often do an few hours per night unpaid to get things done..

but
how are you meant to sort . ..well anything in your life during the day like pop to the bank, post office etc in 15 mins and eat something !

Id do what they want for now, and keep searching for a new job

dktreesea

LittleVoice wrote: »

As I said in my post to which you are responding, according to your contract, you are not the sole judge of what is reasonable.

How do you get to your basic hours being 43 hours/week?

It's probably something like a 9 and a quarter hour day 8am to 5.15pm, with half an hour for lunch and a couple of ten minute breaks for morning and afternoon tea?

When you consider that you probably have to be up and about by 6.30am/7am to get into work on time, and then are not back in through the door until after 6, say, that is quite a long day already.

Falko89, I suggest you re-check your contract to make sure you haven't opted out of the 48 hour working week directive. Though, having said this, I think the period it is averaged out, over 4 months, extends beyond the 3 month probationary period.

Plus, it might be better just to find another more suitable job and resign rather than just let them lay you off and go back to JSA, just in case the DWP decide you didn't "show willing" when it came to the overtime and decide to stand you down for a few weeks.

falko89

whitelabel wrote: »

jeez when I had staff, they worked 8-430 and had an hour for lunch
Id often do an few hours per night unpaid to get things done..

but
how are you meant to sort . ..well anything in your life during the day like pop to the bank, post office etc in 15 mins and eat something !

Id do what they want for now, and keep searching for a new job

Exactly, I had to pull a sickie the other day to go for an interview as they wouldn't let me out.

scooby088

From what I have garnered here many people who have posted on this thread work in a office situation and more than likely have no idea that OP works in a very physically demanding job. It's ok working in an office and doing O/T when it is more than likely figured into any salary they have.

In todays climate there is no excuse for employers to treat employees unfairly and In essence the OP is right there is no incentive to work overtime when you are only being rewarded the same as working a normal hour during the day. All i can say to OP is stick it out and keep your chin up, sure something else will come along.

LittleVoice

dktreesea wrote: »

It's probably something like a 9 and a quarter hour day 8am to 5.15pm, with half an hour for lunch and a couple of ten minute breaks for morning and afternoon tea?

When you consider that you probably have to be up and about by 6.30am/7am to get into work on time, and then are not back in through the door until after 6, say, that is quite a long day already.

Falko89, I suggest you re-check your contract to make sure you haven't opted out of the 48 hour working week directive. Though, having said this, I think the period it is averaged out, over 4 months, extends beyond the 3 month probationary period.

Plus, it might be better just to find another more suitable job and resign rather than just let them lay you off and go back to JSA, just in case the DWP decide you didn't "show willing" when it came to the overtime and decide to stand you down for a few weeks.

It is averaged over 17 weeks but, of course, initially there are fewer than 17 weeks over which to do the averaging. So with no opt-out signed (if that is the case and it hasn't been slipped into a document signed by falko), it is only the hours worked to date which come into the calculation.