getting my hours cut at work by 25% what are my rights?

stephen25uk

After being on holiday for a week 2 weeks ago I returned to be told by one of my work mates that we were getting our hours cut at work and that they had been told this last week when I was on hols, my boss during a break between patients asked me if I had heard the gossip on the grapevine and informed me it was true and that I was having a one to one with him on Thursday.
My first gripe here is that I was never told officially,he could have sent a letter to me or phoned me when I was on hols but decided not to and to tell me in between patients I thought was a bit unproffesional
Thursday comes and I get my one to one,during which he explains to me he is cutting my hours by 25% and asked me how I felt,I was naturally upset and told him I would struggle financially, asked him I everyone at work was effected and he said yes,I also said I would be willing to change my work days,shifts whatever it took to keep my hours,he said he would have a think about it and would speak to me next Thursday.
During the time between my one to one and the following Thursday I discovered that h hasnt cut everyone's hours only mine and two other people,I was tottaly gutted and felt lied to.
Thursday arrives and. Have to prompt him that we were going to talk about my hours,he said ooh I didn't realise I had to give you a letter so read his and see how you feel then catch me next week.
The letter basically just quotes that one to one we had and tells me what my new salary will be and asks me to sign and return it to him if I agree or to reply by letter if I have an alternative proposal
My questions are.
Can I ask in the letter what criteria he used for deciding who's hours are being cut as everyone at work is qualified to the Same level.?
Do I have to accept the hours cut?
Can I state in the letter that I am willing to change hours shifts etc?
I read on the internet I should state in the letter that I am willing to accept the cuts n the short term on the understanding that when it picks up I will get my hours back and have to keep asking for a review to protect my redundancy payment if it ever came to that.
Basically I just want to know my rights,it would have been. Bit easier to take had it effected everyone but it hasn't,been there 16 years and feel like I have been kicked in the teeth as people that have been there less than 4 years are not affected.

Sorry for the long winded post but really want to know my rights
Thanks in advance

Sambucus_Nigra

Are you in a union?

stephen25uk

No,no union at work

MissSarah1972

stephen25uk wrote: »

Can I ask in the letter what criteria he used for deciding who's hours are being cut as everyone at work is qualified to the Same level.?.

I think you can ask but you will be lucky if they share that info.

Sambucus_Nigra

stephen25uk wrote: »

No,no union at work

I'd join one if I were you.

Then I'd return it with a grievance.

'I do not agree to the reduction in hours as this has not been applied across the board. If everyone had a smaller reduction in hours then we could all absorb the financial burden.'

jobbingmusician

I assume from your post that you have been there over 4 years? If you have been there less than a year, you might prefer to have SOME hours rather than NONE, if you see what I mean.

Sambucus_Nigra

jobbingmusician wrote: »

I assume from your post that you have been there over 4 years? If you have been there less than a year, you might prefer to have SOME hours rather than NONE, if you see what I mean.

16 years. It's in the first post.

jobbingmusician

Word blindness. I had to read it 3 times!

Pricivius

Take a look at your contract - how many hours are you contracted to perform? How long have you worked the number of hours you currently work?

This is pertinent - if your contract is for 12 hours but you have been working 30 hours, then your employer has more leeway to drop your hours back to contractual levels. However, you will have a valid point if you have been working 30 hours for a long time as you could argue that your contract has been altered over time...

When push comes to shove, if your employer is suggesting it is in financial difficulties or simply does not have enough work for everyone, then your most contructive approach would be to suggest alternatives rather than demand your rights - changes are going to happen so bext to take control and make the best of it. For example, everyone takes the hit - e.g. if there are ten of you and three have been asked to drop hours by 12 each, suggest that everyone drops 4 hours instead. Much more palatable and fair.

Other alternatives include asking for this to be a short term measure but specify review dates and an end date, or suggesting everyone takes 2 days unpaid leave in the next three months, or everyone takes a 5% pay cut for 6 months etc... Use your imagination and ask your employer to talk through all these options with you. It's important to understand what issue you're dealing with - is it a financial issue or a lack of work issue or a bit of both?

coinxoperated

My partners in a similar situation, where they have just reduced their working days from 5 a week to 4. They have said its due to the slowdown of production coming up to Christmas (its a car parts factory). He has no contract but has worked their for a good 18 months.

No union, no rights. Its obscene that companies are allowed to do this to their staff

Daedalus

coinxoperated wrote: »

No union, no rights. Its obscene that companies are allowed to do this to their staff

Would you rather your partner be made redundant?