Am I being reasonable - re late night shifts

Middy

I work for a supermarket. Two colleagues are leaving shortly and both do Saturday late night shifts. Obviously, the cover is needed to do those hours. No-one will be recruited.

I can see my line manager asking me do late night Saturday. The thing is I already do two late nights a week, two lateish shifts (finishing an hour or less before the store closes) and a Sunday. I don't want to be doing an extra late night as some colleagues never do a late night. Personally, late nights should be distributed among the colleagues. My manager thinks as I live alone, I can work silly hours. I do not mind working the ODD Saturday late night to cover colleagues on annual leave (about 6 a year)

Some colleagues are doing the same hours what they did 15 years ago when their kids were at school. These kids have left home and some even have kids of their own!

I get tired when I do late nights as the store is dead 1.5 hours before the store shuts. Because of this, it gets boring. I love to wake up at say 10am when I do late nights, but my body wakes up at 6:45am and cannot get back to sleep for love or money after that time.

Most colleagues either walk or drive into work so there is no issue with public transport.

If colleagues do not want to work late nights or Saturdays, they should look for jobs which don't entail these hours.

Do you think I should put a note expressing my desire not to work another late night? If you think I should write a note, what should I and shouldn't I include in it

Caroline_a

I really think you are jumping the gun here. Nobody has asked you to do anything yet, but you are thinking of writing a note to say you don't want to do it!

I would wait and see if you are asked - and if you are, then say thank you, but you would prefer to stick with your existing hours. End of.

Evilm

You have no right to say that other people aren't pulling their weight and doing enough shifts - what amount of hours people do is up to them (as far as management allow them to do extras). Its not your concern.

Your travel arrangements are your own concern and not that of the employers or your colleagues and shouldn't effect what is 'fair' to be asked to do. This also goes for theirs - they are non of your concern either.

It also isn't your concern if the management can't find anyone to take this shift on - do what is right for you. You also do not have to accept this shift as permanently yours if its offered to you. You do not have to cover extra shifts if the boss asks you to like you have been doing - just be polite about it.

Don't write a note preemptively - you will come across as stressed, probably slightly rude and disgruntled. When it is discussed with you just politely refuse.

If you want to change your working pattern then go do something about it and ask the relevant person about doing so. They may say no but as long as you are polite you won't do any harm and they will be aware of it for doing any reshuffles in the future.

Tiddlywinks

Instead or writing to your boss about something that hasn't happened yet (and may not happen), you need to sit back and look at why this is stressing you and what your options are.

What does your contract say about shift allocation / changes / unsociable hours working?

Are you happy with YOUR shifts as they stand - there is no point in spending time getting disgruntled about the others unless they directly impact on you. If you are currently happy then do nothing until you are asked to change.

If you are not happy with your shifts then you need to speak to someone about that to see if there is a chance of changing things around.

You need to be clear though about what your contract says and what the company can ask you to do. Don't waste your energy on worrying about the others just now.

egoode

I echo what Caroline_a says I wouldn't say anything unless they raise it with you first and you can always just say no and that you are doing as many late nights as you can cope with as it is and can't take on anymore. If they really push just say you have regular plans on Saturdays that can not be moved, even if you don't it's really none of their business what you get up to outside of work.

getmore4less

If management allready know these people are leaving and have not canvessed for people to cover I would be ready to fight this if you don't want to do them all they may allready be plannning to just issue shift rotas without asking.

Once the rotas are in place it will be hard to get them changed.

You have every right to say others are not pulling their weight if thats what you believe.

Its up to you how you go about this you know your bosses.

I would consider a passing comment(if I knew the bosses) along the lines of shame X&Y decided to leave I hope you don't expect me to get us out of the mess it leaves us in, it's about time A&B pulled their weight and did some shifts

C_Mababejive

Its a case of keeping your powder dry. Presumably there are premium payments for shifts?

Middy

There is no premium for doing different hours. If when the time comes when asking about doing Saturday late night I will decline it explaining that I do late finishes. I may ask if its possible to start earlier one day a week. There are too many staff the final hour of the store open. It only requires one colleague on the kiosk, one on the self scans and one going on the tills if their is a customer with a trolley. At 10am, they have to tannoy colleagues from grocery or admin to keep the queues down. Makes sense imo