Rights regarding refusal to sign amended employment contract. Advice please.

arewethereyet_2

Sorry this post is long...

Rather than have me (the manager) assist the principal with staff appraisals as decided earlier, she brought in an external adviser instead.

Following our appraisals, we were all told that there would be no pay rise (well, since the principal took over the business 5 years ago, she has only given one pay rise which was last year, so another 3 years wait then). Also, all staff would now have to be in work 10 mins earlier than their contracted time at no extra pay.

Everyone has been given extra duties which the adviser said she will include into amended contracts for all to sign including the 10 mins 'preparation' time.

One member of staff has been especially unfairly treated (imo). She is in her fifties and has worked there the longest and is the most hard working, helpful and nicest employee. She has been made head of her department (meaning dogsbody) because she is the most reliable person. She has told me she doesn't want the job title but is scared she will lose her job if she refuse. I know that apart from one trainee, the other two staff will ignore her and refuse to do any work asked of them so she will end up with the bulk of the work; one is furious that despite being told 2 months ago she would get a pay rise at her appraisal as she is now qualified, she is not going to get anything after all. The other member of staff is lazy and incompetent. She flies into a temper whenever she is asked to do anything, always makes mistakes and will ignore you for the rest of the day if you point out her errors. I have complained to the principal on several occasions about her work attitude but she won't allow me to take any action, saying to ignore her and it will blow over by the next day.

I have spoken to the principal (without the adviser around) to say that I will not be accepting the proposed changes relating to my contract. I already stay late and do unpaid overtime for at least 30 mins every day waiting for customers to leave, cashing up (usually a mess), etc. I have been stressed since I was pressurised to take this position (another story) and the workload is overwhelming with no-one to share it with.

To get to the point:
- What are our rights if we refuse to sign amended contracts? Not member of TU.

- Can the principal refuse to give us a reference?

- Rather than go to the doctors to be signed off for stress, I handed in my notice 3 weeks ago, but the principal said she was refusing it and would not open my letter. After a long talk, I agreed not to leave before Sep to give her time to implement changes on issues which I had been complaining about but where nothing was ever done. If I was happy, I could stay, otherwise she would gladly accept my resignation. If I hand in my notice again over the amended contract, can she refuse it again? I can't ask her to acknowledge my resignation as I have written every single letter/email she has sent.

This is my first job since I took a 14 years career break which she offered to me when I jokingly asked for a job.

Tia for reading.

mariefab

Slavery was abolished in the UK hundreds of years ago; so your employer can't refuse to accept your resignation.
Send it by recorded delivery if you need proof of receipt.

anamenottaken

Refuse to sign the new contract if it is offered. Though a employer cannot refuse to accept a resignation, an employee does not have to accept a revised contract. Say, in writing, that you will continue working but under protest and do not accept the new terms. Make sure you don't start work 10 minutes early.

If you don't sign, what can they do? Answer: They can dismiss you and offer a new contract on the terms you have refused. You still don't have to accept. At the end of the notice period, you are no longer an employee! Job done!

As far as a referece is concerned, except in a very few circumstances which are unlikely to apply, there is no legal duty for any employer or former employer to provide a reference.

ValHaller

You have your notice in. In that position you can say that you do not accept any changes to the contract to the end of your time with the company and if they don't like it, they can negotiate with you for a departure date.