Contracted hours and over time.

Kb88

Just looking for some advice please.

So my contracted hours are 16 hours but for the last 2 and a half years I have done 25 hours a week, I only get paid 16 hours when I am off on holiday. Also for the past 18 months I have worked from 9.30 - 2.30 to work while my son is at school. Now they are saying they are reducing my hours back down to 16 and we need to discuss my availability. They say they are having their budgets cut yet I know others are getting overtime. To me it feels like they are trying to bully me out as I know they have done this with previous employees.

Can they do this? Or is there something in the law that states that if you work so many hours a week for so long then that changes your contracted hours?

OuiMaisNon

They're within their rights to do this to be honest. If you had been regularly doing more hours than contracted for even a few months really you should've sat down with your manager and had a chat about raising your contracted hours to that of what you were doing for them, not only because of your holiday allowance, but so this very situation doesn't happen

By any chance do you work 16 hours a week because you also receive child benefits and this is the maximum amount of hours you're aloud to work? Because if that's the case then really you shouldn't even be working the overtime you've been doing

I've been a retail manager for 3 years and all of the overtime I've ever used was split between the staff who need the money and show real dedication and passion for their job. The only time i'd ever cut someone back to their contract is because they're not pulling their weight or don't seem all that bothered, which is completely to the needs of the business

If they want to 'discuss your availability' then is this is maybe because you're not all that flexible? Do you regularly refuse certain hours/days of the week?

Takeaway_Addict

Kb88 wrote: »

Just looking for some advice please.

So my contracted hours are 16 hours but for the last 2 and a half years I have done 25 hours a week, I only get paid 16 hours when I am off on holiday. Also for the past 18 months I have worked from 9.30 - 2.30 to work while my son is at school. Now they are saying they are reducing my hours back down to 16 and we need to discuss my availability. They say they are having their budgets cut yet I know others are getting overtime. To me it feels like they are trying to bully me out as I know they have done this with previous employees.

Can they do this? Or is there something in the law that states that if you work so many hours a week for so long then that changes your contracted hours?

I would hardly call allowing you your contracted hours bullying...

DaveTheMus

They might well be offering OT to others, but this might be more unsociable hours they have difficulty filling, like Saturday, Sunday or Friday night. Would you work any of these hours if offered?