Really irritated. Are they "allowed" to do this?

HurdyGurdy

Taken on it's own, it's not a big issue, but it has just irritated me, especially as it follows two other occasions when I have been "dumped on" due to poor management of staff leave.

We do flexi time. Our available hours are 8am to 6pm and we have to do core hours of 10am to 4pm. Office hours are 8.45am to 5.20pm.

As a rule, I and one other team member arrive for 8am. Two other members arrive between 9.30am and 10am. The others work near "normal" hours. Our leaving times are according to start time.

That's not set in stone, but it works for us. If any of us want to change, we sort it out amongst ourselves.

So, this evening at 17:46, I got a text message from the acting line manager (the previous line manager having left 2 weeks ago).

"Hi HurdyGurdy, I'm sorry but we have an issue for tomorrow in that there will only be you, AA and BB here tomorrow afternoon as [the previous line manager] approved leave for me, CC and DD as well, we are not in. I have a half day, so I will be here in the morning, so you will need to be here till 5.20 tomorrow"

We are a team of 6 staff plus the line manager, who does completely different work to the rest of the team. We have one relatively new person who hasn't as yet been trained to do all the tasks, and another person who is in hospital/off sick (was taken into hospital last Friday). So they have allowed 50% of the staff to have annual leave at the same time. The rule has always been no more than 2 off at a time.

Due to my own circumstances, I have been arriving at work at 7.30am and leaving at 5pm for the last two weeks. I can't put 7.30am on my timesheet, so I have been "donating" 30 minutes of my time each day. Not a problem, that is my choice. I could sit a read a book, or go to the canteen and drink coffee until 8am, but I prefer to get started as soon as I get in. But I do like to leave by 5pm as it is a pressurised role, and I am quite drained by the end of the day.



I am wondering if they are "allowed" to contact me outside of office hours and tell me that I must alter my working hours at short notice. I am sure they are, but I am going to have a word with the manager tomorrow, and I don't want to be making wild assumptions.

I am just irritated that

1. I was sent a text message, and not a phone call
2. I was sent a text message outside of working hours
and
3. I was sent a text message outside of working hours, *telling* me that I *will have to* work later than usual the next day.

I *know* I am over-reacting , but if they had just said "look, sorry, we're in a bit of a fix. Would you be able to stay later tomorrow to help us out", I would have felt, I dunno - a bit more "valued"? That sounds a bit prima-donna-ish, even to my ears

Of course I would have said yes, and it wouldn't have been an issue at all. I just think it's been handled a bit rudely and my hackles are up a bit! They will be back down again tomorrow by the time I speak to the manager

moneyistooshorttomention

Have they a way of proving you actually had that message?

If they cant prove you had it, then perhaps you can plead ignorance about it....

That is too short notice and anyway they shouldn't be contacting you outside work hours like that.

If backed to the wall, I would just insist I had already made arrangements that involved me leaving at normal time.

redcard

I would definitely mention point 3.

Just tell them you're happy to help but didn't appreciate the tone or way in which you were asked.

marybelle01

Flexitime works both ways. Do you have enough job security to !!!! them off?

alwaysonthego_2

For the sake of 20 minutes is it worth it. I have had my manager text me to ask me to cover an extra shift and I have a great manager so I was happy to help. If it is a one off I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

lincroft1710

Many places state that flexitime is subject to the business need. At least you got prior warning albeit less than 24 hrs.

mattcanary

lincroft1710 wrote: »

Many places state that flexitime is subject to the business need. At least you got prior warning albeit less than 24 hrs.

I have to say this kind of thing often happens in many factory/warehousing/driving/shop roles.

Are you able to do it jsut this once, or have you got things going in away from work that ean you can't stay there later than normal?

HurdyGurdy

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Have they a way of proving you actually had that message?

If they cant prove you had it, then perhaps you can plead ignorance about it....

That is too short notice and anyway they shouldn't be contacting you outside work hours like that.

If backed to the wall, I would just insist I had already made arrangements that involved me leaving at normal time.

Unfortunately, I replied to the text, so can't deny receiving it. I, too, think it is too short notice

HurdyGurdy

redcard wrote: »

I would definitely mention point 3.

Just tell them you're happy to help but didn't appreciate the tone or way in which you were asked.

This is what I intend to do.

I just wondered if they were "allowed" (for want of a better word) to contact me outside of work hours, to change my planned working hours the next day.

HurdyGurdy

marybelle01 wrote: »

Flexitime works both ways. Do you have enough job security to !!!! them off?

Well, I know that no one is indispensable, but yes . I could tell them to shove it and not worry.

I am transferring to another department/team as soon as they can recruit a replacement for me! I did wonder if they would block that move, but the new team are desperate for a new member of staff, and I think an enormous stink will be kicked up if my current team try to delay it. It is already over a week since I was offered and accepted the new role and due to my line manager's manager being on leave for three weeks, and HER manager being off sick (four weeks so far), no one is able to do the recruitment.

HurdyGurdy

alwaysonthego wrote: »

For the sake of 20 minutes is it worth it. I have had my manager text me to ask me to cover an extra shift and I have a great manager so I was happy to help. If it is a one off I wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

Yes, I am quite willing to do it. That isn't the issue. The issue I had was the way in which I was contacted - and the fact that it was outside of office hours!