Query about hours?

Cerenia

I work in GAME, have done for over a year in this london branch, worked in another part of the country for a year and a half prior to that, but it was a very small store. Since coming to a larger store, I have been trained, and as of approx september/october last year, I started doing 40 hour weeks (on a 15 per hour contract), and was loving it, takes an hour to get there and can be pricey (which manager knew and understood) but its a job I do love, training up and enjoying my job.

A new manager came in after my manager left, and he's been in the company for a month now, and he cut my hours down to 30 one week, about 23 the next, and then to 15, hiring about 7 new people in the process (because we need to have more staff apparently - we've always run fine on 7, he wants 14). I have heard there is a working time operative wheras if you do a certain set of hours over 13/14 weeks, you're meant to stay at those hours, but I need to call up HR and ask about it, as my manager's just said "Thats not in effect because you didn't have enough staff". I'm now doing 4 or 6 hour shifts, and it takes me 2 hours a day travelling in and out, which he knows about. Currently i'm making enough to cover living costs and travel to work - can ill afford to travel further around to look for new jobs, there's nothing nearby at all, but is it worth me going to Citizens Advice beaurea (sp?), or is it just worth me grinning and bearing it until I either move home or find something new, which wil probally be september?

DIRTY_CASH

Hi Cerenia,

If your contracted hours are only 15 per week then in reality you are only expected to work 15 hours. The rest has been overtime. This is difficult. When I had my first job I was only contracted to 30 hours per week and often I worked more and got paid more but also on some occassions I had to work less and consequently got paid less. I am not sure about the working time directive maybe some of the guys here can help you with that.

Have you asked your manager about extra hours? I know its a silly question. But offering to have your contracted hours upped may make him think about whats best for his store. More full time workers and less part time workers would make more sense.

Cerenia

DIRTY_CASH wrote: »

Hi Cerenia,

If your contracted hours are only 15 per week then in reality you are only expected to work 15 hours. The rest has been overtime. This is difficult. When I had my first job I was only contracted to 30 hours per week and often I worked more and got paid more but also on some occassions I had to work less and consequently got paid less. I am not sure about the working time directive maybe some of the guys here can help you with that.

Have you asked your manager about extra hours? I know its a silly question. But offering to have your contracted hours upped may make him think about whats best for his store. More full time workers and less part time workers would make more sense.

He's taken on 7 extra staff from the 25 hours a week he's taken off me, knowing that I do live a distance away, and I do actually know what i'm doing - instead he hired new people, on better contracts as "he doesn't know what i'm like", and given them any spare hours first! When I asked to be trained to senior sales or even given a 20hour contract, so I had a few extra hours as, funny enough, i'm in charge of training, but not there enough to do any with the work - I did a 50 hour week once, 8 hours unpaid, just to simply help the store out. He's on holiday currently, and our other manager's given me 28 hours this week, and about 32 next week, which i'm very thankful for, he knows what i'm like (he's one of several managers that don't understand why i'm being pushed backwards)

As for the more full timers, I'd think that as well, we did perfectly well on 8 people, 3 in management, 2 full timers at 40 hours, the others doing 8+ hours - 20 odd hours a week, but now he's bringing in loads of people to do 4 hours a week - one can't even answer the phone correctly, and surprise - there's a lot of theft suddenly started.

And to top it off - I found out today I havn't actually got a contract! Head office have no contract of me working with the company... and I've been with them for nearly 3 years!

I can't afford to leave my job, can't afford to live with my job, lose lose situation currently

Savvy_Sue

I think you need to phone HR, and explain to them that you won't be able to continue making a 2 hour round trip for short shifts. I presume there isn't another store any closer? Or a store in a similar line of business?

DIRTY_CASH wrote: »

More full time workers and less part time workers would make more sense.

Not necessarily, IMO. If you have more people on small but flexible contracts, it's easier to arrange cover when anyone is sick or on leave, because you've got more people to ask if you start from a pool of 14 than you do if you start from a pool of 7. Which seems to be what the manager is saying.

Cerenia

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I think you need to phone HR, and explain to them that you won't be able to continue making a 2 hour round trip for short shifts. I presume there isn't another store any closer? Or a store in a similar line of business?

This is where it gets funny. The store nearest me (20min 1 underground train), was short staffed when I went in (had 4 staff, that was it!), I handed in my CV politely, informed them I had only left working for the company 2 weeks ago, so I was up to date and knew what to do - Our ex regional found my CV in the bin (dispite the 6 month legal thing), and went mental as they were moaning there was nobody to cover. It was on the offchance I went into the store I worked in and asked, and I handed in my CV, 3 days later, I had the job, all with a lovely team, bar the deputy whom I had my differences with, but after a long stressy time, he turnt around, apologised and offerred a new start, and we get on well.

I am trying to work into the gaming industry, just trying to research the best ways into getting my foot through the door currently

Luvly.cuppa.T

Sorry , but your last post has really confused me.
How long have you been working at the London store where your hours are being cut? Are you still there?
Your last post suggests that you left the place where your hours are being cut and tried to work in another branch. It also suggests that you are in a new place now? And that all is sorted?

If you have no contract, and no written evidence yourself that you are contracted to 15 hours, then it all comes down to working practice. So you have a leg to stand on if you have been doing a certain amount of hours for a good while. This becomes your contract as by working it you have agreed to it, same for the company having provided you with those hours.

Do you have a terms and conditions booklet? There may be more about the hours required in there.

Savvy_Sue

Agree with luvly.cuppa that if the company has not given you a written contract or statement of terms and conditions you are actually on stronger ground than if you had something which said "to work 15 hours per week". They must know SOMETHING about you because they are paying you! Have a look at the ACAS website.

I'm equally confused by how you got your current job and where you've worked before, but I'm not sure I care!

And I still feel that there are other stores similar to GAME, and you could consider looking around in all this extra free time you've suddenly got.

Cerenia

Basically, I worked in a welsh branch, then moved to london, then reapplied, and got into this london branch I've signed a contract, but our head office have no redord of it, which makes me laugh, they've got no details that I've worked for the company at all, bar the fact I get money XD

Like I said, i've been doing 40 ours a week for over 6 months, and was wondering if that affected the law in any way, shape or form, as to be frank, the information supplied is useless, managers say one thing and the employee handbook states something otherwise I will be looking around, but as of now, there's nothing nearby, thanks for all the information though

jobbingmusician

Write to HR. They may not have any record of you, but your bank has plenty of evidence that you have worked for them. (I'm presuming you were not paid cash in hand?) Tell HR you have been employed for over 40 hrs pw for the last 6 months (or whatever it is) and that your hours have now been cut despite appeals from you. Ask how you go about raising a grievance about this. Then sit back and watch the fun - as you have worked for them for over a year you have full employment rights and can potentially take them to tribunal. They will suddenly get very interested in your case........

Cerenia

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Write to HR. They may not have any record of you, but your bank has plenty of evidence that you have worked for them. (I'm presuming you were not paid cash in hand?) Tell HR you have been employed for over 40 hrs pw for the last 6 months (or whatever it is) and that your hours have now been cut despite appeals from you. Ask how you go about raising a grievance about this. Then sit back and watch the fun - as you have worked for them for over a year you have full employment rights and can potentially take them to tribunal. They will suddenly get very interested in your case........

Thanks! I've spoken to 2 other ex-members of my team that have both left due to the new manager - one's already made a official complaint, the other's about to once his reference clears, i'm gathering all my payslips together so I can get copies and stir things up.

DIRTY_CASH

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I think you need to phone HR, and explain to them that you won't be able to continue making a 2 hour round trip for short shifts. I presume there isn't another store any closer? Or a store in a similar line of business?

Not necessarily, IMO. If you have more people on small but flexible contracts, it's easier to arrange cover when anyone is sick or on leave, because you've got more people to ask if you start from a pool of 14 than you do if you start from a pool of 7. Which seems to be what the manager is saying.

I See the point and maybe its my fuzzy logic. I would have thought 7 more experienced staff is a beter base than 14 part timers. Part timers are usually part timers because they have other commitments etc aren't always as flexible.