Issue with work hours

mrjam

Essentially and to cut a long story short, my contracted hours are 37.5 a week, some weeks i do over 100 hours, literally i'm either working or in bed asleep, in a month i can do enough hours to cover 3 months worth of work, and I do this because i'm expected to and the work load demands it, however on the flip side, if i need 30 minutes off for an appointment, my wages are docked. I can do 5am - midnight for a full month and then take 30 minutes out of work time to go to the doctors for example and my wages are docked the 30 minutes, regardless of the hours i put in for the company. How would you approach this issue? I've essentially been told by the powers that be, if i'm refusing to work outside my contracted hours they'll need to look for someone else as they need someone who is "flexible". The work load has become unbearable, unmanageable, and they wont bring in any extra staff because they're as tight as they come, won't part with a penny, i do enjoy my job and don't mind putting the extra hours in, i'm certainly paid well and don't expect extra pay for the hours over and above that i put in, but when i've raised this issue previously with my MD, he's said "it's a HR thing, nothing I can do about it" which is complete rubbish in my opinion, it's his company and he knows the hours I put in and could if he wanted sort the issue out. I get on very well with my MD on both a personal and work level which actually believe it or not makes the issue harder to resolve in a way due to our friendship.

I'm sure the answers (and indeed the only solutions) will be find another job or don't do the extra hours, but i'd like peoples input on the situation on how they would tackle it.

2gorgeousgirls

mrjam wrote: »

i do enjoy my job and don't mind putting the extra hours in, i'm certainly paid well and don't expect extra pay for the hours over and above that i put in,

I really have no advice, I'm just a bit unclear on the bit quoted.

Do you mean some weeks you work 100 hours but only get paid for your contracted 37.5? If so, that's ridiculous and the employer is taking the p!!s.

No wonder he doesn't make an effort to resolve the situation if that is the case.

You haven't stated your salary but if he is only paying you contracted hours and you are working so many more would that take you below the NMW? If so, that is illegal.

liney

If the MD is saying it's down to HR, next time you have an appointment do you really have to book it with HR, or can you just slope off with the MD's permission? Would that avoid the deduction?

I must admit I think you are fighting a losing battle. I worked a ridiculous amount of unpaid hours for a company when I was in my 20's, regularly working until 8pm instead of 5pm, and then being called up at 10pm to solve one problem or another. I stopped being available very abruptly, and even physically left the office for my 30 mins lunch daily, when my DH called me at 6pm one evening. I was told very loudly in the office that I could not take personal calls in works time!

It seems the definition of 'flexible' to some MD's means you bend until you break while they rub their hands together gleefully.

mrjam

2gorgeousgirls wrote: »

I really have no advice, I'm just a bit unclear on the bit quoted.

Do you mean some weeks you work 100 hours but only get paid for your contracted 37.5? If so, that's ridiculous and the employer is taking the p!!s.

No wonder he doesn't make an effort to resolve the situation if that is the case.

You haven't stated your salary but if he is only paying you contracted hours and you are working so many more would that take you below the NMW? If so, that is illegal.

That's correct. I am always paid the same figure each month, so regardless of whether I do my 37.5 hours a week or 100 hours in a week, i'm paid the same.

My annual salary is £40,000.

mrjam

liney wrote: »

If the MD is saying it's down to HR, next time you have an appointment do you really have to book it with HR, or can you just slope off with the MD's permission? Would that avoid the deduction?

I must admit I think you are fighting a losing battle. I worked a ridiculous amount of unpaid hours for a company when I was in my 20's, regularly working until 8pm instead of 5pm, and then being called up at 10pm to solve one problem or another. I stopped being available very abruptly, and even physically left the office for my 30 mins lunch daily, when my DH called me at 6pm one evening. I was told very loudly in the office that I could not take personal calls in works time!

It seems the definition of 'flexible' to some MD's means you bend until you break while they rub their hands together gleefully.

Unfortunately not, we have a clocking in/out system which HR use. I would imagine my MD would go to HR and say, excuse me, but this guy did 100 hours this week don't dock his wage for 30 minutes off, but he won't, he's basically saying it's their department to handle yet on the other hand telling me I need to be here from 5am until midnight. It's ridiculous. I have no life whatsoever, i hardly ever see my wife, i feel constantly drained, i've started getting poorly more and more recently (And still working, never taken a sick day in this job).

It's becoming horrendous. I have commitments (mortgage/car finance/etc) based on my 40k salary and to be honest, not sure i'd earn that anywhere else for the job i'm doing, but by the same token it's destroying me.

gardner1

Keep on working 5am_midnight you won't live long........and your boss is taking the pi55 ..big time

wiogs

£40,000 - for a hundred hour week (five 20 hour days?!) is not well paid.

Time to get a new job or the word "MUG" tattooed on your forehead.

[Deleted User]

Maybe keep a log of your working hours... time to present that to management and then ask for time in lieu, extra pay or a reduction.

The moment I've got to work more than 2 hours extra, I keep a record of it in my 'tracking' spreadsheet and then request time in lieu. I earn more than the OP and am determined to not be a mug.

mrjam

wiogs wrote: »

£40,000 - for a hundred hour week (five 20 hour days?!) is not well paid.

Time to get a new job or the word "MUG" tattooed on your forehead.

As silly as it sounds, i've genuinely never thought of it that way, i.e in monetary terms - my main grievance is the fact that i expect a little leeway in terms of having a bit of time off here and there due to the hours i put in, when i think about the money aspect, that riles me even more. :mad:

This may just be the post i need to get my !!!! in gear and do the right thing.

The seeking commences now. :T

wiogs

Flexibility is all well and good but it has to be a two way street - you are being taken advantage of.

You do need to do something about it, for your health if nothing else.

fufu_banterwaite

wiogs wrote: »

£40,000 - for a hundred hour week (five 20 hour days?!) is not well paid.

Time to get a new job or the word "MUG" tattooed on your forehead.

Ditto. I don't know how anyone could think £40,000 was a good salary for a 100 hour week.

I don't think I'd do that amount of work for any salary!