Yet another problem / asked to resign

grassgirl

I have worked for a hotel on a 3 days a week contract since october.

I got the rota for feb and they have me as 4 days/week and also mostly midweek starts at 6am which are literally impossible for me.

I discussed this with my manager and was told, no they're not changing the rota so that I can work weekends and if I can't do those hours, I must resign.

I haven't put anything in writing so far.

I've called dwp etc and they can't let me know if I'll get sanctioned until I go through with leaving, or even if it's better for me to get fired?

I haven't put anything down in writing as waiting for a reply from the general manager which I will hopefully receive tomorrow..

What would you do? Other than look for another job asap!

I should add that I'm a single mum, my lad is 10 in April.

Thanks for any help / advice.

[Deleted User]

if they have genuinely made it impossible for you to work then you may not be sanctioned
would other members of staff be willing to change shifts with you?

pmlindyloo

What does your contract stipulate as regards working hours?

Is this the first time they have asked you to work the early shift?

What prevents you from doing the early shift?

All questions that will be 'asked' if you resign and try to claim JSA.

You have to show good reason not to be sanctioned for leaving a job and claiming JSA. There are no specific 'rules' as to what constitutes good reason and each case is looked at individually.

Guidelines here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/391569/dmgch34.pdf

342 onwards

Obviously continuing in the job is the easiest solution so a discussion with your employer is the first step. If they do not help out then it is better for them to dismiss you than resign and you wouldn't be sanctioned if you need to claim JSA.

Can you get child care arranged for the early start? Can you travel to work at this time?

If the employer won't be flexible then it may be better to make arrangements, even if they are not ideal, to do the early start until you find another job.

Not an easy decision so good luck.

grassgirl

I've tried and have swapped a couple but its either 6am-2.30pm or 2pm-10.30pm so hasn't made much difference.. the rota was perfect before (I was on fri/sat/sun) but the only reason I can think of is that the management want me to push off as they know I'm a single mum and could cause issues with time off (although I've never had a day off or been late and everyone else always is)

grassgirl

I've worked the early shift before but on the weekends as childcare is provided by my nan who is 70 and I leave my lad with her the night before, she's unable to whizz around the town to take him to school on the week days and childcare (approved childcare providers) don't work in my local area until 7am and I'd need them from 5.30am, or to pay them the night before and him sleep over which would cancel out my pay (and the ones I've found don't do that anyway).

I'd have to take my lad with me and it's an over 18 facility and then he'd miss school etc

I dearly wish I could stay there, I love it there.

Hopefully I'll find another job by the 8th which is the last date of any of the hours I can actually do, or the manager wll see sense.. fingers crossed, this is a horrid situation to be in but thank you for your help

xylophone

If it is an hotel, is there any chance your boy could sleep there so that you could put him on a bus to school after breakfast?

Finishing at 2.30 enables you to pick him up?

elsien

I can't see any hotel allowing an employee and their child to sleep over so the kid can get to school.
OP, unfortunately I don't think you've been there long enough (26 weeks) to have the legal right to request flexible working, but if you structure a request along those lines explaining how your request won't disadvantage the company, it might help. Seems odd they're turning someone away who wants weekend working - those are the shifts a lot of people try to lose.

rach_k

Do you get an hour for a meal on the morning shift? If you do, could you take it when you need to take your son to school and eat on the way? Then he could stay at the hotel if they'd let him (or perhaps stay at nan's if you would be able to get from hers to school and back in time) , you could take him to school and then you'd be finished in time to pick him up later. For evening shifts, is there a school friend who could collect him from school and drop him off at your nan's? You could collect him when you finish - it would be quite late but he could take his PJ's with him and have a nap until you collect him if needed. My grandparents used to get us all ready for bed when they looked after us in the evenings.

Alternatively, would any of your son's school friends' parents be willing to let him stay over/let you drop him off at 5.30am (and get back in bed probably!)/collect him from school? I'd be more than happy to look after one of my daughter's friends like that - you could offer to take your son and their kids out for a treat at the weekend in exchange maybe or babysit for them at other times.

It would all be a pain but sometimes you just need to show willing - if the manager sees you're really putting everything into it, he may ease up a bit!

micky2phones

rach_k wrote: »

Do you get an hour for a meal on the morning shift? If you do, could you take it when you need to take your son to school and eat on the way? Then he could stay at the hotel if they'd let him (or perhaps stay at nan's if you would be able to get from hers to school and back in time) , you could take him to school and then you'd be finished in time to pick him up later. For evening shifts, is there a school friend who could collect him from school and drop him off at your nan's? You could collect him when you finish - it would be quite late but he could take his PJ's with him and have a nap until you collect him if needed. My grandparents used to get us all ready for bed when they looked after us in the evenings.

Alternatively, would any of your son's school friends' parents be willing to let him stay over/let you drop him off at 5.30am (and get back in bed probably!)/collect him from school? I'd be more than happy to look after one of my daughter's friends like that - you could offer to take your son and their kids out for a treat at the weekend in exchange maybe or babysit for them at other times.

It would all be a pain but sometimes you just need to show willing - if the manager sees you're really putting everything into it, he may ease up a bit!

What a great post, you sound like a lovely person

sheramber

Is this a permanent change or on a rota basis?

What happened with your son when you were on early shift on a Friday?

Could your nan come and stay over at your house to care for your son?

At 10 years old he should be able to go to school and return on his own.

nannytone_2

sheramber wrote: »

Is this a permanent change or on a rota basis?

What happened with your son when you were on early shift on a Friday?

Could your nan come and stay over at your house to care for your son?

At 10 years old he should be able to go to school and return on his own.

i dont thinkk its appropriate for a primary school child to be taking themselves to/from school.
OP ... do you have a friend/neighvour with a child at the same school?
i know that when my kids were young, i had a friend who also worked, and we did a fair bit of child minding for each other