We're being forced to work extra 4 hrs on a sunday!

ohreally

An expectation to work excces hours may not be enforecable, the reference within a staff handbook does not mean it's a contractual obligation.Your work life balance takes priority over a store managers whims and I would politely decline any request to work the extra hours if you really don't want to do it.

Hapless_2

ohreally wrote: »

An expectation to work excces hours may not be enforecable, the reference within a staff handbook does not mean it's a contractual obligation.Your work life balance takes priority over a store managers whims and I would politely decline any request to work the extra hours if you really don't want to do it.

In many stores, the handbook is the contract.

dmg24

the reference within a staff handbook does not mean it's a contractual obligation

It does if it is referred to in the contract of employment, or as Hapless has stated, it is the contract of employment.

ohreally

faerie_girl wrote: »

I am considering asking USDAW for advice

Did you contact your trade union?

Make a request to management to supply a copy of your contract or a written statement of conditions.

iceicebaby

ohreally wrote: »

Did you contact your trade union?

Make a request to management to supply a copy of your contract or a written statement of conditions.

they have, THE HANDBOOK!

Voyager2002

I'm puzzled by this query. Doing a degree requires all the time and effort that you can give it: at least 60 hours per week. A student should not have the time to do a part-time job, and in any case not have the time to spend the money earned. If you can't manage on your student loan, seek help on this board. And if you feel like spending money, write an essay until the impuse has passed!

seven-day-weekend

faerie_girl wrote: »

As mentioned in a previous thread me and my partner work in a supermarket. Weekends only as we are students. We should finish at 5pm on sunday, and it takes us 1hr 45 to get home on the bus (20 mins in car on motorway gggrrr).

Now the thing is the company have introduced more stocktakes. They are wanting us to work unil 9pm one of the sundays which they are stocktaking.

It does say in the staff hand book that we may be required to work over our contracted hours in busy periods such as easter, christmas and the stocktake.

As it takes almost two hours to get home I find this a bit unfair. The supervisors all say 'well its in the staff handbook'
But when we applied for the positions we told them the hours we were able to work, which they agreed to, and we agreed to.

So now its going from, you may be required to work the stocktake (the one stocktake a year) to you will have to work one out of the many stocktakes and stay till 9pm... on a sunday. Now if i didn't have to work sundays I would withdraw my consent to working sundays, but I can't.

this is going to be so inconvient, getting home at about 11ish and we will have college the next day. It maybe time and a half but the money is not worth the hassle.

They will not even try and ask people who may actually want to do the overtime, they are forcing everyone who works sundays to stay late.

I am considering asking USDAW for advice but as it is in the staff handbook i should have to do it really.

Thanks for letting me rant...

any advice would be helpful.

Regards, Faerie x

And the problem is????

It's once a year!

This is WORK, this is what it is like!

grey_lady

Behave people, i cant understand the grief this topic has caused.
Whoever suggested she contacted her union - what year do you think this is when teenage trainee hairdressers working part-time in a supermarket have the oppotunity to join one. And who said she was doing a degree. This has just turned into a major anti student north v south rant. And thats not in the spirit of this board.

To be more helpful faerie girl, tell your manager you cant do it as it makes you to tired for college the next day, be firm if he tries to pressurise you, talks about contracts or anything - say that your happy to write to head office HR and explain that it's to much for you to do right now. That should get you out of it.
In the longer term, start speaking to friends, relatives etc build up a client list - its not to early - i'd pay more than the supermarkets hourly rate to have someone who knows what their doing to come round and do my hair, even if its just a blow dry. I bet old peoples homes are crying out for hairdressers to do a shampoo and set etc. Think about your future, about building up your own reputation and business, maybe you'll open want to open your own salon one day?

Good luck!

tripled

I used to work for Sainsbury's when I was younger and always tried to be flexible and on more than one occasion put in a 15 hour shift on a Friday night for my manager, and once even came in at midnight on a mate's 18th because they didn't have enough checkout trained staff on to be able to keep the store open properly. I also showed a willingness to do any job, from shelf stacking to running on the tills (for those who don't know, the one's with the keys who put through problem items, get change, etc).

In return I pretty much got pick of the overtime, they went out their way to try to give me time off at short notice if I needed it and would usually put me on the kiosk (my favourite spot). The work I put in hadn't gone unnoticed by the deputy store manager (as he often worked night shift too), and on one occasion when my wages were wrong and I needed the cash in a hurry he got money out the safe for me.

In my current position my manager expects us to do unpaid overtime every day as a matter of course, holding team briefs in our lunch breaks and keeping us back a few minutes at the end of the day to check work. However, in return he will sometimes relax the rules if you make a mistake and will go out his way to try to accomodate time off at short notice, changes in hours etc.

Basically what I am saying is the company only pays you a wage as long as you are useful to them. A good manager will show appreciation for what you do and try to reciprocate which makes a world of difference, but in any case the choice is basically to work with the company or walk out the door. In your case, if you feel that undervalued and find the travelling difficult, why not actively try to find something a bit closer to home? The job won't necesarily be the same anywhere else, as you might get a good manager, which can make the world of difference to your motivation and job satisfaction.

SUESMITH_2

when i worked in a plumbers merchant we all had to come in one weekend to stock take and work until it was done which meant starting at 8am and finishing on saturday at 9pm - no negotiation as it was part of what we were expected to do. when my sister worked for a large northern supermarket chain (not asda) as a store manger her hours of work (mainly unpaid) were horrendous. i wish you well in hairdressing i really do but my sister in law has left the trade and gone working in tescos because she earns more money, works less hours and has a decent pension oh, and she isnt on her feet all day.