New job can't afford me?

keep_calm_and_carry_on_2

Dont worry about it! Next week they'll be under on wages and will be begging you to do overtime! These things have a way of sorting themselves out in supermarkets, honest ;-)
Right now the GSMs will all be panicking about their bonus position, it happens around this time every year, haha.
Oh, and just because you cant change department right now, there is nothing stopping you from picking up overtime on other departments. Im guessing you work in A? Christmas lands next week, so there should be plenty of overtime available x

KiKi

Are you definitely contracted to 24 hours a week (rather than on a zero hours contract with a verbal agreement of generally 24 hours a week)? If so, you should be paid that regardless of when you're sent home, or when you clock out.

However, just so you know, you can be dismissed for pretty much any reason in the first two years anyway, whether they can afford you or not. So as others have expressed, it's weighing up the "stick up for myself and rock the boat" vs "keep quiet and hope they keep me on" - but remembering that they can get rid of you anyway until the two year point.

If I were you, and if you love your job, make yourself indispensable (not unpaid, obviously!). Show willing, enthusiasm, offer to support your manager if he has extra stuff which is really too much for him to do, offer to work elsewhere in the store if they don't need you in the bakery etc.

Also, you might want to take the view of "I'll let this week and next week go, but any shortening of hours after that I'm going to challenge it". So if it keeps happening you could speak to your manager, explain that you're concerned that you're contracted for 24 hours but they're not honouring the contract, and you'd like to know what that means for your future. If your manager won't discuss it with you (or is being difficult) you could drop an email to your store HR manager or central HR if they have one. But, as before, depends how much you're happy to rock the boat. I think you're owed an explanation, though.

KiKi

PasturesNew

The world of work, for many, sucks. This isn't something that's unusual. What you need to do is start looking for a replacement job and suck it up in the meantime .... and see how things work out. It might be you can't find another job; it might be that this one resolves itself and gets even better ... but it never hurts to have a Plan B in your pocket.

alibyte

KiKi wrote: »

Are you definitely contracted to 24 hours a week (rather than on a zero hours contract with a verbal agreement of generally 24 hours a week)? If so, you should be paid that regardless of when you're sent home, or when you clock out.

Definitely, I would never ever sign a zero hours contract - as you can probably tell, I panic too much for that! :rotfl:
But I didn't know they still had to pay me for work I didn't do? That's really strange but I don't think it's something I'll argue while I've still only been sent home for one hour so far.

KiKi wrote: »

However, just so you know, you can be dismissed for pretty much any reason in the first two years anyway, whether they can afford you or not. So as others have expressed, it's weighing up the "stick up for myself and rock the boat" vs "keep quiet and hope they keep me on" - but remembering that they can get rid of you anyway until the two year point.

If I were you, and if you love your job, make yourself indispensable (not unpaid, obviously!). Show willing, enthusiasm, offer to support your manager if he has extra stuff which is really too much for him to do, offer to work elsewhere in the store if they don't need you in the bakery etc.

Also, you might want to take the view of "I'll let this week and next week go, but any shortening of hours after that I'm going to challenge it". So if it keeps happening you could speak to your manager, explain that you're concerned that you're contracted for 24 hours but they're not honouring the contract, and you'd like to know what that means for your future. If your manager won't discuss it with you (or is being difficult) you could drop an email to your store HR manager or central HR if they have one. But, as before, depends how much you're happy to rock the boat. I think you're owed an explanation, though.

KiKi

Eeeep I didn't know about that two year rule! :eek: Thank you for telling me!
I do really like my job, so being indispensable should be easy enough. But you make a fair point, any more than two weeks of shortened hours would be worth a little bit of boat-rocking I think- I'd need to know if I should be looking at other jobs or getting the contract adjusted. I don't like conflict but I don't want everyone to think I'm a pushover or anything, so I will use the words you used, they're firm but polite and I'm not very good at striking that balance.

alibyte

PasturesNew wrote: »

The world of work, for many, sucks.

Can I get a refund and send my adulthood back or is it too late now?

PasturesNew wrote: »

What you need to do is start looking for a replacement job and suck it up in the meantime .... and see how things work out. It might be you can't find another job; it might be that this one resolves itself and gets even better ... but it never hurts to have a Plan B in your pocket.

I think I will do that! I'll give it the couple of weeks suggested by KiKi and look for another job while I'm waiting. I'm still subscribed to loads of job alerts and one job I desperately wanted but missed at the beginning of my job hunt has recently opened up again - can't hurt to apply and see what happens, everything happens for a reason after all! :T