New Job: Issue With Hours

BabyDoll

Hi,

Some advice would be appreciated. I finished college in 2009 and signed onto ESA as I have spinabififa. Well in June this year I got a job after trying for years. I'm working in a call center doing 40 hours a week monday to friday. 9AM to 5PM

I'm in training stage right now but this week they gave us the after training rota/hours which state they want us to do 11 hours monday, wednesday, thursday, friday and 9 while 4 on saturdays.

During interview I was asked if I need to make them aware of anything so they can accommodate me which I did saying I can do 9 to 5 and and no later because I have a carer come in at 6:30pm and helps with medical stuff that has to be done at a specific time, otherwise I'd get ill.

They are now saying I HAVE to do the 11 hours and when I had a chat about it, they just shrugged shoulders at me and walked off. Called ACAS when I got home and they advised me to explain my situation again and that I made them aware and was asked about accommodations regarding my disability and health.

ACAS also stated if they refuse to change the hours, they have to give a very, very good reason why its not reasonable not to do so. If they are unable to do so, its discrimination.

I want this job, I don't want to go back on ESA and want to earn my money and not be lazy and stay on benefits again.

So what do I do from here?

JReacher1

I would follow the ACAS advice.

Thomas_The_Tank_Top

No advice to give Babydoll. But wanted to wish you good luck and hope you get the result you want.

KiKi

Oh, I do feel for you. It must be so frustrating to be on ESA and then get a job and have this happen.

I'm no expert at all, so hopefully someone else will come along soon who can provide better advice. What I can say is that although the company are required to consider any reasonable adjustments, they don't *have* to implement them if there is a very good business reason to do so (eg, it would cost too much).

Who actually said 'no' to your request? It's possible that if it was just a supervisor / trainer that they have no real understanding of their responsibilities and didn't realise - and therefore it's possible that if you have a conversation with HR / the manager / head of dept the outcome would be different.

If I were you I would email or write (but make sure it's in writing) to the manager, copied to the Head of HR, and explain that you were asked about reasonable adjustments. You explained the reasonable adjustments are were told it was fine. You've since been told something different, and so you are formally requesting for reasonable adjustments to be made in these circumstances.

I really hope you manage to sort it. There are some good people on this board who may have better ideas (sangie, for one), who can let you know anything else you need to say in the letter. However, for now, bear in mind it may just be that this was one person who's a bit ignorant, rather than the company stance!

Good luck - please let us know how you get on.
KiKi

BabyDoll

KiKi wrote: »

Oh, I do feel for you. It must be so frustrating to be on ESA and then get a job and have this happen.

I'm no expert at all, so hopefully someone else will come along soon who can provide better advice. What I can say is that although the company are required to consider any reasonable adjustments, they don't *have* to implement them if there is a very good business reason to do so (eg, it would cost too much).

Who actually said 'no' to your request? It's possible that if it was just a supervisor / trainer that they have no real understanding of their responsibilities and didn't realise - and therefore it's possible that if you have a conversation with HR / the manager / head of dept the outcome would be different.

If I were you I would email or write (but make sure it's in writing) to the manager, copied to the Head of HR, and explain that you were asked about reasonable adjustments. You explained the reasonable adjustments are were told it was fine. You've since been told something different, and so you are formally requesting for reasonable adjustments to be made in these circumstances.

I really hope you manage to sort it. There are some good people on this board who may have better ideas (sangie, for one), who can let you know anything else you need to say in the letter. However, for now, bear in mind it may just be that this was one person who's a bit ignorant, rather than the company stance!

Good luck - please let us know how you get on.
KiKi

The lady who is training said she had emailed scheduling department multiple times for me but they aren't replying I have another 2 weeks of training before the 11 hour shift rota starts and wanting to sort it before the rota's take effect.

TELLIT01

If the trainer isn't getting any replies it suggests that internal communication at the company is pretty bad. It may well simply be a case that the people who put the schedules together haven't been told about the adjustments required for you situation. Hopefully it will be sorted before your training ends.
You could ask the trainer to escalate the problem to HR senior management if nothing happens in the next few days.

ERICS_MUM

Ask the training woman to pick up the phone and speak to the scheduling department. E mailing obviously isn't working.

Good luck, I do hope it can be sorted so you can go on to enjoy your job.

sangie595

I would agree with the others, especially Kiki and Erics Mum. Emailing isn't good enough if it doesn't get an answer, and the trainer should be talking to them - even if that answer isn't what you want, at least it is an answer, and you can start from that point.

The only difference I would suggest is that initially you speak either to the manager or to HR. Writing in the first instance is very formal, and having only a few days under your belt, not a great start for you. Just explain the situation to them and see what happens then. Only put it is writing if that doesn't get a response.

To be honest - if the company were going to discriminate, then you wouldn't have got the job! You didn't make any attempt to hide your condition and it is serious enough to have warranted several years on ESA - so it isn't a big secret. If it was really a problem they had a million excuses to give you that explained why you didn't get the job. So it likely incompetence rather than discrimination, and faced with that you want to try to resolve it quickly and easily. As soon as you start formal conversations about reasonable adjustments not being made and start being a "problem" rather than an asset, that's when they will start looking at you failing your probation, or something similar.

takman

If the only problem with the 11 hour shift is that you can't work past 5pm then you could always start at 6am each day. This would then mean you could do your 11 hours and still finish at 5pm.

Alice_Walker

takman wrote: »

If the only problem with the 11 hour shift is that you can't work past 5pm then you could always start at 6am each day. This would then mean you could do your 11 hours and still finish at 5pm.

Few call centres are open at 6am, plus if BabyDoll has care needs in the evening it's quite likely she will in the morning also. Your suggestion does not seem reasonable for the employer or the employee.

BabyDoll

takman wrote: »

If the only problem with the 11 hour shift is that you can't work past 5pm then you could always start at 6am each day. This would then mean you could do your 11 hours and still finish at 5pm.

No call centres open at 6am, one I'm at open's at 8AM for email part but calls don't start until 9am.