zero hour contract forced to work Christmas

FBaby

OP, the issue is that your manager seem to think that what you've offered is fair. They must appreciate you since they have promoted you and trained you, so it's a matter of judgement as to what is fair or not.

Sadly it could be a case of bowing to those more vocal about their dissatisfaction and more at risk of calling of sick. It might be that she thinks you have more to lose by not complying. In the end, your manager needs to fill in the shifts knowing that at least one or more staff will be unhappy about the shift they've been given so they will go for who lm is more likely to do it anyway.

The return is that if you are more co-operative and flexible, you are more likely to get the promotion, in this case, it came as an incentive rather than a reward so you need to think hard as to what you want for the future with this organisation or not.

bargainbunny

The problem is I was offered the promotion on my outstanding job performance and covering 22-night shifts in one month was one reason as well as being 100% reliable. The senior manager herself asked me to be senior and promised I would get full backing from them as the other seniors were making little effort and making mistakes.
However, one colleague was training to be senior in the April and he pulled out as he could not cope.
Once news spread that I was training he demanded to have training again, now he is also trained.
This guy the senior manager adores, I mean full on crush despite her being married, he is lazy abuses his senior role by going for cigarettes and disappears all the time.
I think now we are both trained it has caused an issue as I do only senior shifts (day) and waking night shifts, none of the seniors do nights and there is a divide between day/night workers and 2 of the main night workers 1 being myself have to feedback any issues to the management which does mean the Seniors get grief from some of the feedback.
I get along well with all staff but not necessarily the seniors due to this but it is not my doing and I am of the opinion that if complaint is made then do something about it, I watch my shift and if I was at fault I would admit blame not get the hump with the person highlighting the issue. The line manager I feel is totally on my side and the Senior manager was until her crush got promoted too.
I hate that I was the one they assumed would do the xmas shifts and New year as finding cover for the nights none of them do but it is what it is, I am not leaving after working hard on the promotion and I know he will mess up as he is already , I am going to do my job but I not be bullied by them.
Now my shift is covered I will see if it is personal, and no way will I bow down and show them any invites or such as that is my personal business. If I was to leave I would be liable for nvq 3 cost as they have put me forward for that, I do believe I will get the night shifts as not many staff out of the 20 will do them, but I am disappointed that I am only getting 3-4 senior shifts per month, if the other senior gets more I will raise it but at the moment we are both getting the same.
I will still g through my contract/handbook to there understanding of zero hours and even though had recent promotion I have not been given a new contract to sign. Thanks for the advice it does help.

getmore4less

now you have this sorted you can focus on avoiding it happening again.

You are in a very strong position to start managing the manager and your situation to your advantage.

It may be a new skill to learn but you build on the things that make a difference like

Still being good at your job, spotting conflicts and defusing, taking on shifts that need cover that fit your schedules without being asked(proactive, night already seem to cover that one), being very very clear when you don't want shifts.

look at process to resolve the issues with seniors, try to get them implemented.

Go back over the issue of the thread, how do you stop it happening again, maybe a better process for people to do requests so they don't get lost.

Anything else you can think off that can improve things.

elsien

You need to check the agreement you have signed with regards to the NVQ and how it works with a zero hour contract.
If you don't officially leave but stop accepting shifts I'd be interested to see how they would try to claim it back.

If you haven't signed a training contract then they'd have a job trying to get it back off you anyway.

bargainbunny

Thank you I will look into the conditions, lucky on a night shift there are long periods to research as long as the policy is there.
I am just going to try to concentrate on getting through my NVQ then hopefully if next year it is the same at least I will be in a better position :beer:

dickydonkin

emberzburnout wrote: »

I wouldn't stand to be threatened in regards to them cutting your hours in future either, more likely than not, they will need you before you need them.

These opportunist employers, using people for full-time hours but won't guarantee them the rights of full-time employees make me sick.

You owe them nothing, they owe you everything.
Put your foot down, I say.

Absolutely!

This looks like a case of the employer wanting their cake and eating it.

Zero Hour Contracts are fine for a lot of people - mainly those with no financial commitments - but I feel sorry for those who need regular guaranteed income for loans, mortgages etc.

These lousy contracts are also a handy tool for the government to manipulate the unemployment figures, where many of the 'employed' are actually in poor contracts at minimum wage.

It's perhaps easy for us to say to the OP to refuse work, however, if the employer is of a spiteful nature, that action may not be a good career move.

xapprenticex

Well its hardly a career if you're on zero hour contract

dickydonkin

xapprenticex wrote: »

Well its hardly a career if you're on zero hour contract

I think you know what point I was trying to make.

kittycat66

sorry to hear this

bargainbunny

So a little update..
after my nightshift, on the 23rd December, my senior manager comes in shoots me a filthy look I ignore it keep myself busy then do a handover to the day staff. I finish at 8.30am, at 8.35am my senior manager says she needs to catch up with me before I go I explain I cannot stay as need catch a bus at .8.47 but she insisted.
I go into the room an my line manager comes in too. The senior manager asks me why I had said to another worker that she would have to do all the work as I had to do my nvq, I was a bit confused as I had just finished a shift with her and I never said that and to be fair I always do my share if not more. The shift in question was from the 9th it seems, I had been in work since then yet only brought up now.
I said well I never said that and then I got well why would she lie? like how do I know the reasons, I said that and said check the cameras computer whatever you like as I did not say or do that, in fact, I had not done any significant work on my nvq for a month so much so that my assessor came and did supervisions instead.I told them that too, the senior manager not happy.. said she will check but my line manager said
well you gave her good feedback so why would she lie? I am actually
quite angry that they believe her after I have never had an issue about my work effort ever before and in fact, they have openly said I could do the night on my own and people are in good hands with me, all my supervision,s have shown this too, yet they believe someone who has been here 2 months over my 17 months.
Anyway, after that talk,, my senior manager said I still want the invitation to the wedding, so I said well I'm sorry you cannot have one, I do not have one and my dad said no.
I said it's my dads' side so not my choice, she said well does he not know you have to show it to me I said he still said no, as its private, then said anyway I have to leave as I need to get my bus, she stormed off.
My manager messed up my annual leave so instead of getting paid for 95hrs I only got paid 52 which really messed up my month as I had the time off which he told me I had and he put on the rota so as far as I knew I had them days left which we have to take by Dec 14th or we lose them.
The question now is what next? I have sent email to my boss as I do feel they are looking for any reason to discipline me bully me.