My job makes it hard for me to leave at my contracted shift time - what do I say to employers?

accidentalglixch

My shift is 9:30am to 6:00pm but I can never log out for 6pm.

Last night I didn't get off a call until 6.15pm and as soon as that customer hung up, another call came through without a chance to go into ticket writing or log out phone codes.

Now, I did hang up on the last customer and logged out of the systems. 

I'm technically meant to take every call that comes in but after 5.30pm, the phone won't be quiet for the rest of opening time (which is 8pm) and I don't have the time to sit there until 8/9pm at night due to family commitments. 

(One of my colleges was meant to finish at 6pm too but didn't actually get to go until 9pm) 

What do I say to my team leader if I get pulled into a meeting about this?

I can't change my shift times as I have to be put on a waiting list for 3 months plus I've not been there 6 months yet.

TELLIT01

If your shift ends at 6pm, why are you expected to calls beyond that time.  I can understand the need to complete any call you are on at 6pm, but what is to prevent you simply not answering the later calls.  It is not reasonable to expect somebody who is contracted to work to 6pm still to be there several hours later.  You have little or no security of employment due to the short time you have been there.

accidentalglixch

TELLIT01 said:

If your shift ends at 6pm, why are you expected to calls beyond that time.  I can understand the need to complete any call you are on at 6pm, but what is to prevent you simply not answering the later calls.  It is not reasonable to expect somebody who is contracted to work to 6pm still to be there several hours later.  You have little or no security of employment due to the short time you have been there.

The system literally stops you from logging out if the next call comes in.  I tried logging off but at that exact time a call came through and it said "please complete the call in progress first" so had to hang up.

We were threatened that we would get fired if we do this repeatedly but I don't have any other way out. 

I started in February and have been job hunting since 70 applications later and nothing yet. 

TBagpuss

How much are you paid? It may be worth checking whether the extra time means that you are getting paid below NMW (which is illegal) 

Otherwise you could try saying that it appears tpo bbe an error with the system, that you had completed the call you were on when your shift ended at 6 but obviously can't start new calls after 6, but that there seems to be a glitch with the system which doesn't allow you to log off.

diystarter7

Tell them you have family commitnents but don't need to go into the details IMO other than just say it's personal and you need to leave at 6pm

Discuss and then put it in an email to confirm chat. Take it from there.
Places like this work on fear and will cite "others dont have a problem, so why you.."  -  They can stick the others up their rear and most likely others are i the same place as you.

Consult ACAS, free of charge call over the phone - call on your day off

On the other hand you may be pleasantly surprised and tyour boss says jut dont take that call.

accidentalglixch

TBagpuss said:

How much are you paid? It may be worth checking whether the extra time means that you are getting paid below NMW (which is illegal) 

Otherwise you could try saying that it appears tpo bbe an error with the system, that you had completed the call you were on when your shift ended at 6 but obviously can't start new calls after 6, but that there seems to be a glitch with the system which doesn't allow you to log off.

I'm paid NMW, nothing extra if past shift time.

There's no logical reason why we have to stay on and take those extra calls apart from the fact that it'll affect my targets as they'd have to call up again & affects the company's targets. 

The system only allows us to log out when we aren't on a call and we only get 5 seconds to switch to a different code after the call ends...but at this time in the evenings, the calls are so stacked that we don't get those 5 secs anyway. 

I usually just flick the power cables off as i have the PC plugged into an extension cable with individual switches. 


again if I fail those targets consistently, I'd apparently lose my job. 

At this point I don't care too much if that happens but it's hard to find anywhere else - can only work from home you see. 

accidentalglixch

diystarter7 said:

Tell them you have family commitnents but don't need to go into the details IMO other than just say it's personal and you need to leave at 6pm

Discuss and then put it in an email to confirm chat. Take it from there.
Places like this work on fear and will cite "others dont have a problem, so why you.."  -  They can stick the others up their rear and most likely others are i the same place as you.

Consult ACAS, free of charge call over the phone - call on your day off

On the other hand you may be pleasantly surprised and tyour boss says jut dont take that call.

They know about family commitments and simply don't care with the attitude of it's part of the job and to try my best to leave on time then and My boss tells me we aren't allowed to hang up. but it's ridiculos!

I'll talk with ACAS but I sadly get no days off in the week. 

diystarter7

OP, when did you return to work from your office?

Is there still an option to work from home like you did before? Will that help?

Penguin_

Do you get any bonuses?

theoretica

accidentalglixch said:

TBagpuss said:

How much are you paid? It may be worth checking whether the extra time means that you are getting paid below NMW (which is illegal) 

Otherwise you could try saying that it appears tpo bbe an error with the system, that you had completed the call you were on when your shift ended at 6 but obviously can't start new calls after 6, but that there seems to be a glitch with the system which doesn't allow you to log off.

I'm paid NMW, nothing extra if past shift time.

Does nothing extra mean you are not paid at all for the time past 6, or you are not paid a higher rate?
If you are not even paid NMW for staying after 6, that puts your employer in clear breach of the NMW legislation.  So you of course need to stop at 6 as you would not want your employer to be in trouble... but unfortunately their computer system seems to have this glitch and you can't catch the 5 seconds to log out...

accidentalglixch

diystarter7 said:

OP, when did you return to work from your office?

Is there still an option to work from home like you did before? Will that help?

I'm not office-based & never was - Only home-based