Overtime conundrum, unsure what to do? 23 January at 3:37PM in Employment, jobseeking & training 4 replies 292 views

n1guy

So after some advice.  I’m currently working my notice period as due to be made redundant start of March.

The way my life is set up at the moment is I do an hours overtime every morning, I do mornings as it’s the only time that suits, my life is set up to avoid having to pay childcare, so I work 40 hours per week during day, I’m home 4.30 wife works evenings starts at 5pm and she works Saturdays, we do it this way as cant afford childcare costs.

So in looking at future employment overtime is mentioned quite a lot or terms like “flexible” meaning we can come at like 3pm and ask you to stay on, basically I can’t do that and I don’t want to get in rows over it as it has happened in previous jobs years ago.  Okay a 1 off I might be able to get my parents to do it but it would be a 1 off.

im also in my mid 40s, I’m at the stage in life I can’t be bothered with loads of overtime anymore anyway.

makes me wonder would I be better looking part time work? Then if extra hours needed there is flexibility there to move, at the moment I’ve no movement room apart from early mornings 6am.

Bobbobbobingalong

As a rule of thumb, overtime is voluntary which means in other words that you cannot be forced to do it (yes, there are exceptions). You don’t mention how old your children are, but would a prospective new employer be happy generating negative publicity about making an employee work with young children at home?

I think your best approach is to concentrate on getting a new job and worry about stuff you can’t control afterwards - life is too short and anyway and you won’t know what you are dealing with precisely until you have a contract in front of you and you can see what the t&cs actually are!

Undervalued

Bobbobbobingalong said:

As a rule of thumb, overtime is voluntary which means in other words that you cannot be forced to do it (yes, there are exceptions). You don’t mention how old your children are, but would a prospective new employer be happy generating negative publicity about making an employee work with young children at home?

I think your best approach is to concentrate on getting a new job and worry about stuff you can’t control afterwards - life is too short and anyway and you won’t know what you are dealing with precisely until you have a contract in front of you and you can see what the t&cs actually are!

Meanwhile in the real world, particularly with less than two years service, if the work needs doing and you are not willing to do it then the employer may look to replace you with somebody more flexible!

n1guy

Undervalued said:

Bobbobbobingalong said:

As a rule of thumb, overtime is voluntary which means in other words that you cannot be forced to do it (yes, there are exceptions). You don’t mention how old your children are, but would a prospective new employer be happy generating negative publicity about making an employee work with young children at home?

I think your best approach is to concentrate on getting a new job and worry about stuff you can’t control afterwards - life is too short and anyway and you won’t know what you are dealing with precisely until you have a contract in front of you and you can see what the t&cs actually are!

Meanwhile in the real world, particularly with less than two years service, if the work needs doing and you are not willing to do it then the employer may look to replace you with somebody more flexible!

My thinking too which is why I don’t want to be in that position. 

Not only that if you end up on UC and turn that job down you’re screwed. 

It’s 9 years since I last looked a job but things seemed to have changed a hell of a lot.  It used to be the case that in busy periods you’d do a bit of overtime, get caught up overtime stops no problem.  I get the impression now companies deliberately don’t hire enough staff and expect everyone else to pick up the slack and it could run year round.  I know in my own job I’ve been doing overtime since last summer most mornings, it doesn’t bother me really as mornings suit me okay but I appreciate this is a rarity and most overtime is done at night which doesn’t suit my setup.

Savvy_Sue

I think you could just look for part-time work, IF the minimum contracted hours will be enough for you, should the overtime not materialise. The other risk is that the overtime might still be at the end of the day rather than at the start.