Can employer change shifts?

StevenB12

Brie said:

Any employer can make changes to hours, shifts etc with enough notice.  Any employee can refuse to accept the change and may lose their job as a result.   But if she is a valued employee they won't want to lose her and will work with her to ensure she ends up with shifts that work for her and her child care.

They've been very accommodating in the past so let's hope so 

TELLIT01

It would seem there is an element of the manager having a problem with a few staff members but not having the guts to stand up to them.  Sadly it seems a pretty commonplace problem these days.  Easier to upset everybody than to address the problem at source.

That said, the employer almost certainly does have the right to change shift patterns, and it will be in the contract.

diystarter7

StevenB12 said:

Brie said:

Any employer can make changes to hours, shifts etc with enough notice.  Any employee can refuse to accept the change and may lose their job as a result.   But if she is a valued employee they won't want to lose her and will work with her to ensure she ends up with shifts that work for her and her child care.

They've been very accommodating in the past so let's hope so 

Hi

Push come shove, do as manager requests for short term to help them out and then back to as you were. I think your OH has a good manager but the manager is stuck.

Good luck

elsien

The manager isn’t stuck, And they’re not being a good manager if they’re letting certain staff dictate who they will and won’t work with

Savvy_Sue

And is your wife in a union? https://www.tuc.org.uk/join-a-union

Are other staff in a union? 

Personally I would never do frontline work without that behind me, especially if my colleagues don't seem able to behave like proper grownups. 

Also note that your family's childcare needs are not the employer's problem. 

StevenB12

Hi all,

Sorry for late update! 

So not much further forward. They had a meeting on Wednesday to which my partner wasn't there as not her usual shift. After this meeting one person advertised they were immediately looking for another job!

Apparently it is small changes being made to the shifts for now to separate people. So will see what happens! 

@Savvy_Sue yeah she is in a union, I don't think they all are though 

Nelliegrace

Best of luck. Doing the off duty roster is a nightmare. The unit has to be covered for every shift, with the right grades of staff.

Savvy_Sue

StevenB12 said:

Hi all,

@Savvy_Sue yeah she is in a union, I don't think they all are though 

They don't need to be. If they don't have a rep in the workplace, she should get a message to the branch to see what support they can offer if a change of shifts is imposed

gbhxu

Seems odd that your wife couldn't be bothered to go to the meeting if it was an issue concerning her.

 I would have thought that her employer would have paid for her to attend.

There seems to be a little more to this than we are being told.

Is the reluctance to change shifts to do with a weekend premium?

StevenB12

@gbhxu

Couldn't get child care for the time the meeting was on and it was unpaid, only staff on shift at the time had the meeting and anyone who wasn't there had a briefing on their next shift. 

And there's no premium rates at all, all care staff are on the same hourly rate whether they work days/nights or weekends. There is only an uplift if it lands on a bank holiday.