Working hours

verbier80

Hi,

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge that could help.

When I began working for my current employer nearly 4 years ago we were rostered to work every other Saturday 9am – 5:30PM.

Reduced Saturday hours (10–4:30) were trialled and then adopted permanently in March 2023. However, the staff handbook says these hours are ‘subject to change’ and management periodically reminds staff they may be revoked. Is there any point at which consistent working of reduced hours could become contractual, despite this wording?

Additionally, payroll still treats Saturdays as finishing at 5:30pm for deductions, even though no one has worked those hours since early 2023. Is this acceptable?

The current staff hand book states

“Our office hours are 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. We currently open from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturdays, but this is subject to change if workload demands increase.”

 Thanks in advance

QrizB

verbier80 said:

Additionally, payroll still treats Saturdays as finishing at 5:30pm for deductions, even though no one has worked those hours since early 2023. Is this acceptable?

Deductions of what, specifically?

Are those deductions based on the number of hours worked, or on the salary earned?

Marcon

verbier80 said:

Hi,

I wonder if anyone has any knowledge that could help.

When I began working for my current employer nearly 4 years ago we were rostered to work every other Saturday 9am – 5:30PM.

Reduced Saturday hours (10–4:30) were trialled and then adopted permanently in March 2023. However, the staff handbook says these hours are ‘subject to change’ and management periodically reminds staff they may be revoked. Is there any point at which consistent working of reduced hours could become contractual, despite this wording?

Additionally, payroll still treats Saturdays as finishing at 5:30pm for deductions, even though no one has worked those hours since early 2023. Is this acceptable?

The current staff hand book states

“Our office hours are 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. We currently open from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturdays, but this is subject to change if workload demands increase.”

 Thanks in advance

Unlikely - the practice has to be consistent and happening over a long period, with an expectation from all parties that it will continue without change. That isn't the case here, because management is reminding staff periodically that it could change.

Not sure what you mean by 'deductions'? If you are paid as if you'd worked through to 5.30 pm, then payroll has to base deductions on the amount you are paid.

Grumpy_chap

verbier80 said:

When I began working for my current employer nearly 4 years ago we were rostered to work every other Saturday 9am – 5:30PM.

Reduced Saturday hours (10–4:30) were trialled and then adopted permanently in March 2023. 

Additionally, payroll still treats Saturdays as finishing at 5:30pm for deductions, even though no one has worked those hours since early 2023. Is this acceptable?

The current staff hand book states

“Our office hours are 9am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. We currently open from 10am to 4:30pm on Saturdays, but this is subject to change if workload demands increase.”

What do you mean by "deductions"?  Do you mean time taken as annual leave if taking annual leave on the Saturday?

If so, your normal working day is 8.5 hours.
On Saturday, as a (temporary and reversible) concession, the working day has been reduced to 6.5 hours.
If you book annual leave on a Saturday, it seems entirely appropriate that a day (or half-day) of annual leave would still use up the same number of holiday hours as a day (or half-day) annual leave on a weekday.