Employer asking me to work Weekend + Mon-Fri

DanSpooner · 5 March 2018 at 2:11PM

Hi there,

I currently work in a Monday-Friday (9am-5.30pm) job and I've been asked to work at an event one weekend this month in addition to my normal working hours. This means that I'll be working from Monday 12th March with no days off until Friday 23rd March (12 days straight) and I've been offered no days off to counter the fact that I'm working that weekend.

I'm on a salary where I am (as an employee, not self employed) and I won't be getting any extra money for working then. My contract does say the following:

"In addition to these hours, you will be expected to work such additional hours as the company sees fit to enable you to carry out your duties effectively. For example, this may involve working the occasional weekend or weekdays at trade shows or staying overnight if visiting customers a significant distance away."

The work on that weekend will be for a trade show which is 150 miles away so I'll be staying there from Friday (16th) night until Tuesday (20th). So I'll have a significant amount of time away from home during that period.

Do I have any rights to ask for 2 days off to give me a break? I do understand that my contract says I'm expected to work at these events but I feel that I would need at least some time off to refresh (Plus I'll need time to do things such as wash work clothes as I only have a certain amount etc.).

Any help would be much appreciated.

RichardD1970 · 5 March 2018 at 2:15PM

From the Gov website

Weekly rest

Workers have the right to either:

an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week
an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight

https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

Comms69 · 5 March 2018 at 2:17PM

RichardD1970 wrote: »

From the Gov website

https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work

Technically the Op could be asked to work 24 days straight.

48off, 12 days, 12 days, 48 off again.

Thanks GM4L

Comms69 · 5 March 2018 at 2:20PM

DanSpooner wrote: »

Hi there,

I currently work in a Monday-Friday (9am-5.30pm) job and I've been asked to work at an event one weekend this month in addition to my normal working hours. This means that I'll be working from Monday 12th March with no days off until Friday 23rd March (12 days straight) and I've been offered no days off to counter the fact that I'm working that weekend.

I'm on a salary where I am (as an employee, not self employed) and I won't be getting any extra money for working then. My contract does say the following:

"In addition to these hours, you will be expected to work such additional hours as the company sees fit to enable you to carry out your duties effectively. For example, this may involve working the occasional weekend or weekdays at trade shows or staying overnight if visiting customers a significant distance away."

The work on that weekend will be for a trade show which is 150 miles away so I'll be staying there from Friday (16th) night until Tuesday (20th). So I'll have a significant amount of time away from home during that period.

Do I have any rights to ask for 2 days off to give me a break? I do understand that my contract says I'm expected to work at these events but I feel that I would need at least some time off to refresh (Plus I'll need time to do things such as wash work clothes as I only have a certain amount etc.).

Any help would be much appreciated.

How long have you worked there? if less than 2 years, pick your battles
It would be reasonable to gain time off in lieu, but it depends on your answer to question 1.

Would this take you below the NMW/NLW per hourly rate? unlikely but worth checking.

ReadingTim · 5 March 2018 at 2:40PM

3 nights away from home is not "significant", and you don't have to do your washing at the weekend - live a little and try doing it on a Thursday or a Tuesday. Moreover, some hotels offer laundry services and many towns and cities still have launderettes - I don't think an expense claim for washing your smalls would fall foul of any sensible policy...

getmore4less · 5 March 2018 at 2:46PM

Comms69 wrote: »

Technically the Op could be asked to work 12 days straight.

24hr break at the start, 24 at the end = 48 in 2 weeks and 24 in any given week.

you can be asked to work 24 days in a row, 2off-12on+12on-2off

Comms69 · 5 March 2018 at 2:50PM

getmore4less wrote: »

you can be asked to work 24 days in a row, 2off-12on+12on-2off

So obvious! You're right I misread it's either 24 or 48. Spot on!

[Deleted User] · 5 March 2018 at 2:52PM

I can feel for you - can another team member help ? Please don’t be afraid to ask or suggest why am I the only one doing this if you are?
If you aren’t ask your colleagues what they intend do? It was only when I took a day off, that it suddenly come to roost actually there was an allocation of money for 2 people to do the job.....

Do I wish it happened sooner - yes.

I accepted being sales person, administrator and billing controller in one for far to long. I wish I had queried it, the boss reckoned they really didn’t know.

What would they do if you had booked that weekend away? When I’ve done expo’s in past it has usually meant a day off given back.

kazwookie · 5 March 2018 at 2:57PM

I would do the extra work, mark it down in an email to your line manager and very politely ask when can I expect the two days back off, or it is ok to add them to my holidya later on in the year.

No harm in asking, and what ever the response get it in writing

getmore4less · 5 March 2018 at 3:03PM

Clearly this is part of the job and not really extra work.

It is down to negotiation how this works in practice.

By the sounds of it the first time it has come up for you so you need to establish the current thinking and boundaries on how these trips work in the place you work.

Timings of travel(do you do the set up and takedown),

Expense policies, cheap hotels or decent, food& beverage allowances, incidentals

TOIL, extra flexibility other times.

Are there others more experienced than you that you can ask how this works for them.

DanSpooner · 5 March 2018 at 3:17PM

Comms69 wrote: »

How long have you worked there? if less than 2 years, pick your battles
It would be reasonable to gain time off in lieu, but it depends on your answer to question 1.

Would this take you below the NMW/NLW per hourly rate? unlikely but worth checking.

Thanks for getting back to me. I've worked here just under a year but I'm quite a seasoned veteran in the market and I would like to think that I'm worth a fair amount to my company. It's just quite a long period of work with no break/rest day.

It doesn't take me under the NMW/NLW.

Employer asking me to work Weekend + Mon-Fri

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