Notice of hours to be worked?

[Binkster]

DH works quite irregular shifts. It's always the same hours (night work), but we never know which days of the month it's going to be. He does about 20 a month, but apart from having 2 weekends off (which could either be Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun) a month, his days off are completely unpredictable.

I just wanted to ask- what do people think is a reasonable amount of notice for him to receive his timetable for the next month? He got his September hours today and this is quite a regular occurrence- it's more often than not within the last week of the month before. We've lived with this for a long time, but it?s always been a bit of a nuisance for planning, especially when he wants to book holiday and he doesn't know when he's working. I work a normal Mon-Fri 9-5, so if we have 9 days off together (eg I finish work on the Friday, have 9 days off then go back on the Monday), I take 5 days holiday. But he never knows how many days to put down and last time he was made to take 7 days leave for 9 days off. The timetable is always then balanced (ie he's still given the correct number of rest days for the month, so it balances out in the end), but it would be really handy if we used the same amount of holiday for the same time off (we work for the same employer).

So can I ask- are there any laws about giving a certain amount of notice of the hours to be worked? (Nothing in his contract about it, although there was a rota which has never been adhered to). And if not- this still isn't reasonable is it? Or is it something we simply have to put up with?

Thanks!

[elvislives]

Don't know about laws- have you tried the ACAS website? My DH works different days each week and is supposed to get 2 weeks notice, but never does, so a month sounds quite reasonable.

[Binkster]

Two weeks sounds great- I think I didn't explain it properly- when I said the month before, I meant the end of August for September's time sheet- so we only found out yesterday whether he is working next Tuesday or not!

Thanks, I will check the Acas website, but I've never heard of anything like this before. I just don't see why they can't give it to him earlier every month!

[flowerybeanbag]

There are no laws about notice given for hours, no. That's something completely between the employer and employee to negotiate. Laws relating to hours of work are only really concerned with how many hours are done and breaks taken, anything else is between the parties concerned.

As to what's reasonable, one week ahead doesn't sound reasonable really no. Presumably there are others in the same boat? Working together on this would be better than your DH complaining on his own so if he can get together with colleagues and request a bit more notice that would be good.