DS works on a 15 hour min contract at Coffee shop- how available does he need to be every weekend ?

Well this is how hospitality works, they need enough staff to meet customer demand.
Weekends and public holidays are the busiest times and if people have already been granted time off then to give someone else time off affects the service levels - most people using the service aren't going to be accepting of that.
He should have given the dates at interview and then he'd have them off.

When you go to this wedding, or stay in the hotel are you going to be accepting of poorer service if there's not enough staff for the same reason? Or are you going to feel that as a paying customer it shouldn't be happening?

It's always ok for other people to be treated like that, so we get the service we want, it's only when it affects us or someone we love that it becomes a problem.

It is what it is, he works or he risks not having the job. That's how hospitality works because that's what people expect from the industry.

DS needs to ask the manager to tell him who is around so he can ask re swapping shifts. Or DS can tell the manager that he'd be prepared to work every other weekend/crap shift to not be rota'd that weekend. If DD can work Easter then he can offer that to anyone who is on the rota as an extra shift

You can ask not to work on particular days in general e.g. every Tuesday if you have college/ another job. Then you are never put on the rota for that day.

Has he passed a probationary period? That gives you more rights. If not, and he just refuses to work that weekend, they may just sack him as there are likely to be plenty of other candidates wanting a job.

My first job was 8hrs contract (0hrs hadn't come in then). I said at the interview that I couldn't do the xth August as it was A-level results day. I reminded in advance of the roster being drawn up that I couldn't do that day. I was still put down and had to swap. On the morning of that day, I was still phoned up and asked to come in. There was nothing else special about the day; the other casual staff were 16 and not collecting results.

Sometimes all reasonable notice still doesn't sink in. Mentioning at interview might not have averted the problem.

I'd be wondering what the jobs market was like in the area...

Not sure anyone would believe an adult man didn't have a choice as his family are taking him to a wedding. Did you miss the bit where he is a graduate so at least 20 years old.

This isn't a zero hours contract though. It is a 15 hour contract with no set schedule. If the rota says he is to do his hours on a day he doesn't want to he either needs to use holiday which he can't as others already have the day booked off or swap the shift with someone or not turn up to work which will be a disciplinary issue or call in sick but that will not go down well given 1. It's a lie and 2. It's an obvious lie.

Yeah that's the theory
In reality the system can be and open is abused so that if you're not available whenever they want, you're denied further shifts, given the shit shifts etc.

Whenever people are desperate for an income, and there's an endless supply of available labour, there's a power imbalance

The idea behind zero hour contracts is you can decline any shifts you don’t like, surely? Honestly in this instance he has said he can’t work it . I’d just start job hunting there are loads of hospitality jobs around get another with more fixed hours.

Fairly normal now in retail etc for staff to be told which shifts they are expected to work a couple of weeks in advance. Where I work it is called a "flexi contract" (flexible for the employer only!)
Is it a chain? They should have asked him in the interview if he had any holidays planned.

My dd has this kind of contract, (though minimum is less than 15 hours 😫). She has to book off in advance every day she doesn't want to work, or otherwise swap shifts. She never knows her hours till a few days before the working week starts - yes, it's rubbish, but she's young and fancy free and has a side hustle, so it works for her.

It’s blunt but I’d say it’s helpful and kind in the ‘radical candour’ mode.

When he accepted the job he should have told them about any annual leave he needs off. They have to allow it. I don't think it's fair they have a hold over his life, for the sake of a 15 hour contract! I bet these hours are allocated weekly too! He can't always be flexible. He needs to explain that his family are taking him to a wedding, he doesn't have a choice and see what they say. Be prepared for him to be let go, he may need to look for another job after the wedding.

This seems a practical suggestion.

To be clear I think zero hours contracts are shit and give all the power to the employer. But they exist and this individual is working one so here we are.

Why should it be the responsibility of the manager? The manager has said other staff already have leave booked that weekend so they can’t accommodate this request. That’s it that’s the end of their responsibility. If they’re kind (or self interested because it sounds like the employee might no show in this scenario) they might try to help but they’re not obliged to

I agree

I thought employers with zero hours contracts generally had a large pool of staff cos flexibility cuts both ways and they can't always rely on staff being available when they want them

Sorry but this attitude is completely ridiculous. Work doesn't rule most people's lives. The notion that anyone would miss a family wedding for any job let alone a very part time coffee shop job is ludicrous. What happens in this type of job, and I know from experience, is that staff will just call in sick if they don't get the leave approved for important events. Just tell the manager he's not available that weekend because of a family wedding and see what happens. What should have happened really was that they asked him any prior commitments when he started the job.

That is part of the Easter hols this year so people may already have holidays booked in

There's no obligation to be helfpful or kind and they're valid questions.

The man"s a graduate not a clueless 16 year old who wouldn't realise. It's standard when you start a new job to tell them of dates you already have commitments on.

As.for those saying the rotas haven't been done yet and they can just rota someone else.on - not if there is no on else available because other people have already booked the days off.

It doesn't matter how many days it is, how many hours he works, or that it's only a cafe. He signed a contract and now has to abide by that contract. It's bad luck but his employer needs staff in.

My DS swaps his shifts with others. Rota released two weeks ahead.

Your DS needs to ask others and speak to his manager.

This isn’t about how much notice people gave already booked the time off so that’s his business reason

and any good manager makes sure they have enough staff to cover there shifts not give people what ever time off they demand to keep them happy and leave the business short staffed

The staff rota and the holiday calendar are 2 separate things
so people have already booked time off there is no availability for additional people to be on leave

the fact he only works 15 hours makes no difference and tbh bring that up just shows a shit attitude to work

This is all conjecture. Have you read his contract?

Would you consider that she doesn't have to only post helpful or kind things?

I don’t think it’s remotely helpful to treat a gown man in his 20s like an 8 year old and have his mother deal with his annual leave at his job! It’s ridiculous.