Told must do overtime

[granadagirl]

Company ds works for as been shut down for covid 19 about 3 weeks everyone laid off
This week he got letter to resume work on Monday, on that day they told him they are all working till 5pm 2 hrs overtime everyday m-f and also Saturday morning 4 hrs.
This makes us working week from 40 hrs.to
54 hrs.
So he’s gone from o hrs for 3 weeks to a 54 hour week.

I think this is ridicules and you shouldn’t be made to do compulsory overtime
Somebody spoke up and said they don’t wanna do it, the manager said if you don’t like it there’s always someone off the night shift who will take your place!! There’s the door

They normally have 3 shifts in 24 hrs, just son’s shift is in all the rest are furloughed
So there being made to work like trougens to get the work out.

Don’t think they have union, it’s a well known. Big company in the field of manufacturing

I just wish I could do something, he looks dead on his feet
I know some people would be glad of overtime/job but to be physically made to do overtime is another thing.

Surely this can’t be for real

Is DS a member of a union? Workplaces dont have unions, although some branches have their own.

Oh and what does his contract say?

There was a European working hours directive that limited hours to around 47 iirc. Now we are transitioning from the EU I don’t know whether or not that applies but worth checking out maybe.

Contract says 40 hrs, overtime pending business needs !!

Think he’d stuffed

No union ☹️

www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours

The 48 hrs is calculated as an average over 17 weeks. Sp I dont think he has much chance of fighting this one.

At least, not right now. Might be worth calculating how many weeks he would have to work the extra before the average tips over.

Is the overtime paid?

Why does he not want to do it?

Yer overtime is paid
He doesn’t mind doing some, but not every night after being up at 5.50 and still being at work at 5pm and having to go in on Saturday
At 6.30am for 4 hrs also. So he gets 1 lay in on Sunday
There’s a difference wanting to do it and having no choice isn’t there.

He’s stuffed and the company know it
The usually have 3 shifts going, but at moment only 1 shift is in.

How old is your DS? There are different rules for young workers

Personally I'd do it. There's nothing else to do at the moment and he can take this opportunity to work hard and save for something nice or maybe his own place in the future. This will get better and there are people who aren't getting paid anything. One lay in a week? Such is life really.

His employer has the contractual right to ask him to work overtime. His manager is correct. If he doesn’t like it he should leave and let someone who is grateful for the work take his job. I despair sometimes.

What @SpeckledFrogsLog said

I'd do it, my sister just did 25 extra hours across 5 days as it's yr end.

It's not going to be for ever, he has nothing else to do in the evenings (probably) - it's not like he'll be missing out on pub time or anything, it'll mean he's more likely to keep his job by helping to keep the company going, and he'll be able to save money.

We're considering changing shift patterns to allow employees to work at an acceptable distance from each other - is this also why DS's employer is making the changes?

MOH leaves at 4am to be at work for 5am 6 days a week. He gets home about 4pm, falls asleep in the chair, eats dinner and is in bed by 9pm. He used to get home at 2pm but the days have got longer. He drives a refrigerated truck delivering to NHS hospitals, pubs that do take-aways and individual vulnerable households. His pay is still the same but he's happy to be working and knows that eventually the other driver will be back. I think your son needs to put his big pants on and accept that this is how his job is panning out at the moment and one day it will be over. Could he save the extra cash for something special to cheer himself up?

I wouldn't be happy, but I'd do it as I'd be glad I still had my job and to show willing in case there need to be cutbacks in the future. Also, if overtime is paid, then it can be saved for a rainy day (unless he has a very secure job).

I'd do it short term.

Is he being paid extra for the overtime? How long has he worked for the company? Although contracts state about overtime, this usually has to be my mutual consent.

I was given to believe that this will be the reality for a lot of companies trying to stay afloat. I wouldn't be happy either as it takes a while to get back into it, so to force this on everyone seems a bit like a an over reaction - there are always people who want to do ALL the overtime.
I would do it though, as I would think that this was a way to weed out all those who were unwilling to be inflexible, who cannot be relied on to save the company.

I don't like the idea of compulsory overtime and can't comment on legality but I would do it without complaint if I were your DS. Assuming he is young and healthy there isn't much else going on and it gives him a chance to save. These are strange times and all of us as the having to adapt.

Normal at present for many I think. I am in a 3 week furlough but my one week back soon will have to be as near to three weeks work as I can get done working over 7 days if necessary.

He is doing it, he’s always done the overtime in the past usually in summer when others have holidays so works the Saturday, as they have no choice and he’s never let them down in the past.

Yer he will probably treat himself to something big he wants or put to holiday later in year if things change.