AIBU?? Or my boss? Can't decide

[lololizzy]

Have been in my current job for years, got hours (well, days) drastically cut last year.
As a result I work Saturdays and Sundays only now (whereas i was full time before). Which was very tough plus i received no notice (the recession hit us very hard - small shop).
I didn't stay on out of loyalty but because i love the job and there isn't much else out there..
However, i have finally managed to get another job. It is also retail and also part time.
The new job does not trade on Sundays. I would be required to work some but not all Saturdays.
I informed my current employer of all this (as soon as i got offered this new job - ha at least i gave them some notice!) and asked him if i could continue working Sundays for him, and that if they ever needed cover for Saturdays then i could do that when not doing them in new job (new job is rota'd so i'd know in advance).
Because i know the current job inside out and various other reasons, i knew that he'd agree but even so i was relieved that he did say yes..
Obviously it suits me as with two p-t jobs i can now pretty much be working full time hours. So i am grateful for that and that they would not be seeking to replace me at weekends.
He and his partner would be covering the Saturdays when i have to be working them in my new job.
And this is my issue..he mentioned that there would be certain
Saturdays when it would be impossible for one of them to man the shop as would be looking after their child at same time (whilst other partner being away)..
Even though the child is at an age where they are happy to be in the shop for the day and often have in the past..in fact, numerous times inc alone with me. (i've watched them grow up).
My boss views this as a big problem now for some reason..and said he would really want me to change my days off or the rota in my NEW job (are you keeping up?!) so that I can still come back and cover for their 'important Saturdays'.
He seemed to act that as he was doing me a big favour (ie letting me stay on) therefore i could accommodate their needs..
I'm rather put out by this. So i put it to you....who's BU? Me, him or us both?
Personally..i feel that my loyalty should be to my new employer. Yes, i am grateful to current employer for keeping me on...BUT...i wouldn't be in this position (of having to find a new job) if they hadn't cut my days! (what did they expect..me to carry on working two days a week for them forever, because they could no longer afford me full time??!)
Also that i gave them notice of this (i start new job next month) whereas i got no notice when my days got cut so that particular month i received a massive drop in my paypacket (which surely is illegal? to put someone onto a part time wage from full time, without notice?)
Also I don't want to rock the boat with new employer by demanding certain days or the rota being changed...the new shop is far busier than my current and therefore i would be needed Sat's there too!
I do want to keep my current job..there are many reasons i can't explain them all here but also it makes sense as new job doesn't need me Sundays. And i need the extra money and for my own self worth, to be working more than i have been since last Spring.
However i'm a bit put out that after my current boss treating me so shabbily last yr (and i STILL stayed) that he would make such demands.
Surely their childcare is not my business plus he and his wife have several grown up kids who could babysit if need be, and there are grandparents! But the child always stayed in the shop before anyway..i guess child is now at age for wanting to do other stuff, but that isn't my fault.
I just feel that he expects my full loyalty still, without understanding that i wouldnt be in this position if they hadn't laid me off..but then am i BU because it was the recession and not his personal choice?

if i were you i'd smile, nod and agree to ask to switch rotas on saturdays but make sure you let them know you can't guarantee that you will be able to.

then worry about it if and when the time comes, it might turn out to be easy to swap in the new job, it might not. all you can do is say you'll try.

thanks Plu, Lionrock and everyone. Will take all comments on board

As a small business owner, if I was employer 1 I'd feel like you were taking the piss a bit.
You either want the job or not, when they took you on it was probably so that they could get some much needed time for themselves so now that you don't want to work the whole weekends, in theory you could be jeapordising their livelihoods.

Unfortunately with small businesses as much as we would love to be more flexible, it is at some times impossible.

If you can't keep to your end of your verbal contract I would hand in your notice so that they have a chance to find someone else rather than being up the spout later on. I'm sure they would appreciate your honesty rather than being shafted for shift cover later on.

And also, would you not rather have your hours cut than have no hours at all... that is the problem that a lot of small business owners are facing.

bethel - did you miss the bit where the employer cut her hours from full time to part time pretty much overnight?

She has now found another job and offered to keep doing Sundays and the Saturdays she is free - they accepted this - they are now saying they want her to change some Saturdays at her new job to suit them?

How the hell is she taking the piss?

I think it is your current employer who is BU.

I would work as and when your new employer wants you too and not mention having time off to cover your old job.
Tell your current employer that you will have to work the Saturdays at your new place and see what they say. They will either have to let you go and find someone to work weekends or just work around the odd Saturday themselves.

I thought she was taking the p because it's all a bit 'Have your cake and eat it'. There's no way she'd be able to work for both companies and keep both of them happy rota wise.

Overnight changes to rota is a bit much, you need to give notice for these things if it's in the works. But if she has no contract then unfortunately she hasn't a foot to stand on.

They are BU for asking her to change shifts at her new job if they agreed to have her whenever she was free but if I was being flexible enough to allow a member of staff to work elsewhere on days where she was needed with us then I would expect a bit of flexibility on her behalf as well.

All employers have to by law give an employee a contract within 12 weeks of you working for them.

When they cut your hours they should have given you notice either if you are weekly paid a weeks notice or monthly paid a months notice.

However, too late to do anything about that now.

Just tell him you can do every Sunday without fail, but can only do Saturdays when you are not contracted to do them at your new shop.

Tell them you will have a contract and have to work to that contract.

Bethel - how is it 'Have your cake and eat it?

• She had a full time job with employer A
• Employer A put her down to part time hours from full time hours pretty much overnight
• She has found a new job with employer B
• She told employer A she could still do every Sunday and the Saturdays she was free if they wanted
• Employer A agreed to this working Sundays and Saturdays when she wasn't working at job B

now Employer A wants her to change her shifs at job B to suit him - this was never on offer.

It has nothing to do with Employer A being flexible - she told them she was going to work for Employer B and gave them the option of keeping her on for all Sundays and any Saturdays she wasn't working for B - they chose to accept this offer now they want to change it.

Employer A is being very unreasonable and the OP just needs to say 'NO, that's not what I offered to do'. End of.

I am probably being a bit 'cake and eat it' but don't feel UNjustified in that..
I went to work on a 'normal Sunday' last Spring. At the end of that day, they told me (completely out of the blue) that they could no longer afford to pay me full time (though i had been there years) and therefore they would run the shop themselves but would i please consider still working for them (weekends only) as that was all they could now offer. Yes, i did agree to that but i was somewhat in shock and put on the spot. I asked them if that would be effective from a month's time (as obviously thought would be a month's notice) and they said no, from now...i said so i don't come in tomorrow then? But- let me get this straight.. five days from now?
Yes, they said.
That month, i had urgent bills including an unexpected large vets bill. That might not be their concern...but i was counting on getting a full salary for that month. There had been NO warning of this and they'd been spending money like water..hardly behaviour of being as skint as they'd made out. I had to make do with getting a part time salary..i then had to go into Collections with my bank as a result. I had to adjust immediately to a low paid part time wage which i lost a big percentage of by paying back Collections a sum each week.
If they hadn't cut my days, i wouldn't be having this discussion/issue now, either on MN or with them. I would've happily carried on working full time for them for as long as possible..

not because i am a mug, but because i love the job. I don't love my bosses,i do love the job/business/my regular customers etc.

I'll just smile sweetly at crap boss current employer and say i'll do my best, however i shall certainly not mention any of it at all to new employer, who does give a month's notice in advance for rota, but if it does work out to suit current boss, it will merely be a 'happy coincidence' . I will never bend over backwards for current job again just because they are too lazy to sort out childcare ( and i KNOW it's because they find it too tiring and stressful to have child in shop with them..funny how in school hols i quite happily have the child in the shop with me most days, all day! Which they love as of course gives them a break! I should say, this was always the child's CHOICE. They are much older parents ..i am childless..they always assumed one rule for me one for them i guess! and assumed i'd have more energy to entertain their child whilst working).

Good plan :)

YANBU. DP & I have a small 7 day a week shop (not specialist) and our staff team are our greatest assett, we would have no life at all if it were not for them.

We would move heaven and earth not to cut anyone's hours but if we had to and they got an additional job we would bend over backwards to accommodate them.

Employer 1 has the option to employ someone else to work Saturdays at no extra cost to them.

thanks, Nufsed. They always said i was an asset/couldn't do without me blah de blah..but i think that is because i was there for everything.. far beyond call of duty ie childcare/petcare/dealing with people they owed money to while they hid /working many unpaid hours etc all this i willingly did because it was a 'friendly small family business' and it was , mainly, a place i was happy to be. Until they cut my days so drastically. Which even then..i would've understood, had they not then started flashing the cash.
I told them about my new job the very next day and they'd always said they understood that i would need to find another job or leave them completely (although emphasised they would not want to lose me). Therefore i was a bit that he later came back with the 'it will be so hard for us on certain days when one of us is away and the other is in the shop as we can't handle (child's name) whilst working..'
Weird, that! I had the child when wasnt even toilet trained and was so busy it was hard to leave shop to take them to loo, etc! (loo not in actual shop building). (its a small shop so only ever one person working) they were happy for me to deal to deal with that and have poor kid wet itself etc knowing how busy i was! Just so they'd get a break from when DC was in their words, 'demanding'. (no, they were just being a toddler).
How easily they forget! There were times i'd have baby asleep at my hip whilst i tried to serve customers with one hand! looking at me like i was the worst 'mum' ever.