Really annoyed with DP's work

[Pinkracinghorse]

It's more of a rant than anything else, but I'm so cross..

First of all DP goes into work at a drop of a hat, currently we live up the road and because we've been trying to save money to buy a house and for our DS due Dec. DP has basically bent over backwards, and that's fine he's happy to do that apart from the fact they have decided to keep screwing him over.

He's a chef and earns less than everyone else at the same level as him, when he brought it up to his manager and area manager they agreed he well deserved to earn his wage like others around him and that it was unfair that new staff were starting on this higher wage. So when pay day came around we expected a nice little pay packet which to our surprise ended up being less per hour than promised (although there was a little pay rise). When DP brought up this again they fobbed him off by telling him what they said wasn't true and they had agreed on the wage they paid him. Unfortunately no contracts to back this up and both managers are acting the blank - I don't know what your talking about thing.

We are also moving house on Halloween, DP had booked the weekend off weeks ago. His boss has now decided that he needs to use his holidays up (as he's leaving mid Nov) and now my DP has to work the weekend, not just short shifts but the all day (9 - 11:30), leaving me to move in by myself. The issue being I'm 32 weeks pregnant and have a lack of family/friend support to help. (The only thing I want to do is move into my house!)

I really want to march down there and start shouting my mouth off, because I'm so fuming. However I know this is stupid and I'm sure it's just hormones so I won't, instead ill just rant here!

AIBU to be cross about this, or was this our fault for being so accommodating?

It's the nature of catering. My DH is a chef too and have had similar shitty experiences wherever we go. It's the natural hierarchical nature of kitchens that makes them accept the rubbish treatment they get to a degree, and the fact there are always more chefs around which makes them not give a toss it you leave/stand up for yourself. I've had to resist going down there and ranting several times, and DH just tells me that since I don't work in catering anymore I've forgotten what it's like. Apparently you can't expect something as straightforward as to get paid for your job! He worked 6 days a week but got paid for 5 for about 9 months because they were short staffed. No, they are not employing more staff because all you muppets are covering the role for free with a smile on your chops!

He cannot work that weekend, end of story. They never ever repay the favour or give you the same flexibility or consideration in return.

YANBU. I believe they have to give you a certain amount of notice to force you to work on per booked holiday. So possibly your DH could legally refuse to work Halloween, though it can be a precarious route to take. He needs to start looking for another job.

No your DP doesn't have to work that weekend, his leave was booked weeks ago. This is about boundaries and your DP's managers ticking the p**s. DP needs to simply be assertive and say no.

Also suggest he starts looking at other chef options in your area. Good chefs are in high demand especially at this time of the year.

Wildly unhelpful I know, but this is why I got out of catering. Bosses blatantly take the piss. Working all hours for fuck all. The constant implication that you are expendable :(

It is a sodding awful profession to be in.

Are any of the staff who are on the same level as him but earning more female? If so, you'd have a good case for sex discrimination.

My dh is a chef too and his old boss agreed verbally to give him 2 weeks off in October (this was in January) for our wedding and then proceeded to book the exact dates off himself so dh couldn't

Thanks for all your replies! I didn't realise that this was such a regular problem for chefs to be unappreciated

I just don't like to see DP upset, he was gutted when his boss said he couldn't have that weekend off and he's such a genuine guy (bias I know). I don't like to see him being taken advantage of.

I just spoke to DP on the phone (planning and such), and he is going to mention the holiday thing as it was pre booked and agreed upon! We are thinking it might be time for him to move else where back to doing something he wants rather than forced back into doing what they want -(he started there doing front of house and loved it, he wanted to get out of the catering side and deal with the customers.. He did one day in the kitchen because loads of people phoned in sick and he hasn't got out of there since, but accepted it as our circumstances needed the money).

Unfortunately lawyer they are all male up in the kitchen.

Legally they can cancel this leave as long as they give twice the length of the holiday. So yes if they told him today and he is only having two days off then yes they can do it as they have given four days notice or more. If however, he booked three days and they told him today then they have informed him too late as they haven't given 6 days notice.