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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fired for not working the weekend

116 replies

ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 09:59

My workplace is changing beyond recognition and it makes me so sad.
A colleague wants to fire someone because she said no to working the weekend. This would be unpaid overtime on top of an intense week. For many it's the norm.
It's not a shift job, it's an office. Official 37.5 hour week, mon - fri 9-5.30. The team probably average 50-60 hour weeks with some regularly working through the night.
PreDD I did similar(not so much all night but crazy travel and long hours) and now I'm managing 50 hour week averages but I always knew it was my choice. And felt that if I said no the company would be ok with that eg We had people say they didn't want promotion because they just had kids and wanted to coast for a while. Fine, their choice.
Now though I am told saying no to working through the weekend is against our values and he wants to fire her.

Help me get perspective, AIBU to think that's not my values and I don't want to be part of it? I don't like the colleague who is saying this so I maybe bei g biased

OP posts:
Jewels234 · 04/07/2015 11:06

What the hell is wrong with posters who say if the salary is high she should do it?! Utterly ridiculous! Salary has no bearing on this whatsoever.

Pedestriana · 04/07/2015 11:09

This is why I left working in the city and am retraining in something less stressful.
I used to work in an office. Many people arrived at 6.30/7am and would still be there at 7,8,9,10pm. The job paid £45-50k depending on your position.
I had health issues and couldn't do the hours. To be honest, the whole department I was in was badly organised ( a new, and unnecessary one within the company), and had no desire to spend all my waking hours moving bits of paper from A to B because department X wouldn't work with department Y.

Oliversmumsarmy · 04/07/2015 11:10

I don't know what industry you are in but if you work staff like this you are not going to get long term employment from all bar a few who have no life outside of work. How much does it cost to keep replacing staff? The advertising, interviewing, training , not to mention agency fees etc, is the CEO and manager aware of how much this is actually costing? Have they factored this cost in when they make ridiculous time scales to clients to get the job.

Florriesma · 04/07/2015 11:12

It isn't a high earning salary if hes getting you all to work the equivalent of 2 full time Jobs is it. More like 50k for each job but without any work life balance. So are your skills worth approx £100 a yr or £50k?

He sounds like a egomaniac shit boss. But then I am not motivated enough by money to even consider working under those circumstances.

MomOfTwoGirls2 · 04/07/2015 11:19

But if they fire her, you will be yet another person down, and how will that impact the project? Especially if another team member has just quit and that it's taking ages to in board your new hires?

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 11:34

The thing is the model works. Hire young, pay well, promote fast, work like crazy. 75% buy into this and take the rewards and suck it up.

If this is what it had always been and what I joined I would be ok. But it used to be that it was more manageable and the long hours were peaks not the norm and optional not compulsory.
It's the culture change I hate.

OP posts:
DisappointedOne · 04/07/2015 11:37

While you can opt out of the 48 hour maximum working week you cannot opt out of the required rest breaks.

DisappointedOne · 04/07/2015 11:40

In addition, the probation thing is a red herring. You can be fired for any (non-discriminatory) reason within the first 24 months of employment regardless of any probation.

Pishedorf · 04/07/2015 11:42

It's an absolute disgrace that this kind if working is the Norm in any industry.

I'm in a career where we've been battling for years as despite us being in the EWTD our employers and the general public expect us to flout it constantly and when we fight against it we're seen as lazy and greedy.

This has got to stop for all industries. Employers can't expect people to live like this anymore. This kind of attitude is why people burn out, become physically ill, turn to the wrong things in order cope (drugs alcohol over eating).

And you might want to fight her corner OP but you need to shift your attitude too as you admit to being pissed off with someone who was still in the office at 8pm!!!

WinterOfOurDiscountTents15 · 04/07/2015 11:49

the bit I really don't like is that the consequence ocher saying no is the rest of the team work more. For that I'm pissed off with her. The work will get done but others will lose even more weekend. That is not fair or acceptable so I will be having a strong conversation with her

You've got this all arseways. It's not HER you should be having strong words with, she isn't responsible for everyone elses workload. No it isn't fair or acceptable but its your BOSS that is responsible for giving everyone far too much work to do, and you absolutely should not be blaming your colleague.

It doesn't matter how much the pay is. You are acting illegal, in several directions. You are also being totally unreasonable, both you personally and your firm.

jay55 · 04/07/2015 11:51

Is she good at her job? Anyone new will take a while to get going and it sounds like you have trouble retaining people as it is.

I know when I was single and in a job where I rarely got home before 10 and had to work some unpaid weekends I struggled because I had no time to do normal things like laundry, shopping, taking the bins out. At some point you have to say no.

She might not be that upset to be let go.

Kardamyli · 04/07/2015 11:56

Sounds a lot like working in a commercial law firm where contracts require you to do the hours necessary. Yes, it is well paid but it just isn't possible to meet chargeable hours targets by working 9 to 5. It's a job which is often incompatible with a normal family life.

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 12:33

Maybe i am unreasonable in being annoyed she is leaving the rest to it but I do expect people to pitch in and work to support the team when there is a crisis. I will also be having words with my colleague about his project management and leadership.
My boss agrees with me and is fighting upwards but if I weigh in to that I am basically resigning

OP posts:
Duckdeamon · 04/07/2015 12:33

He/you probably can't legally fire her. Working time (and discrimination) laws apply from day one, and it's against those to enforce opt-out.

Duckdeamon · 04/07/2015 12:35

Yabu too to be angry with her: the company's shit management and working culture is the issue.

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 12:36

I honestly don't know how she would feel about being let go. But it's not really about one individual. It's the principle of wanting to fire someone for saying no to working the weekend.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 12:39

We've signed out of Working time directive and I don't see how it is discrimination.
Shocking in itself that I don't think it would've illegal to fail her probation for this. But that's another thread.

OP posts:
Oliversmumsarmy · 04/07/2015 12:44

From what you have written working weekends is the norm not a one off crisis.

LibrariesGaveUsPower · 04/07/2015 12:46

I am assuming city type role.

Yes. They expect their pound of flesh and then some.

You dance with the devil and all that.

LibrariesGaveUsPower · 04/07/2015 12:47

And actually you can't sign out of the working time directive rules, just the length of average week. She is still entitled to daily and weekly rest periods.

SpringTown46 · 04/07/2015 12:48

I'd say the company needs to do an urgent risk assessment about this practice. They're exposing themselves.

TracyBarlow · 04/07/2015 12:49

Well it's hardly a crisis is it? It sounds normal.

I admire her for saying no. If people are regularly working double their hours then the company should employ two people to do the job. Anyone who regularly works over their contracted hours is simply working for free to line the pockets of the company owners. You are literally working for zero pay so the profit you earn for the company in that time is handed on a silver platter directly to those who own the company. I do not understand why anyone would do this. It's ludicrous.

Pumpkinpositive · 04/07/2015 12:51

That is not fair or acceptable so I will be having a strong conversation with her.

Confused Do you even know why this woman can't work this weekend?

I think you stated that she has showed perfect willingness to work beyond her contracted hours at other times.

Maybe i am unreasonable in being annoyed she is leaving the rest to it but I do expect people to pitch in and work to support the team when there is a crisis.

It sounds as if your office is in a permanent state of crisis.

Original poster
ThinkAboutItTomorrow · 04/07/2015 12:51

A bit of weekend work is kind of normal but this is also a crisis.

It's not a city job but kind of like it. But it never used to be.

OP posts:
MargoReadbetter · 04/07/2015 12:53

Are you all on coke? How is this sustainable?

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