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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

If you’re part time you should work on days off

222 replies

Parttimeprisoner · 18/12/2018 17:47

Having a slight disagreement with my boss today and wondered what other people thought.

I work PT (20 hours a week) my boss said today ‘when you work PArt time you’re expected to do work from home when you’re not in the office’

I disagree, I’m not paid for more than my hours. I have 3 children, on my days off I don’t have time to work! I get my work done on my days there. Anything that pops up can wait imo. I’m not paid incredibly generously either - just over minimum wage.

I don’t get sick pay or holiday pay (whole other story!) and thought it was bloody cheeky that he’d suggest I should be working on my days off. He said it would be expected at any other company and is the norm.

Opinions?

OP posts:
Liberated71 · 19/12/2018 18:43

I hope you’re in a union as this is completely unacceptable

cherish123 · 19/12/2018 18:44

You can only be expected to work from home if you are being paid to. If it is a day off or a holiday, it is your own time - not company time.

user1471590586 · 19/12/2018 18:50

Do you pay tax and NI or is this a cash in hand job? It all sounds a bit dodgy.

KatieCelf · 19/12/2018 18:51

Absolutely not!!! You only get paid your contracted hours, why on earth would you work for free at home?! What a knob!

HopeHopity · 19/12/2018 18:53

Sure, and as he works full time he is expected to work 7 days a week, from home if not in the office
Actually, people that work full time are known for always being at work, and only sleep and eat after retirement
How did you not known this? Grin

Original poster
Parttimeprisoner · 19/12/2018 18:56

I pay NI, I don’t earn enough for tax - It’s not dodgy cash in hand, I get payslips and paid bacs.
No union or HR it’s a very small company. As I say though, it would cost me a lot more to jepordise my job in any way as school hour jobs are very hard to come by and I can’t afford the additional childcare so I put up with the holiday/sick pay.

The extra hours being an expectation though takes away the whole point of the good hours. Glad it’s not expected at most companies, he probably knows this and was trying his luck.

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 19/12/2018 18:59

It does sound dodgy but I understand your reluctance to rock the boat now. When you do eventually find another job, though, it may be worth talking to an employment lawyer and seeing if you are entitled to claim the holiday pay etc. from him.

Teacher22 · 19/12/2018 19:03

I am absolutely with the OP on this one: you get paid for 20 hours, you work 20 hours.

However, it did make me think of my own situation at work and realise that if the OP's children's teachers work only the hours they are contracted for, they will not be educated.

BunsyGirl · 19/12/2018 19:06

It depends on the job. I work (and get paid for four days) but I often have to do things on my day off and weekends and when I’m on annual leave. Yes, I get paid a decent salary but not nearly enough for the number of hours I have to put in and the pressure I am under.

silvercuckoo · 19/12/2018 19:12

My contract states that I am on 26 hrs/wek, but in case of business need my hours can be increased to 48 without incurring any overtime pay. I thought this is pretty standard, new wordings appeared when flexi working became a thing. So the boss might be right to an extent.

acegod · 19/12/2018 19:13

Load of rubbish. Get him to say this in black and white otherwise you won't act on his wishes. Once obtained written confirmation say no to working from home if he sacks you. You have a legal case and written evidence. You can sue him for the remaining duration of your life to retirement easy money. If his intelligent he'll get the hint and stop bothering you. But you need it in black and white before you do anything.

genius1308 · 19/12/2018 19:18

Don't do it! He's trying to get a full time employee for a part time wage. Of course you are not expected to work from home if you're not paid. I remember having an argument with one of my bosses (she was a total control freak). She told me I wasn't allowed to leave the premises on my lunch break as the ratios were too low if I left ( worked with children). I told her I wasn't paid for my lunch break so I could go where ever I wanted! She went absolutely ballistic at me and said she was going to bring in her boss as I was going to be disciplined!!!! Unfortunately she hadn't realised at that point that I don't scare easily and her face was a picture when she turned up and I was sat in the office with the union rep who told her in no uncertain terms that I could 'go exactly where I wanted as she wasn't paying me my lunch breaks, if she wanted me to stay on site she had to pay me for that hour, if me leaving the premises affected the ratios then she needed to employ more staff'. I've got to say I was very smug, and she was very careful in future to check her facts before she started ordering me about (even though there were quite a few more occasions where we butted heads...but I never backed down).

WilburforceRaven · 19/12/2018 19:32

Fuck that! He's a chancer. I wouldn't answer emails at all on days off and put on an 'out of office' reply.

whodidapoopoointhebath · 19/12/2018 19:43

From what you’ve said they are being unreasonable.

Both me and my fiancé work compressed hours, four long days. We both will answer phone calls etc and send a few emails on our day at home, but we are middle/senior managers, although we are paid for 40 hours a week our regulations say that upto 48 is fine, (those extra hours are unpaid).

But, I would never expect a member of my team who is part time to work on their days off.

justalittlebitsad · 19/12/2018 19:54

So he wants you to work 37.5 hours a week (or whatever full time hours are) for approximately half the money? Why would you do that? You might as well work full time and be paid for those hours.

I do wonder what planet some employers are on sometimes.

Howdoyoudoit31 · 19/12/2018 20:01

I work 16 hours a week in a office (2 days at 8 hours each)

I don’t even look at my emails if I’m not in. Like hell would I be working if I’m not getting paid.

Shinesweetfreedom · 19/12/2018 20:03

Maybe if you are a manager on bloody good pay.Part timer on shit pay,not a chance.

Souplover · 19/12/2018 20:28

You should have a contract and you are entitled to holiday pay. You need to stand up for yourself.

MrsDrudge · 19/12/2018 20:31

He is totally unreasonable.
Just work the 20 hours you are paid for.

NotBeforeCoffee · 19/12/2018 20:40

You shouldn’t even be replying to emails imo

CantGetDecentNickname · 19/12/2018 20:52

No way should you work on your non-working days, they have no right to expect this. Below your signature/name/job title at the end of all your emails set your default outgoing messages to say “Please note I am currently working part-time Xdays (name the days) per week”. Then put on an out of office on your non-working days to reinforce that you are part-time and will respond when next in the office. People soon get into the habit of realising when you’re not available and send their emails or call you on your working days. I know it takes time to look for other work but worth regularly checking what’s available for the occasion when something good comes up. Good luck OP

Leapfrog44 · 19/12/2018 21:00

that's bullshit

myhamsteratefreddiestarr · 19/12/2018 21:04

I would definitely report him to ACAS. It is illegal not to have a contract and it is illegal not to pay holiday pay or sick pay.

A lot of places have a Christmas shutdown, and insist on compulsary holiday , but they do pay for it.

I understand that you don't want to rock the boat, but he will keep on getting away with this while his employees let him.

I do have sympathy for small employers, but if they don't want to stick to the legalities of employing people, then they shouldn't be in business as it is all part and parcel of it.

Rhiannon13 · 19/12/2018 21:06

Surely he was having you on? In a low-salary job you work the hours you're paid for, otherwise it becomes a full time position doesn't it? As others have said, just say you'd like this unexpected change in writing and see how he responds. I really do find it hard to believe he wasn't joking.

Peeeas · 19/12/2018 21:12

Agree re pp who said keep details then shop him to HMRC. Seems like your best shot at getting holiday back pay without having to actually take them to court.