Crazy Shifts! 50hr week part time

[OdeToDiazepam]

Started a new job and from the beginning I stated part time over 4 days

The training was 5 days and intensive but I understood that was just for a few weeks.

Now the job has started and I'm being repeatedly put down for 5 days approx 40
Hours! Over the whole weekend too and consecutive pms which I don't get out til 1/2 even half 2 in the morning at times.

When I applied we weren't told what the exact shifts were and I've said my preference is am in the week and pm at weekends due to childcare but I also don't want to be working all weekend ever weekend as it's not fair on my family who have my children and I won't get to spend time with the kids.

I've raised the issue with 2 managers one who tried to guilt me into taking on another day that week and made out I was being unreasonable

The other said if I'm already rotad I need to find someone to pick it up so I can release the shift

I want to tell them look it's not workable for me with my children. I want to work am
In the week and maybe one weekend shift each week. Can I dictate this? I'm worried about getting in trouble.

I don't have a specified contract with hours

It's a chain restaurant basically. I feel like I've never been able to have a proper conversation about it, just brief instructions on how to fix the issue I'm not at fault for which is causing me a lot of stress

Will I get in trouble if I say to the manager look this isn't workable I want these days and these shifts?

is it a zero hour contract?

the only "trouble" you could get into is by saying you will only do set hours, they tell you no, and then you'd have to go anyway!

sounds like it's worth going somewhere else. When do you get paid?

Then the other day the gym asked me to take on another shift that would put me to just under 50 hours then got funny with me when I said no!

I don't know what's happening with contracts so after I was offered the job we all went to sign contracts, signed loads of paperwork in which I put full time and the hours I wanted approx 25 but I only then got a starter pack thing i don't have a full contract with my hours stated

**PART time
In which I put part time

You won't get into trouble but you may find they can't accommodate your preferences. You can say what you'd prefer but, unless you have hours and days agreed, they don't have to agree to it.

You selected full time hours then specified 25?

Sorry that was a typo I've said Part time from the start! I can't do full time

Tbh the shifts are way longer than they said too so I've been doing a lot more hours than I intended

I think you need to contact ACAS or Citizen's Advice. This sounds like a hugely exploitative organisation that may well be breaking employment law. (Since when was FIFTY HOURS A WEEK a 'part-time' job?) And are you actually paid for all the hours you work, or is there an expectation that you will arrive early/stay late 'to get the job done'?

Sorry, cross post.

I worked in hospitality until very recently. I'm assuming you're on a 0 hour contract, in which case they basically have you over a barrel I found. Basically you do the shifts or get someone to cover and if not you'll piss them off and end up getting hardly anything (in my experience).

I'd start looking for a new job and in the mean time be as straight talking as you can without being rude and state matter of factly that you can only work a certain number of hours.

But what should I do? They're putting me down for full time hours on my worst times and then expecting me to go to the effort of finding someone to take a shift off me

How many hours does your contract say? I thought that even in the UK you weren't allowed to work over 48 hours?
Are you in a union? if yes - what do they say?
If no - join one.

How do I know if it's a zero hour contract?

Can you provide them with a list of availability, but restrict it? e.g. say you're unable to work Sundays but you're fine to work Saturdays?

The manager said to me because it's a new store we all need to work extra hours otherwise they have to hire more people but how's that my problem

You need to say clearly ‘no I won’t find cover for a shift I shouldn’t have been allocated’ and then confirm the hours you will be working that week.

Honestly though, cut your losses, this will not get better.

You need to just say "no" - restaurants are terrible for this. You need to be really firm.

Remind them, if possible in writing that you are contracted for part-time hours only.

I am so confused

the gym asked you to work? Have you got two jobs or are you working in a leisure complex? If it's a leisure complex and the gym and restaurant are part of the same place, then all I can say is look at the wording of the contract. It might actually state you need to find "cover" for allocated shifts.

Hospitality isn't one for set hours, I'm afraid.

I think in the long run it's probably best that you look for something else. Regardless of your contract and their policies and such, it's not really an industry where people can specify set hours and no weekends/late shifts - that's when it's the busiest!

Sorry the GM general manager

I can do weekends and late shifts just not all weekend or lots of consecutive days

I used to work in hospitality when I was younger and when I was studying, in all honesty they don't really need many people to work weekday AM shifts it's dead and if you work in a restaurant you work the weekends. They need people working weekends, evenings and who are very flexible it's why lots of young people with no children work in bars and restaurants. They should've made this clear and haven't. You need to look for another job, this won't get any better. They'll either keep giving you these shifts until you either do them or quit, or will get annoyed you won't do what they want so will give you 8 hours a week in two shifts that are hugely inconvenient to you and then you'll quit. It's not right but it's the way it is. If you want daytime work you need a different industry.

It's a zero hour contract if you're not guaranteed any hours.

Do you have a written contract? If not I'd assume it's 0 hours.

I would ask for a word, make sure it's a focussed conversation you're having and not just while doing something else, say that you're only able to work a maximum of 4 days, or restrict your days of availability and just say that you're available to work Mon/Tues/Thurs days and Sun evenings for example.

However, the nature of hospitality really is that set hours just aren't really a thing, especially in the evenings, so if the late nights/unpredictable end times don't suit you I'd suggest trying to find a different job.