Ideas to tell work....

[KatyKite]

Posting on AIBU for traffic - sorry!

I would like to ask if anyone has any ingenius ideas for brothers predicament.

He has two jobs both 0 hour.
Job 1 - worked for 9 months or so 1-2 days a week
Job 2 - new job working variable hours

Job 2 have offered a lifetime opportunity to work abroad for 6 weeks all expenses paid which he would take in a heart beat and has wanted to do for years.

However Job 1 desperately needs him for those 6 weeks as other staff members have already booked annual leave and they've already told him this. Job 1 needs staff members to train up months in advance so short notice or quitting would be unfair. The possibility of telling the truth could put him in a difficult position on shift for the next so many months too

He would also like to leave the door open where possible to return to job 1 after the six weeks. However with new staff members this is a big risk.

We need to think of a great way to play this. I also work for Job 1 at the moment, so I had thought to either say I've booked holiday/ our parents have booked a holiday as a surprise for him or something or that I have entered into something for him

Any great ideas anyone?

You must know that lying isn’t the answer. He must be truthful about why he wants to leave, and if the job are difficult about it it’s just very unfortunately the price he pays for an amazing opportunity.

Life of full of difficult decisions where choices between alternatives must be made. It’s better for him to learn how to deal with this with integrity now than for him to think that dishonestly attempting to have your cake and eat it is the right way to behave.

0 hours contract, nope, he says he isn’t available between X and X date, no contract no commitment.

Are there other employment options in the local area if he takes job B then it ends and employer A won't give him more hours due to perceived unreliability? The decision should depend on that.

I think he tells job A he'll work those weeks if they give him a proper contract with all the benefits they come with. If they won't he should go abroad for the 6 weeks. He's on a zero hours contract, if he wants to work zero hours then that's the company's problem.

The thing about 0 hours contracts is that you owe them no loyalty

They dont have to give you hours and you dont have to give them any either

Sorry, I'm not available is all he needs to say

If they dont like it, there are lots of other 0 hours jobs and I wouont give up a.life changing opportunity for one or 2 days work a week when it suits them

If he is on a zero hour contract then he simply tells them he is unavailable for shifts for the dates. They may then not allocate him any hours on his return, but this is what he needs to balance with a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

And if its healthcare he will definitely have job when he gets back. They are always short staffed

Never show loyalty to an employer, it's totally misguided. They will drop employees in a heartbeat when it no longer suits them. He should do whatever is most likely to benefit his own needs

Agree tickle at the same time, it’s the 0 hours/low paying employers that expect you to treat the job as if it’s your own business