Part-timers working same hours as full-timers for part-time pay

[Snaptheirfingers]

This is a Covid-19 situation. We are key workers (UK civil servants). Our normal work can't take place at the moment. So we are doing other jobs in similar roles to cover those off shielding and to keep us working.
The issue is that I work 3 days a week and am being asked to work 1 or 2 days a week on my normal pay, so a bonus of a paid day off though I never know when it is until the evening before. My colleagues who are full-time employees are also being asked to work 1 or 2 days. They get their normal pay too. We are just on the minimum wage so I worked 2 days this week and would have earned about £100, my colleague also worked 2 days and got £250. I know this is short lived we may be back to our normal jobs and days next year but it doesn't seem fair! A fellow part-timer raised this with her line manager and has suffered as a result (not being selected for interview for a promotion).

I'm the same. We've now readjusted the rota to be pro rata.

Does your team manage the rota? We are pond life the lowest pay grade, the rota is a manager's job! Unfortunately managers don't like 'issues' to be raised!
We also got a one off small bonus for working in difficult ie dangerous, no ppe, no social distancing conditions - great but the part-timers only got a percentage of what the full timers got!

Isn’t this kind of thing happening everywhere though? I mean you are still getting paid to do more work than you are actually doing

For example at my company all furloughed staff are being paid their full salary - those who have lower paid jobs aren’t getting paid the same as those on a higher salary. Likewise those of us still working are being paid exactly the same so it’s an even bigger discrepancy. The point is that employers are trying to maintain a stable income so people can pay their bills.

I know I want my cake! I'm being paid for less work but others who earn the same per hour are being paid one and a half times more for the same lesser than normal work. It just that the rota is unfair and managers aren't open to being questioned. I don't think my employers are considering how we pay our bills.

Wow

Perhaps a polite enquiry as to whether those who organise your alternative work have been told who works full-time and who works part-time? It could be as simple as that information not being passed on. In view of your colleague's experience, is there a union rep you can ask to raise the matter?

But you haven't lost anything so have no real argument.

The work reduced but the company honoured its payment commitments.

They could have done it by keeping the full time people full time and just dumping the part timers

YANBU. May be worth asking HR for clarification?

I think you just need to get over it. It’s all hands on deck at the minute.

I don't think my employers are considering how we pay our bills.

But your salary is unaffected?

You are being ridiculous and greedy

Are you wanting a pay increase for doing a third less work, or are you wanting your full time colleagues to have their pay cut so they can’t meet their financial obligations.

Honestly, give your head a wobble.

YABU and grabby. You haven’t lost anything.

Yabu. You are also being unreasonable inferring it's so inconvenient to not know when your day off is in advance. If you're being paid to work that day you should be available for it.

Or the rota to be pro rated?
That is the answer

I have basically the opposite problem in that my employer wants me to work five days but won't pay me for them.

Ime part time workers always get a shit deal. I'm going to go back full time next time and be done with it.

It's not fair but you've already seen that it probably won't help to complain. No reason why it couldn't be organised pro rata - as you say they can organise a bonus that way!

I don't think the OP wants her pay to change, but she would appreciate her time on the rota to reflect her lower hours overall.

YABU, I think this is just one of those things!

Don't agree with this. You are working less hours than you are paid. Be grateful in this situation.

Better than what a lot of people are facing. The alternative could of been furlough! Redundancy! Working whilst your colleagues are furlough! Or working more hours than you are paid to keep things going.

You are in a pretty lucky situation I think. 'It's not fair!' Doesn't seem appropriate right now sorry

I'm lost, sorry. I don't know what your complaint is. I'm shielding and looking after my Mum. I got paid for 12 weeks off, for which I am supremely grateful. I know other people are having to work, but they are being paid for the work they are doing. Should they be getting more because they are covering the shielding people?
Shielding as far as my employer is concerned, ends on 30th June. Doesn't matter what the Government says. I get that. They can't continue to pay us forever.
However, I've had to make the decision today to resign from my job. Personal circumstances mean I can't just not shield myself, my Mum and also home school my child. So effectively, Covid has meant I've lost my job. It is what it is.

It can be difficult to work around contracts.

It's not something like needing to have as many different staff as possible to try and separate "bubbles"/social distance?

It will be very hard for you to complain if you are being paid your normal wage to work less than usual.

I think it's happening in the some form in lots of workplaces, as a result of furloughing or being redeployed. Currently in my 2 part time jobs I'm one of the only members of staff not furloughed, so there's an element of covering for FT staff who aren't working at all but recieving their usual wage while I do extra hours in both places for my usual PT wage. It grates sometimes but I'm looking at it as pitching in to help us all keep our jobs, and no-one likes the uncertainty of being furloughed. Knackered though!

Would you be happy with getting paid for more days than you work if you didn’t know what other people were getting?

You need to re-frame how you think about this. You are getting the same pay without having to even work on one of those days and are saying you don't don"t think your employers are considering how you pay your bills. That doesn't make sense. You aren't losing anything.

Before Covid-19 I would know which days I was working the following week. Now I don't, I am told the evening before, so I am effectively on call every day until Thursday evening, but I'm only paid for 3 days. It's not as if we are busy, there is very little to do because the 'system' has been put on hold until social-distancing in much reduced.
Yes I am probably grabby but when you earn 4p over the minimum wage it makes you that way!
I don't want anyone to be paid less. This week we all worked the same hours but some were paid a full time wage and some a part-time.

Lucky you, I’m a part-time CS but working more than my contractual hours, no overtime and home schooling. Would love to be in your position