To request payment for the hours they hired me because of their mistake?

[sharond101]

I did some locum work for a big company. They advertised the shift as as 9-6 and sent an email to confirm. The store closed at 5 so I had to leave at 5. This was an error on their part as it always closes then (I did not know opening times). They sent me an email today (4 days later) with an updated confirmation of the shift as 9-5. AIBU to request payment for the additional hour as that is what they advertised and I agreed to?

I also locum. I don’t charge an hourly rate though. Wouldn’t usually charge extra if the practice shut early.

vanillaandhoney and companies that do that are unethical.

If they had let you leave early would you have given them back the extra money if they had paid you for the full shift? You’re talking about 1 hour, which in the grand scheme of things is a bit petty.

On the fence here.

I would be pissed off as I would have already sourced and paid for childcare on the basis of a 6pm finish so i would be out of pocket for their mistake.

Do you have a contract and what does it say?

Mmm..

If im booked for x hours work, I am paid for x hours work.

Today I was booked for 3, the job took me 2.5 but I didn't know that when I started out. I will be invoicing for the three asked for, and that is what will be paid.

Bit on the fence in your situation though - if you've organised and paid for something else for example childcare, then you should be paid that extra hour that is their error as otherwise its cost you.

If their error has not cost you though, then I think you'd be silly to demand it as its likely to lose you this employer in future.

Whether one hour is petty or not rather depends on the hourly rate.

Today I was on £35 an hour. So no, thats not a petty figure.

If I were on £10.50, then yeah probably it would be (there is some work I do at that rate hence picking that figure).

If you don't want to work for them again, pursue it.

It might state in your contract that any shift changes require 24 hours notice.

Certainly make your terms for cancellation clear in your contract.

In this case I would send an polite email to the effect that you accept the change in work hours booked as a gesture of goodwill, but pointing it out and advising that in future hours booked will be hours paid.

I wouldn't.
You didn't work it.
It's not worth getting a reputation over an hour you didn't get paid for and didn't work.

For one hour, unless you turned down other work or made arrangements around the 6pm finish, I think you probably put up with it, and keep goodwill.

However I disagree with those who say you can't be paid for hours you didn't work. If you're a locum/supply teacher/temp, and you're offered work at two different places, the hours they're offering may be factored into which you take, and it would be very annoying to have travelled further to get more hours, only for that not to happen.

YABU
Just get paid for the hours you did and stop moaning. You have a job be thankful.

Yes, I am a freelancer and my terms and conditions state that you'll pay for work you book me for in full if you cancel me within x amount of time, or if I end up working for less time than the booked slot.

So everyone just walks out the second it closed at 5pm? Why didn’t you find some work to do for the last hour. Plenty of places close and people still clear up, sort stuff for the next day etc. I’d have felt guilty walking out knowing I was supposed to be paid until 6pm.

I think you could ask for the extra hour but I probably wouldn’t unless I either needed the cash or if I had incurred expenses to cover the hour. (For example paid a sitter to watch the kids or paid for parking or something similar)

@ArcheryAnnie

It's irrelevant that she didn't work the last hour - she made herself available to do that work, just as the company asked her to. If I am hired to be a waiter and there are no customers, so the cafe closes early, I am still owed a full day's pay. This is no different.

Having worked in the hospitality industry all my life, this post offered me a very hollow laugh.

I love the consistency on here. OP says "my contract says I work 9-6" MNers say "but you only worked 9-5, what the contract says doesn't matter".

Nurseries at outset of lockdown one - "we are not open/providing the service but we are going to charge you full fees" MNers say "perfectly fair and reasonable and how do you expect them to pay their staff otherwise".

Hmmm.

Prufrocks I was a waiter and had a boss that tried that on all of us. We brought the union in, and all stood together. They changed the policy.

I am a freelancer and would absolutely invoice for the booked hours and expect to be paid for it, this was the contract. If they decide not to use me for the booked time, whether by accident or design, that is not my issue. That is the way my industry works.

I assume most of the people replying here are not freelance.

I wouldn’t for the sake of an hour but I can see where you’re coming from. Lots of people in my husband’s industry would be paid for the hours they were meant work even if for some reason (other than it being their fault obviously) they didn’t so obviously it is a thing.

Unfortunately when it comes to employment right now, it's an employer's market. Not sure what kind of 'store' you specialise in but retail is being hit hard by covid (and prob Brexit, later). So, I wouldn't be on my high horse over 1 hour's work when it could impede access to work in the future. But it's your call. I think you're within your rights but... I just wouldn't, as an investment. I'd probably point out the error but be gracious, to show they can't get one over you but you are letting it go.

To those who think she shouldn't - put it another way.

You pay for 9am - 6pm childcare, though actually you pick them up at 5pm every single day so they close once your child (the last one) leaves. Should you demand your money back for the last hour if you didn't actually ask for 9-5 in the contract?

@ArcheryAnnie

vanillaandhoney and companies that do that are unethical.

Depends entirely on your contract, surely?

Most companies aren't going to pay you to be sitting at home doing nothing.

I get paid the contracted hours regardless of the hours worked as long as I am available. I often get to go early especially if the place works different hours. If I turn up and the equipment for me to do my job is not there I go home but get paid. It is all to do with having a contract.