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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think there's nothing I can realistically do except turn the shift down?

28 replies

troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 20:48

I have a part time job that's on a MW, zero hour contract. I only took the job as a temporary thing as I found out my last job was ending suddenly (one week notice) and I needed money.

When I had my interview I informed them that I was having temporary transport issues and that, for now, I would need to be scheduled on shifts that either line up with the bus times or my partner's shifts so I can get a lift home. They seemed fine with this and took me on anyway. Despite that there have been several occasions when they've scheduled me on in the evening when I can't get home.

So far it's been ok as I've managed to get the bus or lifts from a co worker if my partner is unavailable but I've been scheduled to work this week on an evening shift and unfortunately there is no one who can give me a lift. My partner will be at work so isn't available. I have no friends or family who drive who can give me a lift and I don't have any other transport.

I know in these scenarios people always suggest getting a bicycle but in this case I have 2 issues: 1- the road is completely unsuitable for cycling (all my co workers agree that this is a terrible idea and very dangerous) and 2 - I don't have any money to buy a bike nor anyone to borrow one off.

Aibu to think I have to turn the shift down? I've already asked my manager if I can swap with someone but they pretty much just shrugged off the idea. I understand that I'm an adult and it's my responsibility to get myself to and from work but I literally explained this to them when I started working because I knew it would be an issue and they took me on knowing this. It's a rural area with very limited public transport (there were no stipulations in the job advert that you need to have your own transport).

OP posts:
honeyytoast · 02/01/2022 20:50

Yanbu, they hired you knowing this, not your problem

BuanoKubiamVej · 02/01/2022 20:52

Yanbu you will have to turn the shift down. On a zero hours contract you have no obligation to accept shifts. The other side of the coin is that they have no obligation to assign shifts to you in future so you may find yourself having fewer shifts than you wanted in future.

Aprilx · 02/01/2022 20:56

It’s a zero hours contract, you are allowed to turn shifts down anyway.

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 21:05

Yes I understand that I probably won't get many hours in the future but I really don't have a choice. I don't have many shifts anyway as it's quiet over the winter.

Tbh I'm a bit annoyed at them for continuing to ignore the fact that I can't get home and putting me on those shifts anyway. I've heard from others there that the expectation is that if you don't do the shifts they assign you over the winter then you won't get given a decent amount of hours in the summer when it's busy. Hopefully I won't be there that long!

OP posts:
ladyinthecampervan · 02/01/2022 21:09

Might not be a suitable suggestion in your circumstances but could you get a taxi for this one shift? Your OP suggests it’s not ridiculously far to work and although you might not earn much for the shift after paying the fare, it would at least put you in a better position for more favourable shifts/more hours in future.

Hankunamatata · 02/01/2022 21:14

How long have you had the job?

You told them transport issues were temporary, so what kind of time frame would be reasonable for you to have sorted transport?

Brewandhoney · 02/01/2022 21:15

When did your rota come out? How long have you known about the shift before telling them you can’t work it

betwixtlives · 02/01/2022 21:19

Get a taxi

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 21:20

@Hankunamatata only had the job 2/3 weeks. My vehicle has been with the mechanic since late November but they got covid and had to close, then they've been closed for Christmas/New year. They don't re open until next week so I haven't been able to make any progress with repairs yet.

@Brewandhoney rota came out a couple days ago, we only get it a week in advance.

OP posts:
RuggerHug · 02/01/2022 21:21

Is taxi an option? If it's a one off more than you'd get in a shift but would mean definitely getting more overall it'd be worth it.

CoastalWave · 02/01/2022 21:21

Personally as a one off, I'd get a taxi.

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 21:26

There aren't any local taxi companies, the nearest one would cost more than I'd earn for the night and I just don't have the money. It's expensive enough paying for the bus and I still need to try and pay for my vehicle repairs.

OP posts:
mrsm43s · 02/01/2022 21:26

Just get an uber.

BathshebaKnickerStickers · 02/01/2022 21:26

Taxi. Even if it costs more than you make that shift, if you want to continue to get shifts on a zero hours you have to suck it up until you have your transportation back

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 21:28

@mrsm43s Uber doesn't exist here! 😂

OP posts:
MaryBoBary · 02/01/2022 21:31

Can you swap shifts with someone else?

Auntycorruption · 02/01/2022 21:32

Ask a friend for a lift? Borrow a car? Take your partners car? Walk? Ask a neighbor/ village teenager to pick you up for a tenner?

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 21:44

@Auntycorruption some of that has already been answered in the OP.

@MaryBoBary I asked and was told I have to contact people and ask if they can swap, but I don't have anyone's numbers and some of them I've never even met. I'll have to track them down when I'm in next. The implication seemed to be that if I can't swap it then I have to do the shift but that won't be happening.

OP posts:
Brewandhoney · 02/01/2022 22:13

If you really can’t pay for a taxi or get anyone else to cover, You need to ring your manager and say “it looks like you’ve put me on to finish at midnight (or whatever time). However the availability I gave you said that I could work until 11pm (or whatever you agreed) so I can finish early or I’m afraid I won’t be able to work it”
If they say about swapping shifts say “I’ve tried but can’t, it’s outside of my agreed availability, so whoever did the rota needs to find cover” and repeat.

Have you been specific about exactly what hours you are available for and for how long? How long is “temporarily”? A week? Two weeks? You need to be very specific. Doing a staff rota is a pain in the arse

HelloDulling · 02/01/2022 22:16

there were no stipulations in the job advert that you need to have your own transport

It’s a rare employer that takes responsibility for its staff’s travel arrangements.

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 22:35

@HelloDulling I don't expect my employer to take responsibility for my travel arrangements, far from it! What I DO expect is for them to take on board my limited availability due to the need to transport myself to work on the bus and rota me on accordingly. Especially when this was made clear in my interview.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to speak to the mechanic about the issue as they have been closed so I don't even know what the diagnosis is/will be yet or how long it will take to fix. This is hugely frustrating for me as well as them!

I think for now I will just have to say I can't do any evening shifts at all to limit the likelihood of this happening again. That way at least they know and can rota on other people.

OP posts:
LSLLM · 02/01/2022 22:38

I wouldn’t even try tbh. If you manage to go the shift, there will be an expectation that you’ll manage again.

Don’t do it. This wasn’t what was agreed.

Original poster
troobleflooble · 02/01/2022 23:02

@LSLLM I think you've got it in one! I think they've already kinda taken the piss so far by blatantly ignoring my availability so if I find a way this one time it'll just keep happening.

I'm also hugely pissed off at them over NYE when I agreed to work and arranged a lift home....only to find out that my actual finish time was going to be 3 HOURS after my expected finish time and my lift would therefore no longer be available. It's a bloody good thing I just happened to overhear someone else talking about it and managed to fix it at the last minute. If I hadn't, I'd have been stranded miles from home on NYE. This wasn't an unexpectedly late finish either, they knew in advance and just never bothered to tell me!

OP posts:
StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 02/01/2022 23:09

Its not your job to find someone else to do the shift. So dont. It is absolutely not your problem and they dont pay you for it, so dont do it.

BuanoKubiamVej · 03/01/2022 09:09

They can't make it your problem to organise a swap if they don't facilitate that by providing everyone with a way of contacting eachother.

The question is, do they have plenty of people locally who are as flexible and accommodating as they want, who are just as capable of the job as you are?

Employers will always try to maximise what they get out of their employees and minimise what they have to put in. If you let them get away with it then it will keep happening. If you don't let them get away with it and there's a ready supply of replacements who will, they will replace you. The only way to be not getting the shitty end of the stick all the time is to be in a situation where you can say no because you can't easily be replaced

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