I work nights on a helpline.
I work every second weekend.
There are usually 2-3 people 'manning' the helpline most of the night, and they'll take their 'lunch' hours at either 00:00 or 01:00.
While only 1 person is present as the other is on lunch, someone else will have a 'sleeping' shift meaning if an important call comes, it can be transferred to them, freeing the one person working to take a next call.
Anyway my manager asked me a few weeks ago if I'd mind working one night 12 midnight -2 am on my weekend off, to ensure there were 2 people on the helpline. I wasn't doing much that weekend and agreed.
However yesterday he called a meeting with me and a colleague and encompassed in this meeting was 'and can you both please let me know which of your weekends off you want to cover 'lunches' next month please?
My colleague said 'sure I'll do x day on y weekend' straight away.
To be honest although I love my job, I was going to soon ask for a change of hours so that I don't have to do any weekends at all. I may not get that, sure but I certainly think this is wrong
The every second weekend isn't ideal but it's fine. Covering in the middle o the night on my 2 weekends a month off, isn't. I think it's actually quite bloody cheeky!
We get those weekends off and they should be 'OFF', off. Not 'off apart from you have to stay up late/get up in middle of night/not be able to go away/have family over/be tired/down a bottle of wine because you have to work from midnight to 2am(it is actually 230 am as often lunches run over if someone gets their lunch late due to being on a call).
How would you handle this?
AIBU?
For full disclosure, it is double time.
I do love my job, it is very relaxed, which makes me reluctant to change it but I am over qualified and could probably get something else without much ado.