Underhanded tactics

[burstcouch]

I'm very angry and when I'm angry I make no sense so bare with me.

I work as part of a team in hospitality. We have recently taken on a new manager, who brought some people with him even though hours are being cut across the board.

These new members of staff have worked with the new manager for years, and are all very close. As you can imagine a clique has formed in work. They are now taking the best shifts, getting all the hours etc... while the ones who have been here for years have all been cut.

They're speaking in their native tongue amongst each other which is making other staff feel left out as they are not talking to them all shift. So it'll be the new people, the manager and one member of the old team, imagine spending 8 hours behind a counter not being involved in conversation.

It's come to ahead tonight as it's been announced that more hours have been cut from us all but not them. We have all been put down to contracted hours of 24 (we all have the same contract) yet they still have 40 hours. They have been with the company approx 6-7 weeks

The new manager has also said we are massively over staffed and he will be looking at getting rid of some. He's training the new people up as supervisors but promising the originals promotion too. It's like he's playing games with us all.

We all feel forced out. More if his old workmates are waiting in the wings for us to quit.

Bump!

2 more have been employed as of today. Our hours have been cut again.

Wow

Is there someone higher up you could go to? A union?

What a crap position to be in

You need to go to the person who is above your manager, make sure everything is in writing so you have a paper trail, they are most likely not aware this is happening. Also get some advice from ACAS

Do you have an HR department? What does your contract say? How can he employ staff if hours are being cut? Is it the same job or are the new people different jobs (because sometimes a business may need to reduce 1 type of role but increase another type of role)

It sounds underhand, do you have proof of the new favourite staff getting the extra hours and yours being reduced?

Personally I'd privately approach HR if it's a decent business with decent policies they should be able to advise you

The first 3 months you're on probation so get 8-16 hour contracts. When probation is passed you get 24. Most of us do 5 days though, and we've never been put down to contracted hours.

The new people have walked in with 24 hour contracts. 2 have been promised supervisor even though we have no supervisor jobs available.

Also looks like the new manager is trying to get rid of the assistant to make a new one assistant.

Im going to HR in the morning. Thank you all

It's literally like a hostile takeover. It broke my heart reading the weekend girl beg for a shift on the group chat. She hasn't had a single shift for 2 weeks

@custardbear the new staff are not trained, they have no experience in the slightest and they have all come from the same previous job. They're all friends/related outside of work and come from the same town abroad.

Do you have a union? I'd suspect any solicitor would tear this apart but check on the law board don't accept my unskilled judgment here - good luck. Remember keep your powder dry and ask questions, don't give too much away to your firm

Is the shop part of a chain?

Good luck and let us know how you get in with HR - be calm and professional at all times and have your points in bullet form - sound concise and don't dilute the big stuff with little jiggles, ignore those - good luck

Little niggles (doh!) 😜

Have you managed to speak to hr?

It may have been negotiated as a part of his/her deal that they could bring their team in too. You say you are getting your contracted hours just not the additional hours. It mat be worth posting in the employment section for an HR/employment lawyer perspective rather than on AIBU.

If you do want to go to your HR I would advise to try to leave out xenophobic comments about the other workers

Also talk to ACAS, if they are talking about “getting rid” of staff there are rules around the selection process e.g. 10 posts but 20 people -need to have a fair and transparent process.

One point do you, and your colleagues, have 2 years service?

HR/union/head office/solicitor. This is outrageous behaviour.

As well as going to HR speak to ACAS

@HollowTalk yes it's a very popular coffee shop

I'm speaking to HR in the morning.

Other staff members have come forward to me with complaints. One was sent home for wearing incorrect uniform yet the new staff are doing the exact same thing yet can finish the shift. It's blatant favouritism.

I have worked here for a long time and it's the first time I have ever felt unwelcome in work. It feels like a hostile takeover.

@BrandyAB I have been here for years. Other staff are pretty much the same apart from a few that joined during the pandemic. We worked our fingers to the bone during lockdown and it feels like a kick in the teeth now

This happened in my local Costa (no idea obviously what company you are with). Many regulars were also unhappy with the level of service. Thankfully the current Area Manager had started at this particular branch and some customers were still in touch with him on social media and it got sorted. Do you have any customers who would contact head office if service has been affected?

@Peakypolly A Costa you say. Funny that, must be a regular thing.
We are worried about what to say to HR tomorrow as we are mostly white British while they are not. They're also all related/best friends from the same town abroad. Im panicking just even thinking about it

[quote burstcouch]@Peakypolly A Costa you say. Funny that, must be a regular thing.
We are worried about what to say to HR tomorrow as we are mostly white British while they are not. They're also all related/best friends from the same town abroad. Im panicking just even thinking about it [/quote]
Just try and keep calm, professional and to the point. Try and not be too emotional about it. Write down as much as you can - obvious days where your shifts have been taken away etc

Good luck!

If you have over 2years service you have a lot more protection. They have to have a fair reason to dismiss someone and what you describe is a potential redundant situation which requires a fair and objective selection process.

Are you in a trade union? If so they can help.

What I suggest you do is write a timeline of what happened when e.g. who recruited, copies of historical shift rotas etc. changes of hours etc. Speak to ACAS then HR and follow up in writing. If you can try and do it as a group as it will be more powerful.

One thing to be aware of, don’t make this about race/nationality. Whilst the equality act does offer protection, it is much harder to prove. For example a man can suffer discrimination, any race/nationality can suffer discrimination. You have a strong enough case without the need to mention anyones race/nationality.

Having said that, whilst employees should be free to communicate to each other in their native language, if this continually excludes one employee in order to isolate them it can be viewed as bullying. I would keep a separate record of incidents but hold fire on disclosing this.

How did you get on @burstcouch