Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Can they do this?

17 replies

HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 15:09

On a zero hour contract can you-

  1. Be made to work set hours
  2. Have your pay dropped if you don't work those set hours
?

Have not signed anything agreeing to this.

OP posts:
Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 18:46

Anyone?

OP posts:
SavingKitten · 08/12/2022 18:48

What do you mean by have your pay dropped? Are you not hourly paid?

FlappyFish · 08/12/2022 18:49

Hours are meant to be ad hoc. Salary should be based on the hours you work. You can decline shifts. (Most employers do ask for lots).

carefulcalculator · 08/12/2022 18:50

We need more info, especially about the wage being dropped bit.

On a zero hours contract you can be asked to work the same hours each week, so in effect yes to that. Basically you have to commit to being available for those hours, whilst they do not have to commit to actually giving you the hours Angry

One of the best reasons for voting Labour is they intend to review these shit contracts to support workers.

CatiaR · 08/12/2022 18:51

No, not really that’s not the point of zero hour contracts.

they can ask you to come in all week for example and expect you in. But if you cannot come in, usually you just have to let them know in advance so they can find cover if required.

As for the pay, you only get paid for the hours you work.

At least this is how its done in my workplace, I assume zero hour contracts are all similar.

carefulcalculator · 08/12/2022 18:55

I assume zero hour contracts are all similar. They are not! Supermarkets used to use them like a bloody call off contract - you had to commit to x shifts but they would not always require you. I am not up to date with if that was corrected in law, it was a big story for a while.

CatiaR · 08/12/2022 18:59

Well take a look at ACAS www.acas.org.uk/zero-hours-contracts

If you have a zero-hours contract:

your employer does not have to give you any minimum working hours
you do not have to take any work offered

If your employer does not follow those rules contact them for help.

Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 19:07

Even now I am confused with the responses here as get so many different thoughts.

OK, well, I have never signed anything agreeing to set hours or days. Made clear to me it was a zero hour contract. I only get paid when I work.
Now they are saying you must work 2 days minimum at 20 hours total. If you cannot, your hourly pay you are currently on will be dropped.

OP posts:
Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 19:09

Yet they have not changed it to fixed contracts (where they can ask for set days and hours), it's still classed as a zero hours contract but surely if they are forcing you to work a minimum amount of hours each week then that is no longer a zero hour contract?
It's like they want to have their cake and eat it.

OP posts:
SavingKitten · 08/12/2022 19:12

So they will pay you less per hour? I don’t think they are allowed to do that bit. You don’t ‘have’ to do 20 hours but sadly they can just respond by giving you no hours, unfair as it is.

Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 19:18

Less per hour if we don't agree to set hours.
I agree, they can try not giving me hours but I'm more qualified and experienced then the others so would be shooting themselves in the foot but up to them I guess.

OP posts:
carefulcalculator · 08/12/2022 21:04

Are you not going to just refuse to sign?

Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 22:18

They haven't asked me to sign anything, probably because they know it's pushing their luck too far. Just verbally saying it to everyone.

OP posts:
PomBearWithoutHerOFRS · 08/12/2022 22:24

The hourly rate is in the contract though? It should be. If it is then they can't just arbitrarily change it, regardless of the hours worked.
what often happens is that people who turn down hours just don't get offered hours though, they don't guarantee that so it can be a catch 22.

Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 08/12/2022 22:30

Yes it is in there. I just think it's really out of line them demanding this and acting like they can when if we are on zero hour contracts they have no backing to enforce it. They can of course stop offering hours but then they wouldn't have anyone left. People would go for fixed hour work contracts if they really wanted to. We choose zero hours for the flexibility and the fact that it fits around other commitments.

OP posts:
WheelOfFish · 08/12/2022 23:04

They can ask you to work as many hours as they want.

You can tell them to fuck off.

Unfortunately they can then decide not to give you any hours at all, or only offer you the shot shifts.

This is why zero hours contracts are unfair and exploitative, and we need to get rid of them. They may work now for some people when jobs are plentiful but in 12 months time when we are knee deep into a recession then they will just be used to bully and intimidate.

Original poster
HollyHobbie12 · 09/12/2022 15:39

My issue is that they are acting like they can legally enforce set shifts and times.
I will just tell them to fuck off if they try anything with me as they want all the benefits of permanent staff who work when they want but at the end of the day, it's a zero hour contract so they can't force us to do anything. Yes they can kick us off the books but then they will be left with hardly anyone. I have come to believe they are all talk

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread