What to say to explain I can’t do late nights

[Klonc]

In a previous thread I mentioned I work for Sainsburys and half of my time is code checking. Sainsburys want to move the times to code checking (reducing food on the date or a few days before) to after 3pm.

I refuse to do these hours which I believe that will be 2-10pm. First hour will be going round the sections and pull off anything with that day’s date, then at 3pm start reducing them! Going to refuse to work these hours as I fought for years to get early shifts and 7 months after getting them. When colleagues were leaving and they did an early shift- I asked “could I take over (name’s Monday shift)? “You are required to do the late night” was the response. I will be working even worse hours.

The store manager has never seen me doing a late night as he started in May.

Working late nights affects my mental health. Plus get a better colleague when working early shifts.

None of code checkers are happy with the new proposals.

The thing my reasons sound like excuses for my manager who has upset many colleagues with his behaviour including me. I refuse to work these stupid hours. Plus I want to leave retail.

So what genuine reasons should I give for refusing to change my hours to go with Sainsburys new code checking system?

Presumably the OP has thought this through and has developed a plan that would suit the needs of the business and accommodate her wants. Hopefully she's spoken to her colleagues so they would be amenable to the way of working so everyone is happy. I would present this plan to your line manager OP and say everyone is onboard (presumably they are) and see if your line manager is happy. As long as the needs of the business and your colleagues are happy I don't see why your manager wouldn't try it.

Yes, this is literally what having mental health issues entails. Things others find easy are extremely difficult if not impossible. It’s not a nice way to live.

Attitudes like yours are why people still feel like they can’t share their difficulties with their mental health. It’s not an excuse.

Ok what about “For the past few months I have been thinking of leaving retail. Now this change made me want to leave”

Store manager has no rights to ask me why I’m wanting to leave.

Of course he has the right to ask. It's in his interest to find out if there's an issue causing staff to leave. You have the right not to tell him though.

So you are not going to say it will affect your mental health?

That statement makes you sound petulant and difficult. It’s not a helpful way to negotiate. You need something more reflective.

Give them something they can work with rather than threaten a flounce. I expect they will just let you go if you say that.

It appears from your op that you're having a strop based on assumptions ("I believe this will be 2-10"). Maybe find out the facts first.

Or just quit, as you say you want to leave retail anyway.

Huh? Why would you not sya I cant do the late nights so will have to look elsewhere?

If you're trying to manipulate them into making you stay I don't think that's the way to go about it.

I'd give that a "collect your stuff and off you pop then" response.

If you want to leave, just leave. But bear in mind that if you want a helpful reference you'll need to be polite and probably work a notice period.

I’m a bit confused.

If you are telling boss you want to leave, then no, they don’t need the details. You just resign and work your notice.

You want to leave so why don't you leave?

My understanding was that they legally had to consider the request but could refuse it f it didn't meet service needs ?
Happy to be corrected but this was part of the reason why I left my job as a nurse when my son was diagnosed with severe disabilities because theu couldn't accommodate my flexible working request it was about 10 years ago though to the law may have changed since then

Sainsburys just do person worked at Sainsburys between x-y at these stores. Many employers use this vague reference

"The Equality Act 2010 protects you against discrimination in the workplace at all stages of employment. This includes recruitment, employment terms and conditions, training, pay and benefits, promotion and transfer opportunities, dismissal or redundancy."

Just checked Google and found this ^

Honestly, the employer has to tread very very carefully these days and if occupational health are involved reasonable adjustments can be put forward and it's really unusual if they don't attempt to help their employee carry on with work duties on reasonable adjustments in the workplace. Possibly @x2boys a lot of changes have taken place in the past decade. Employers cannot be seen to discriminate due to mental health issues of an employee. Its taken really seriously. Mental health is such a hot potato nowadays- rightly so.

• I am not a lawyer, only going by my own experience via family just now on what I know.

Change role or get another job

Depends on your role, your contract and whether you have a specific reason. Nobody want to work evenings so you need to make a business case for permanent early shifts. If the specific role you have isn't needed before 2pm, you need to apply to switch roles

Apply to Lidl or Aldi. More flexible with shift patterns and they pay more.

Then if that's all you need, just hand in your notice. There's no need to find an excuse, people are free to resign from jobs at any point.

Have you considered night-time shelf stacking? An old colleague who also has ASD moved into that for a few years because he couldn't cope with the fairly minimal interaction in his role before it.

If you want to resign then that looks sufficient. Plenty of retail is not open in the evenings, so you can apply elsewhere. It may make sense to apply for a new role before resigning.