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Original poster

DS works on a 15 hour min contract at Coffee shop- how available does he need to be every weekend ?

112 replies

Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:20

DS has been working at a medium coffee shop chain for a month , 15 hour min contract
we have a big family wedding on 25-27 April in London and so he has requested this time off

his boss has said he can’t have it as other people have requested it off and so he needs to sort out swaps with other staff members

But DS he hasn’t even has his schedule for that week yet and he doesn’t know all the staff properly yet

How demanding Can a coffee shop be when DS is on a 15 hour per week contract ?

TIA

OP posts:
shellyleppard · 19/03/2025 18:22

@Munichfam5 maybe the staff had booked the time off for a while?? I think your son might have to ask nicely if anyone else will be willing to swap with him

Original poster
Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:25

@shellyleppard yes that sounds like what’s happened
but , if a job only guarantees 15 hours per week is he meant to be available All
week waiting to be scheduled for 15 hours ?
that doesn’t sound fair ?
I know a lot of people that work there are students so they can’t be available at all times ?

Does anyone. what the procedure is in this type of job ?
thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:26

Btw - he is a graduate so no other commitments …

OP posts:
Bristollocalknowledge · 19/03/2025 18:29

How much notice did you give when asking for time off?

Yerroblemom1923 · 19/03/2025 18:29

I think it's just the "joy" of zero hour contracts. 15 hours is neither here nor there. I guess nearer the time he'll have to hope to swap with fellow colleagues if he cares enough to keep his job....
The hospitality industry is notoriously rubbish as you're usually expected to work every weekend/ evening etc etc

TheRealMcKenna · 19/03/2025 18:31

He’s been there a month and the requested time off is a month away. Sadly, they are under no obligation to approve holiday if other members of staff are already on holiday.

DS had exactly this situation when he first started work. His employer is really bad at authorising leave if it’s requested too close to the time and anyone else is having time off.

In the end, he just had to work it.

Original poster
Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:31

@Bristollocalknowledge he gave 5 week s notice which I think is within the amount they ask for

OP posts:
Original poster
Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:34

@TheRealMcKenna DS won’t miss the wedding as hotel rooms are booked and paid for + rsvp’s sent ages ago …

DS probably should have flagged this when he went was offered the job

but it is what it is now

he won’t not go to the wedding - it’s only 15 hours a week

OP posts:
Littletreefrog · 19/03/2025 18:36

If others already have it booked in then there isn't a lot they can do. This might be a good way for your DS to get to know the others better. Is there a group chat where he can ask if anyone could swap with him? Also if he has anything else he needs time off for get it booked in now. I imagine unless he negotiated some days or times he couldn't work when he was recruited they will be expecting him to be available all the time the shop is open until the rota is produced. How far in advance does he get his shifts?

Sofiewoo · 19/03/2025 18:37

Why didn’t he give them the date he needed off before he started?

Why is his mum trying to deal with things like this for a man in his 20s?

TappyGilmore · 19/03/2025 18:37

Depends what his contract says but yes he probably does need to be available at any time, and they will roster accordingly. Unless the coffee shop is in a sort of business district which empties out at weekends, it’s likely that weekends are busier than weekdays so he should assume that he is working weekends more often than not.

If he needs time off for a specific event then he needs to use annual leave to guarantee that he is off, but the employer can always refuse that if too many people have booked it off. You’re talking about dates which are not much more than a month away, so it is pretty late notice, and understandable that others might already have booked the time off.

Largestlegocollectionever · 19/03/2025 18:38

This is just how hospitality staff are often treated - basically the coffee shop can do whatever they want and if he goes anyway, they’ll probably just not give him any shifts!

ShhhhhItsASurprise · 19/03/2025 18:38

Munichfam5 · 19/03/2025 18:25

@shellyleppard yes that sounds like what’s happened
but , if a job only guarantees 15 hours per week is he meant to be available All
week waiting to be scheduled for 15 hours ?
that doesn’t sound fair ?
I know a lot of people that work there are students so they can’t be available at all times ?

Does anyone. what the procedure is in this type of job ?
thanks

Hours per week doesn’t mean anything in this context. If there are no specific days mentioned then yes, he can be expected to work those hours across any days of the week.

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:40

For notice, he only needs to give twice as much time as the time he wants to take off. So if he wants three days then, legally, he is only required to give six days notice. He's given a lot more than that, the rota hasn't been done yet for that week, and the employer should only refuse if there is a good business reason for doing so.

He needs to speak to his manager and point out that he's given plenty of notice and that the rota has not been done. He should explain he doesn't know the other staff enough yet to ask about shift swaps. He could emphasise that he's available any other day that week and the week after, just not those particular three days, he could also throw them an offer of doing the late/early shift on one of those days where he is available. Any decent manager would be reasonable in the circumstances especially when they haven't actually allocated the shifts yet.

Ultimately, if he really wants to go to the wedding and it's a non-negotiable, then he would just have to put his four weeks notice in and start looking for a new job in the interim.

Littletreefrog · 19/03/2025 18:41

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:40

For notice, he only needs to give twice as much time as the time he wants to take off. So if he wants three days then, legally, he is only required to give six days notice. He's given a lot more than that, the rota hasn't been done yet for that week, and the employer should only refuse if there is a good business reason for doing so.

He needs to speak to his manager and point out that he's given plenty of notice and that the rota has not been done. He should explain he doesn't know the other staff enough yet to ask about shift swaps. He could emphasise that he's available any other day that week and the week after, just not those particular three days, he could also throw them an offer of doing the late/early shift on one of those days where he is available. Any decent manager would be reasonable in the circumstances especially when they haven't actually allocated the shifts yet.

Ultimately, if he really wants to go to the wedding and it's a non-negotiable, then he would just have to put his four weeks notice in and start looking for a new job in the interim.

Edited

There is a good business reason for declining. Other staff already have it booked off.

OtterlyMad · 19/03/2025 18:41

I’m confused why your son did not flag this period of unavailability at the point of accepting the job? Discussing booked leave is pretty standard at job interviews or when being offered a role.

Your son will need to try to swap shifts with other employees. If he can’t find someone to cover his shift, he’ll just need to be upfront with his employer, and ultimately be prepared to lose the job if he’s not prepared to miss the wedding.

Sofiewoo · 19/03/2025 18:42

@MugsyBalonz For notice, he only needs to give twice as much time as the time he wants to take off. So if he wants three days then, legally, he is only required to give six days notice. He's given a lot more than that, the rota hasn't been done yet for that week, and the employer should only refuse if there is a good business reason for doing so.

Just because you only need to give a certain amount of notice based on your contract doesn’t make the date more available. The employer has stated the allowed number of people have already booked it off which is obviously the good business reason for declining the request.

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:42

Littletreefrog · 19/03/2025 18:41

There is a good business reason for declining. Other staff already have it booked off.

Show quote history

But the manager hasn't done the rota for that week yet so, even if he can't give annual leave, he could just rota the DS in on days other than those three.

ShhhhhItsASurprise · 19/03/2025 18:45

the employer should only refuse if there is a good business reason for doing so.

there is nothing in law supporting this for annual leave.

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:46

ShhhhhItsASurprise · 19/03/2025 18:45

the employer should only refuse if there is a good business reason for doing so.

there is nothing in law supporting this for annual leave.

I didn't say it was law that they can't refuse. I said "should" not "must".

https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-holiday-entitlement/asking-for-and-taking-holiday

Asking for and taking holiday - Holiday entitlement - Acas

How to request holiday, and when an employer can refuse or cancel holiday.

https://www.acas.org.uk/checking-holiday-entitlement/asking-for-and-taking-holiday

ForAzureSeal · 19/03/2025 18:48

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:42

But the manager hasn't done the rota for that week yet so, even if he can't give annual leave, he could just rota the DS in on days other than those three.

Show quote history

This. I remember having this when I worked retail after graduating. I was so stressed about not getting time off for an important family event. In the end I persuaded manager not to rota me on (basically the same as swapping shifts just done in advance!) and got it off. Now I look back and think I would never allow a job to have that much of a hold over my personal time again.

SpikyCoconut · 19/03/2025 18:48

People saying about asking for swaps, IME I very much doubt anyone will! Unless there is some other extenuating circumstance.

Hospitality staff relish weekends off and unless it is a huge shop there won't be so many staff anyway. Some of who will have already booked it off for things equally important to them.

MugsyBalonz · 19/03/2025 18:50

ForAzureSeal · 19/03/2025 18:48

This. I remember having this when I worked retail after graduating. I was so stressed about not getting time off for an important family event. In the end I persuaded manager not to rota me on (basically the same as swapping shifts just done in advance!) and got it off. Now I look back and think I would never allow a job to have that much of a hold over my personal time again.

Show quote history

Same and part of the reason I hated working in retail when I was younger, too many employers were unable to tell the difference between 'server' and 'servant".

ShhhhhItsASurprise · 19/03/2025 18:54

ForAzureSeal · 19/03/2025 18:48

This. I remember having this when I worked retail after graduating. I was so stressed about not getting time off for an important family event. In the end I persuaded manager not to rota me on (basically the same as swapping shifts just done in advance!) and got it off. Now I look back and think I would never allow a job to have that much of a hold over my personal time again.

Show quote history

My grandad died Between Xmas and new year. I was 18 and working in a pub, and we travelled home for a night (500 mile round trip) to get funeral clothes etc. I went into work to explain the situation and the manager told me that if I wasn’t there for my shifts, not to come back.

I anonymously reported him to Customs and Excise for watering down the booze. When I went in after the funeral to drop my uniform in, the C+E inspectors were there (they are NOT subtle). He was prosecuted and jailed.

The start of my career based on “fuck around and find out”. :)

MontanaPink · 19/03/2025 18:58

It annoys me when bosss put the onus on the staff to cover (swap) shifts. It should be the responsibility of the manager.