To ask you'd do a 48-50 hour working week?

[Donthaveanameinmind]

On a regular basis? I've started a new job, I'm in week 1 and having doubts.

The way it was presented at interview sounded like a choice between two shift patterns. Started the job and there is an unwritten pressure to do the later shift..it would mean me getting home at around 7:45pm 5 times a week which is a lot.

I've tried to be clear and say that I cannot do it every evening and just certain days. They've said they will let me know if they want me on overtime, so I said I can with notice.

They've then come back and said it could be a same-day request, so i could be asked at very short notice to do an extra 2 hours. Or, it may be requested in advance depending.

Honestly it's concerning me, I have pets and I don't want them left for 11 hours at a time every day. Whether others do isn't the issue, i don't personally want to. Not only that but I can't make many plans, a lot of clubs/cinema etc start earlier and if I'm doing 10 hour days every day I'll likely be knackered.

Would you do this? I think they want someone who's married to the job who can stay late at short notice, and this wasn't communicated in interview.

Yes, and usually did except when the children were small. But in a director level role, earning £120k.

You need to decide if you can make it suit, whether to part ways now or to suck it up for 12-18 months and use it as a springboard.

Not at all for that money and those conditions. Look for something else pronto.

I would do it for a while if I eas either passionate about the field ( so it doesn’t actually feel like working) or it was very highly paid ( as in I could save loads) or I was desperate for a job. If not definitely wouldn’t, you’ll have no time to just live.

Not worth for that sort of money OP. You could work bank as a HCA for nhs and earn £21.00 an hour on a Sunday and pick and choose your hours. I wouldn't want to be tied to more than 40 hours by contract either. Doesn't sound like a decent company!

It is unless under the working time directive unless you specifically opt out https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours

Sounds shit

Can you afford to tell them to stick it up their arse?

Well it’s true! Yes I know we get the holidays…

As a 19 year old i worked in an industrial facility where there was an early and a late shift, each were 8 hours. They would let you do them back to back. I did it quite a bit that summer to earn money - i lived 5 mins away so i would literally get up at quarter to, have a quick shower, and eat breakfast on the way, when i got home id shovel in some food and go straight to bed, 7 hours a night was manageable, i was young, healthy with no other responsibilities. It was minimum wage work but in an 10 week period i earned loads. As a student it was great because i knew it was temporary then i went off to greece on holiday before going back to uni!!

This as the nights draw in actually having that time in the morning will be lovely early exercise classes, dog walks in rhe light....but may be rhe split shift will work better for you

Just doing the 11-7 shift , which it seems is what they want you to do, isn’t 10 hours a day. That also wouldn’t impact your pets any differently from 9-5? Of course, agreeing one shift pattern and changing it last minute is not reasonable though.

Teacher here. Regularly did way in excess of that and without any overtime pay obviously which may have softened the blow :) If it's not working for you, you need to find an alternative

With regard to teachers, I used to be a teacher too and whilst there is a lot of extra work you can at least do this from home or choose the exact times you do it usually.

There’s no way I’d work those hours for barely more than the minimum wage.

Just do 11 - 7 then.

I didn't agree to work until 7 every evening when I took the job, I never wanted to do that.

So when you’ve told them you cannot work til 7pm every day what have they said?

Not a chance in hell I’d do that but then I don’t even work full time 😂

Just leave at 5 then.

You need to get this bottomed out with your manager/ HR quickly- for your own sanity, as it must be very unsettling.

Is your workforce unionised? Is there anyone in HR who is approachable? You need to carefully look at the wording of your whole contract.

I own a business and have some employees on shift based contracts. Their contracts are purposefully worded vaguely however they are given fixed shift patterns and I don’t change their shift patterns or hours without reasonable notice- that is generally two weeks for us, but I’d give more for a permanent change. ACAS have some guidelines on this. I rely on goodwill in the event of emergencies, and it’s usually those who need overtime who take it willingly.

if your employer needs workplace cover between 9-7, it’s on them to ensure the shifts are sorted in advance and everyone knows what shifts they’ve been allocated and what is expected of them. To give you a choice and then realise they have no appropriate cover is piss poor. Dreadful management. I’d look for something that suits your needs better, as this is likely to be the tip of the iceberg in a company that chaotic.

This isn't a reasonable question. You cannot leave a dog for 11 hours. What other people do is irrelevant. You can't do it.

I have done this for around 3 years on a very similar contract-40 hours a week unpaid lunch, but entailed being there for 2-2 1/2 hours everyday unpaid overtime. We got a bi annual bonus based on the profitability of the section not hours worked.
It can be done but I wouldn't recommend it- you have to be very organised, and have very robust health.

I'd be worried this was the thin edge of the wedge and they'd be pushing other unreasonable demands soon. Hope you get the other job.

If contract says 40 hours then surely that is what you are contracted to do. Does contract say anything about overtime? If you are doing more hours will you get paid or time in lieu?

I don't have a copy of my contract as I signed it then they took it back so I need to ask them, but it was vaguely worded, don't remember anything about TOIL. Fortunately been offered a new job.

Just that they can ask me for same day overtime if required. I can refuse but they may have me down as inflexible and affect my probation