Can they cut DD’s pay?

[Cantstopeatingjaffacakes]

Probably going to be a long one so I apologise in advance…..

DD17 works two days a week on a zero hour contract at a local retreat centre as assistant housekeeper. The centre is rural and about 20 mins drive from us from us and relies on mums taxi and she pays me petrol money.

When she was hired they told her it would be at the adult minimum wage and she has been paid that so far.

A new manager has come in and realised that she is being paid above the NW for her age group and has emailed to say that from first of January her hourly pay will drop (and adding thats only if they offer her shifts).

Can they do that? DD turned down work in our local town because of the pay and is really upset that she could have saved herself (and me) a lot of stress getting there and back if she had known.

Locally all the part time jobs have been filled and she’s hesitant to look for Christmas work in case they don’t keep her on.

The new manager wants to talk to her when she’s there for her next shift and she’s not sure what to say.

ah good luck to her OP. Zero hours can work really well round college or uni.

I charged my DS for lifts when he was working. It was 25 min drive each way and I often had to get up early on Sat. Or pick up late when I was tired. He was earning more than me! I charged him the same as the bus/train fare although driving was a lot quicker.

I believe they can. I worked in a role employers scrapped the role changed the name and paid everyone doing it less. If she is on a zero hours contract they could just minimise her hours, she probably has minimal rights.