Is there a limit to how many extra hours I can be made to work if I'm part time?

[Annie592]

I work 21 hours over three days (so 9-5 three days a week, with a mandatory unpaid lunch break). My contract says 9-5 three days a week, but also says 'and additional hours as needed'

I'm currently working way over the 21 hours, because there is just so much work to do and loads of people have left recently. I worked out I've been working between 30 and 36 hours a week over the past few months. (Obviously that isn't loads of hours if you're full time- but I am only paid three fifths of a full time salary, naturally).

I don't mind working some extra hours, and clearly know I have to from my contract, but what I'm doing seems excessive and unfair. My boss just shrugs and says it's in my contract and the work needs doing .

Does anyone know if there's any guidance at all about what is reasonable in terms of the additional hours? I know if you're full time there's the 48 hour rule, but obviously that doesn't really help me!

I want to discuss it with HR, but they're not always that helpful and I wondered if anyone knew if there was any point or whether I just have to suck it up?

Thanks!

Are you actually going in 5 days a week, or doing 3 very long days?
I think I'd have something booked in for my 2 days off next week, and be unable to do at least one of them.

I doubt it's in law, but I'd suggest that doing more than 3/5ths of the 48 hours would be pushing it - so 28/29 hours a week.
Unless they can pay you for the extra days short term til they replace people?

But this is all based on what i would consider reasonable (as an ex manager) and nothing based on fact.

Hope things calm down for you soon.

Your employer has to treat you equally to full time employees - so it might be worth trying to work out how many additional hours your full time colleagues are doing, and see if proportionally they are in line with the hours you are doing.

Also do you come in on your non-working days? If so do your full time colleagues come in on theirs - the weekend?

I would think it would come down to what's reasonable, and for that your best bet is to compare your working situation with your full time colleagues so that you can determine if you are being treated differently because you're part-time or not..

You could try calling ACAS to see what they say

Are you getting paid for this extra work/hours?

Are you paid per hour?

Are your colleagues doing over time too or is it just you that's expected to do it?

What are full time hours there? If you are working almost full time hours on part time wages then it's clearly a piss take unless full time workers are putting in a similar proportionate amount of overtime.

Are you getting paid for doing the extra hours. I think I'd be finding myself with other arrangements the next time they ask . I work part time and whilst my employer knows I'm happy to cover any extra as and when required he would be unable to force me to work when I didn't want to

No wonder a lot of people have left recently.

That's rubbish, you're working FT!

are you not even getting paid extra? I doubt thats legal.

I certainly would not be working on any of the other days per week!

I work about 1 hour extra per day (half hour before start, and half hour after the end) - with a little bit extra around busy times such as year end.

Anything beyond that is a pisstake, IMHO - certainly I have never been asked to do more than that - and I have what I consider a senior job.