Husband working unpaid on day off

[Strugglingtofunction]

I found out yesterday that for the last six weeks or so when my husband has been going into work on his day off he has not been getting paid. He only has one day off at the weekend and instead of spending it with his family he has chosen to go into work. This also coincides with me seriously struggling and again instead of being here to help and support he has been working unpaid. He works in retail and not in any managerial position. So he has basically been volunteering instead of being there for his family. He is refusing to understand why I might be unhappy with this set up. What do others think???

He should take to his union. I bloody well would. It's absolutely not the norm in any retail job I've ever known.

Not the norm in retail ime either!

Loads of people do unpaid overtime. I do, although usually from home.

Join the union. Continue at the current employers for long enough for the union to help (another month?). Get a new job. Come back and get the £140 per week this employer owes him for however many weeks he worked these ridiculous hours.

Are you sure he isn't taking time off in the week and making it up at the weekend...

If he's working in a store he isn't correct in having to work unpaid ot. If he really is feeling overloaded then he needs to have a review of his duties with his manager. He should also look at the working time directive as they have a duty to ensure he has enough breaks between shifts. Assuming that os where he really is , of course.

Yeah, unpaid overtime is the norm in salaried roles, but not so much in hourly ones ime. Maybe you have to be there 5-10 minutes late occasionally, but going in on your days off for no pay when you only earn minimum wage? Nah, not buying it.

Wot the others said.

I worked two yearsish in big store, lots of operations and replen ( stock) as well as tills so in all roles really.

Yes the MANAGERS frequently had to come in unexpectedly for extra hours eg if there was a serious theft or meeting ( the sight of our deputy in his hoodie and "home gear" was quite common)

Also sometimes us hourly lot were "encouraged in strong language" to take on overtime.

And yes sometimes an extra half hour might have to be done (but we'd take it back later) Or sometimes the managers would underpay everyone's overtime ( probably fiddling the monthly figures).

But everyone, from the sixteen year old temps to little old ladies working to supplement their pension would chase management and get it back.

It was tough and had a strong "edge" and dog eat dog atmosphere but we definitely weren't unpaid slaves for whole days!

Oh, there was one poster up once suggesting any "volunteers" could come in unpaid to help clean the store offices for two hours, which was completely ignored I believe

SOMETHING is very off here. I agree the "someone he fancies there" could be a possibility. Because it's such an intense, stressful environment a lot of liaisons start, and not all of them seem to be singles getting together.

I am very "average" looking and not very sociable/ flirtatious and quite a few of the partnered men ( at all levels) were "scoping me out" and throwing bait down to see if there was anything going on - and would've covered for each other as well. So I'm not sure how you can find out. Best of luck op

Has your DH worked for his employer for more than 2 years ? Because there is more job protection after 2 years
Any potential loss of a job should follow a proper process

Does your DH have a proper job contract or is he on a zero hours contract with no benefits eg holiday and sickness pay ?

I find the amount of time he is working UNPAID unacceptable
I would suggest he is either working inefficiently or slowly or he is a perfectionist

I would suggest asking him who will be covering his work if he is on holiday or sick ?

I would suggest looking for another job that allows an improved work/home life balance

Having seen people in other industries who work unpaid overtime or go "above and beyond", some people are seen as "an idiot" with other people saying who would work UNPAID and have no family life !. There will be a lack of respect

However, your DH may just be avoiding being at home. Which is another scenario

Tbh I'd add even the managers / other staff would have found it a bit "weird" someone coming in like that ( especially as it would then "set the standard" for everyone to do so) I recall someone coming in an hour early for her shift ( she'd been transferred due to issues so was eager to make a good impression bless her ) and the team leader sent her away to have a coffee.

I'd second checking if his hours have been swapped around somehow.

allttoomuchrightnow

Bluntness.. I could name.. erm.. several hundred I've known?!!

How on earth can you name hundreds of managers who expect their retail staff to regularly work a whole day unpaid?

How many jobs have you had? Could you name these retail shops so we can boycott them?

Yes a whole day unpaid as well as two and a half hours every day too.

Agree with bigfurcat there re relationships developing in that environment. My friend works for asda and she says everyone is having it off with each other.

I don't buy that it is normal in retail at all either. I presume people in such roles are paid by the hour and I think there would be serious reputational issues if this was the norm.

Christ, does he work for sports direct or something?
this is most definitely not the norm in retail. Managers, maybe so but he's not insured, they're not insured and they're possible on breech of the NMW and European work time directive

No not Sports Direct. I can't say exactly what he does and for whom because it would definitely out me. Honestly I just don't know what to think - I can't see how it is legal. My husband was almost tearful talking about it yesterday. He is not a young man and his job is quite physical and he said that he is often in pain. He has told me that he will stop going in unpaid on a Sunday and we will just have to deal with the consequences. I was not happy about this because it felt like he was threatening me and making it all my fault. As I said still don't know what to think really!!!!

That sounds weird. I must say I'm always a bit/very suspicious of overdramatic/somewhat passive aggressive responses like that ( making out you're trying to control him and stop him from working)

also, I find tears often aren't about what they claim to be about (in that you're now feeling sorry for him because you think he's stressed / but why doesn't he then do something like chat to a manager about workload etc? The tears could be authentic in a "I'm not getting my own way" kind of way.

I dated someone who would be "close to weeping" regularly, but it was normally coinciding with "I wanted to do X which was unreasonable and you wouldn't let me do I'm turning myself into the victim here"

OP couldn't coming into work and doing unpaid work breach the minimum wage limit. A day a week sounds like it might

Seems to me he's probably feeling ashamed maybe trapped that he is in this position and probably cannot do anything about it.

Why not see if you can talk to him and discuss the possibility of him seeking another job somewhere else?. Sounds like he's being well exploited poor bugger:-(