New manaer causing chaos to our lives

[Eggstra]

DP started a job in 2008 it was a small contract at first 20 hours.
He then moved up to another contract 39 hours which fitted in around our family and my work hours so one of us would be home with the dc every time.
A new manager has come in and decided to "Shake things up" and now wants dp to do more hours and has told him if he dosen't he will move him back down to the 20 hours again and give his hours to another coworker.
The hours he wants him to do will cost us a fortune we will have to pay for childcare and he uses public transport to get to work (9 miles away) the buses and trams will have stopped by the time his boss wants him to finish so his only option will be to take a taxi home.
We just can't afford it, dp works very hard for this company and does a lot of free overtime such as starting work early if he gets there before his shift is due to start.
I am gutted as we were just geting back on our feet, can he really do this :(?

*Manager, sorry sticky keyboard.

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If an employer wants to change a contract an employee can either accept or refuse and see what the employer does. If the result is dismissal then providing the employee has worked in that job and possibly the company (depending on how the contract structure works) he can claim unfair dismissal.

Why not have dh sit down with his manager and ask for the reasons behind the change ie what are the business reasons and how can they be best served? Also are there any policies in place for paying for transport and food in anti-social hours? Most places I've worked have had a policy that if you work past either 9 or 10pm you get a taxi home and bill it to the relevant file. This is because as employer is responsible for your health and safety and liable for injuries occurring in the course of your employment and the journey to and from work counts as employment so if you are put at hazard due to their demands they need to find a way to counteract this risk.

Regarding the childcare, I wouldn't raises this initially but he does have the right to request flexible working e.g. maybe part work at office and part at home depending on ages of your kids?

HTH

Hi, thanks for answering. He works in retail for a very well known company. They will not provide transport home or pay for any you arrange.
He obviously can't work from home either.
The manager just does not seem bothered DP has raised the problems of transport and he just says that if he can't do it he will have to move back to a 20 hour contract and somebody else can have his contract and then another person can have the new hours.
He still needs someone to do dp's hours that he does now, so it seems a bit spiteful that he can't let dp stay on that contract.
It is so stressful right now.