Hi all. I am posting here as I have a few concerns about my sister's job.
She is 23, a recent graduate, and, in July, was offered a part-time position at a major international hotel firm, as a receptionist. There was a full time role as well, but she didn't get offered it,(although this was the one she applied for) and 3 months on the ft job is still vacant
She is employed on a 16-hour a week contract, but has never worked less than a 40-hour a week. All the additional time is paid at flat-rate, at minimum wage.
On her first week she was asked if she was happy to do any overtime. She said "yes" and they have made it a condition of her contract that she has an obligation to take what is offered to her on a weekly basis - ie, even though they are not part of her core 16 hours contracted, she either has to say "yes" to all of the additional hours, or just do her basic 16.
She does the extra shifts because she needs the money, but I think they are acting immorally, because aside from the additional hours' pay, she gets very little benefit from the employers.
These are the issues I have:
She does not have set hours each week - so the 16 hours basic contract is flexible and she only gets told her shifts for the upcoming seven days every Friday. If she is not at work on that Friday, then she has to ring in to find out. This makes planning for anything outside of work virtually impossible.
Holiday/sick pay (and future maternity pay?) is calculated on her 16 hour a week contract, despite her regularly working a 40-hour week. I thought I read somewhere, that after a certain amount of time doing this, it actually evolves into part of the contract? I may be wrong about that...
She has worked every single weekend since starting, even though she was told at interview that it would be on a rolling rota with the other staff
Because she doesn't have set hours, then if she has ANY plans at all (night out, cinema, party etc) she has to book annual leave well in advance, just in case it happens to fall on a day that she is rostered on to work. There is no differentiation made in the rosta to her core 16 hours, and the additional hours. so technically if she wanted a Saturday off, they could say "no, that's your 16 hours basic" the day before.
There are three shifts in a day -7am-4pm, 11am-8pm and 2pm-11pm. Until the Friday, she has no idea what she will be working each week, so literally can't make any plans
This weekend she did the mid-shift on Friday, lates today (so until 11pm) and then earlies tomorrow (7am start) - she lives 45 minutes away, so doesn't get home until almost midnight, and then has to be up at 5:30 to do the early shift the following morning. This has happened for the last 4 weekends, and sometimes happens midweek too - she has asked them 3 times not to follow a late shift with an early, and they have just totally ignored her requests.
She does need this job, but I think she's being taken for a ride, and I don't know what to suggest to her to do. The fact that she wanted the full-time position, didn't get it, is working full-time hours (for part-time conditions) and that job is still being advertised, makes me think that they are being unscrupulous, but within the law?
I just think they're taking advantage, because she could technically just do the 16 hour week every week, but even that wouldn't be given to her until the Friday, and also, of course, she would only be paid 16 hours, and they know she needs the money.
Sorry this is SO SO long, but I would really appreciate any advice on her behalf.
Thanks so much