Help, they're trying to make me work less!

[DizzyKipper]

Hi there, I'm hoping I may be able to get some advice on my current situation. Sorry if this is long but I want to try to include all potentially relevant details.

I am a domiciliary care worker currently working on average 40hours a week. To have been able to have gotten up to these hours I had to agree to start working 7 days 1 week and 5 days the next (so only getting every other weekend off), although initially it was agreed I would have 2 days off every week. My agreed working hours were between 7am and 5pm. At one stage I was also working 2 evenings a week (also in an attempt to get up my working hours) but have declined working evenings now when quite often I was finding myself out for 13/14 hour days with only a 1h45min break in between - evening shifts also meant I spent the same in petrol as I actually earned, so they weren't financially beneficial anyway (we have to pay for our own petrol).

I am also 21 weeks pregnant and am working this much currently to ensure I will no longer be in debt when the baby arrives, which is very important to me - it won't be very good if the baby is here and I'm not able to afford to pay all the bills or buy food because of debt repayments!

Work has recently decided they want everyone to have at least one day off a week, which will mean forcing me to have at least one extra day off (which will mean I will not have repaid all my debts by the time baby arrives, hence why I am adamant I don't want this change). Work are adamant they do want everyone to start having 1 day off a week. I've so far only spoken to the care co-ordinator over email about this, raising my concerns with debts when a baby is coming along and saying I do not think it fair to force these changes when they aren't actually a legal requirement (you're allowed 48consecutive hours off within every fortnight rather than 24 hours every week, which was what they'd initially based this on). I'm pretty sure work will force me anyway. They've tried to say "don't worry, we'll just make sure we give you more work on the other days" - something they can't guarantee anyway and when quite often I am actually working 7am-5pm days I don't see how they could make up for a whole day lost anyway. I'm wondering if it's their way of trying to force me back into evenings, something I won't do as 1. I won't make any money out of it 2. it will end up exhausting me, particularly the further along I get.

So I'm looking for advice on what I can do? It's already occurred to me to start looking for another job but being 21 weeks pregnant I'm almost certain no one will take me on. I could agree to work every Saturday and have every Sunday off instead of a whole weekend to myself but would really want to avoid this - 1 day is never enough to recuperate and I enjoy getting to spend the whole weekend with my other half, I don't want this to be taken away from me as well.

I don't understand. You currently have 2 days off once a fortnight, your work want you to have one day a week instead. How will that involve you having an extra day off? Surely it adds up to the same. Plus it's far more sensible from a H&S and employee well being point of view. Working 12 days straight isn't a good idea for anyone, but especially for anyone who's pregnant.

They will want me to take an additional day off as well as my weekend off. The only solution to avoid losing days would indeed be to start working every Saturday and have only every Sunday off, which if you read my last paragraph you have already seen me explaining I don't want to be forced into doing. I don't find 1 day off and then straight back into work restful, maybe some people do but I find it far better to have 2 days in a row in which to rest and recuperate.

Working 12 days straight has never been my ideal but since work are the ones who have put me in the position (dishonest over how hourly rate is worked out at interview so I am actually paid less than what I believed was being advertised, as well as being given inconsistent hours) I do need to work this much to get by (or else find another job, which I am already in the process of trying to do). If this wasn't essential believe me I would not be working 12 days in a row but would be very happy to have a 5 day week like most other people.

However, it should be up to me to determine on balance what is best for me, and I know earning more to pay off debts now is better than working less now and potentially being put into a position where I have to decide between paying for food or bills after the baby has come. This is a reality that I have to address and it seems to me I am the best person to make the decision that's best for me on this.

I also don't believe it's about "employee welfare" for a moment either. Their solution to my concerns about losing hours was to make me work even longer days instead. As I said, some days I work 7am-5pm, how long exactly are they intending to keep me working throughout the day to make up for my lost hours? I pointed out before I used to work evenings, so was actually out sometimes for 13/14 hours and only given under a 2 hour break throughout that day - I wasn't even getting to eat properly on those days. Working evenings again would be their solution for making up for lost hours since it's the only actual time they could schedule me to work, I'll go back to barely being able to scrape 1 full meal in a day (whilst I'm pregnant!), having no time to relax and being unable to keep on top of housework or having a life. That definitely isn't about employee welfare and just seems like nonsense to try to argue that would somehow be better than working the 12 days in a row (where at least I do get to eat, have breaks, am able to keep on top of housework and am having time to maintain a life).

I understand that there may not/is probably nothing I can do, I came here in the hope that some one might have some advice they could give to help me.

Do you know what? I don't have the time or energy to help anyone who gets snippy with me.

Besides the fact I didn't get snippy with you, you weren't being helpful anyway - so just as well you're no longer posting.

Dizzy..you've just completely shot yourself in the foot. Flowery is extremely experienced in HR matters, well sought after for advice and rarely, if ever, wrong regarding employment issues.

My advice is not to take the same attitude with your employers as you have on this thread, as it is very unlikely to make them feel well disposed towards you.

What Lougle and unavailable said

Ok, but I wasn't actually directing anything I said towards flowery - regardless of whether or not she wanted to take it that way, and it is very stressful to come somewhere for help, to have some one not address the issue at all and then tell you how you're not worth the time because apparently you've been rude to them. I can see I wasn't going to get help here anyway and am by myself - funny how people only started to reply to have digs after this little spat between me and flowery rather than before with actual advice.

That might be because there aren't a huge number of HR experts on MN. And you've frightened away one of the most helpful...

What an incredibly stupid thing to do.

If you lose the attitude and the victim mentality I will help you. But if you try it on with me I will also leave you to it. You have to understand that I am going to explain what your rights are and your options. You may not like them. The best we can hope for is that we can find a way to get what you want. The worst outcome is you cannot have what you want but you understand why not.

If you could answer a few questions please:

How long have you been employed there?

How long have you been working a 40 hour week in this shift pattern?

Are you opted out of the working time directive?

How has this change been communicated to you? (eg all staff given memo, just you, one-to-one with line manager).

How many staff are affected by the change?

Who have you discussed the change with and how (I can see you told them about your debts - but to be brutally honest they will not care about that and nor should they have to)? HR, line manager, supervisor??

Can you get a second job? I was hired when prengant. In fact at 20 weeks often it doesn't really show a huge lot. I worked until I went into labour and went back full time at 2 weeks. Plenty of people can do that and it might help your debt issues.

2 weeks?!? Lazy cow. I worked till I was 8cm dilated, attempted my own ECV for breech, then performed my own EMCS. 8 hours later I did a post-take ward round for the gynae take using the bassinet as a Rollator frame. Then covered the registrar on for weekend nights.

2 weeks. And they wonder why women don't get anywhere in industry.

I'd just go with it tbh - it's one day a fortnight, and in a few weeks you're going to be the size of a house and grateful for the extra time off. It's surely only 9 or 10 days work that you're missing out on anyway, so maybe do something else to raise the extra money - is there any holiday that you've accrued that you could be paid out for, for example?

I'm confused though - you say you're doing 40 hour a week, but you're doing 10 hour days, either 5 or 7 days per week

You will also need to think whether your maternity pay / allowance found be affected if you move jobs at this stage.

If I were you, I would work out what things are most important to you as you are likely to have to compromise on something. Is paying off your debt more important than having two days off in a row rather than one day off each week? If you feel you need two days off to recuperate, how does thus compare to having to potentially having to do extra hours in the evening? Try to come up with a solution that you are happy with that you also think your employers will also accept.

Good luck, I hope you find a solution.

(brux making me laugh. Well with the twins I was taking work calls the next day so arguably I had about 24 hours off but I don't expect everyone to be up to my standards. I also cycled from the tube home from work in early labour with one of them which I suspect is on reason I never had problems and am quite fit)