New manager wants me to change agreed working hours and days. Advice needed please..

[adviceadvice]

I was offered a part-time job a few weeks ago. Advertised at 22 hours a week. I have two dc, one in school and one pre-schooler. Accepted the job. Line manager started making hints about me working different days and hours each week, so for example working 23 hrs over 5 days one week and then 23 hours over 4 days another.

I explained that I couldn't do this. I have nursery care and after school care booked for three days. Nursery and school will not allow me to chop and change days for obvious reasons. Explained to line manager that I could only do the same three days each week and if she wanted someone flexible she should offer the job to someone else.

She emailed me back saying they still wanted me and told me the days and hours she wanted me to work which of course I agreed too. This is how we came to me working Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays whch I have been doing.

Yesterday she dropped a bombshell and said that soon I'd have to start working to a new timetable. This would be on a week to week basis with little notice beforehand. I said I couldn't do this because my chldcare is all arranged and i can't change it week to week plus my childcare and fuel bill would be significantly higher than my total wage if I worked 5 days rather than 3.

Had an email from her this morning saying how much notice do I need to sort out my childcare so I can start working to a new timetable.

Sat here in shock. There is no way I can do this. Me and dh are struggling with childcare drop offs and pick ups at the moment the strain of doing it 5 days a week and the financial loss in doing so means there is absolutely no way I can agree to this.

I haven't signed a contract yet. Keep being told it's on its way but nothing so far.

Obviously I'm going to have to email her and explain. Again. Will have to resign despite only having worked there less than a month

Why do you have to resign? Do you want to resign? They're the ones messing you around when you've made it completely clear from the start what days and hours you can work. You have been consistent in your message, they have not. If you need this job, then I would hang in there and, if necessary, appeal to someone higher up the chain of command. Why do they want to change your working hours?

I don't know why they want to change my hours juneau, my line manager keeps saying its a 'business need' but there are three other staff who work in the department so with four people and only so many hours a week we have to meet customers there isn't (in my eyes) a problem.

I don't want to resign but I can't work somewhere where I don't know which days/hours I have to work one week to the next. If I didn't have children I could but obvously I do, and school/nursery are inflexible when it comes to changing the days need childcare/after school care.

How annoying! There is no way she can expect you to change your hours on a week by week basis. I would explain firmly that you cannot do this, and will not be able to do this in the future. If you do sign a contract make sure it specifies the days agreed and doesn't have any clauses about it being subject to change. Then turn up on those days regardless!

Hope you get a positive response from her.

I would make sure that you base your argument purely on the childcare issue, rather than the fuel bill one.

You don't need to resign. They have offered you a job working certain days / hours (presumably you have kept all the e-mails stating this?). They should have worked out what they wanted before advertising the job.
Is there a more senior manager, or an HR dept you could talk to ?

Depending on the job, would it be possible to say that you can work any day between (eg) 9.30 and 3, however you can only work later than that on your pre-agreed days? When I was in retail (obviously don't know if this is what you do) the busiest times that needed cover were lunchtimes, so we eventually hired someone to work 5 days a week 10-2 just to cover lunch breaks and the increased business at that time. Just trying to think of a compromise you could offer - you may find they can use you without you needing after school care at all!

Definitely do not resign. You accepted the job on the terms you have now - they can't just change them to suit themselves. Just reply that 'as previously discussed it is not possible to change the hours/days you are currently working'.

Don't engage in a debate over is, just keep stating it's not possible to change the hours/days that you are working, that you were taken on to work.

At this early stage in your employment it's very easy for them to dismiss you so you don't need to resign. Stick firmly to what you agreed to. If it's vital they have someone working these different hours, well then they might dismiss you. But rather than do that and have to go through the palaver of recruiting, they may prefer to keep you on the hours you are doing.

Well I've just spoken to Acas. They say that an employer can change an employees days and hours worked. Acas say they recommend the employer gives the employee notice that they are going to do this, which is exactly what my employer has done. They say all I can do is email my line manager with the title 'formal grievance' and say that I can't change my days/hours. This will then go down a formal grievance route.

Have been in the job less than a month didn't want it to come to this

Really?! Oh no I can't believe that! Hope my boss doesn't read this!

So sorry OP :(

I'm in exactly the same position as you and about to start a new part time job where I specified that I can do Monday to Wednesday. New boss then turned around saying that's fine to start with but I'd have to work the days I am needed most. Have said, like you, that days have to be fixed for childcare (nursery and school, also like you). Waiting for reply....

If they had told me in the interview that they need someone who is available five days a week but only gets paid 2 1/2 days I would have declined the job.

I can't believe they can do this! And wonder if we've come across the same employer/ boss?!

I left a job in the NHS because of the fact they couldn't give me set working days (for childcare reasons). "The needs of the service" take precedence...apparently.

That's completely insane. Juggling childcare is hard enough as it is especially with no family. I don't see how they can justify this... [bangs head on laptop and wonders whether to resign before having started]

UPDATE
Had the 'chat' with manager today. She produced in front of my eyes a timetable which had me down to work 5 days a week:
Monday - 2 hours in the morning
Tuesday- 6 hours in the evening
Wednesday - 3 hours in the afternoon
Thursday - 8 hours
Friday - 4 hours in the afternoon

Was literally gobsmacked. Said several times 'I cannot do this' and 'If I was able to work 5 days a week I'd get a full-time job for double my current salary"

The result is that she is talking to HR but she said in reality she can't change my hours.

What a shit day.

Doesn't look good for me then... So sorry to hear you had such a shit day OP

baby you never know your employer may be more flexible. Though warning bells did go off with me before I started job and they said about me working over 4 or 5 days. I said no and we agreed I work over 3 days, but it didn't take them long to go back on that...

In case anyone is still reading I have a further update.
Had an email at home from my manager today saying I have to do my hours over 5 days from July. She said she had consulted with HR but the letter she attached with her email was from her saying she had told me at interview that I would have to do my hours over 5 days (which is a complete and utter lie).

In the letter written by her she said that if I didn't agree to the new timetable they will terminate my contract with a week's notice as I am stil on probation .

So sorry, but can you imagine having to work for this lying witch for the next few years? This would be the first in a long line of misery and stress.

Sorry to hear that- as I said in my earlier post, it's easy for them to just dismiss you this early in your employment if you won't do the hours they want. What was said at the interview makes no difference anyway.

Getting to the same bit here myself, only have worked for 2 months now for 14 hours per week. Started off with three short days but soon changed to two full days as childcare costs were just way too high. Now they want me to go back to three days to provide better coverage but I can't do this - have already dropped a day from nursery. Sigh. I can see the same happening to me, losing the job over this.

emmie sorry to hear you are in the same boat. For me, it's over. I have been given a week's notice as they seem to think its reasonable to make a part-timer work their hours over 5 days rather than 3. So they're going to have to go to all the trouble/expense of recruiting and training again.

what have you said to your boss when they've asked you to work 3 days now rather than 2?

I explained that working paying for three days of nursery and working only two days worth worked as +-0 for me financially. I then suggested spreading the days apart, i.e. working on Tue and Thu instead of Wed and Thu. Or them paying for three days worth of work and me then working three days... remains to be seen what they say.

Thought I'd come and update. We trialled the Tuesday & Thursday working and as expected, at the end of my probation they have turned around and said it is not working for them. Then there was a whole bunch of claims how the job was offered to me on the condition that I'd spread the hours over three days - rubbish, employment contract does not say this at all. However, I have said I will be leaving as I cannot work like this and it does not make sense to arrange childcare for three days when I only get paid (measly) for two! Now waiting to hear what their response is re: references...