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Original poster

Is my boss taking the piss?

45 replies

Toomuchyogurt · 07/08/2018 13:04

Hi, I work part-time, three days a week. I’ve always been very flexible and happy with my rota however my new boss keeps giving me the worst shifts, I know someone had to do them and I’m happy to do my fair share but I’m getting all of them! I’ve approached her and been told I can ‘cope’ with it, I have gone back and said this is unacceptable and she has said it’s service requirements and blamed me for not making lots of requests! I have been given the same shift pattern for six weeks, covering all the crappy shifts and minimising my opportunity to rest and recuperate between shifts. I don’t want to explicitly say it’s discrimination (ft staff have more reasonable patterns) and cause a lot of upset, but it is, and she pretty much admitted it was.

OP posts:

HipHopTheHippieToTheHipHipHop · 08/08/2018 10:50

OP, the consensus here is that your working pattern is not that bad at all, most of us would love to work two days on then two days off (they're not ridiculously long days to be fair, but I accept it’s not 9-5 either).

The choice really is suck it up but see if you can negotiate some flexibility or go job hunting. Bit of a first world problem

HoleyCoMoley · 08/08/2018 12:20

You work 3 long days a week, that would be full time in most jobs. I'd rather do 1 on 1 off than 2 days together, it shouldn't take 2 days to recover from a job, what sort of work do you do that needs so kuch recovery time.

Original poster

Toomuchyogurt · 08/08/2018 13:07

I work in health care, we like many other departments are very understaffed, it’s very busy, some days are significantly more challenging than others

OP posts:

SiliconHeaven · 08/08/2018 13:12

days off are spent day 1 recovering, day 2 preparing to return
So are most people’s OP, they’re called Saturday and Sunday.
Don’t be ridiculous

Haberpop · 08/08/2018 13:18

I do 4x13 hour shifts Mon to Fri with nights and weekends thrown in. I hear what you are saying in that it would be nice to get the odd long weekend and if you have a request system in place I would use it to request just that. Our rota gets worse the further down it you are, it is not unheard of for us to be rostered on a Sunday night and then on a long day on Monday when there is a rota change! I think people are either naturally good at doing rotas or absolutely crap at them.

HoleyCoMoley · 08/08/2018 13:38

Yes health care is very tiring but I don't see how you can work 2 on 2 off and only be rostered on for one weekend a month, unless I am being a complete dimwit. I'd prefer one off one on to be honest, I couldn't work 2 long days together, how many hours are you contracted for each week and are 3 long days really part time hours, isn't the usual 37.5hrs a week full time. What are your shift patterns if you're up at 5 and not home till after 7.

Original poster

Toomuchyogurt · 08/08/2018 14:04

Min-Fri service, occasional extra Saturdays which are optional, hence 1 a month. I work 30 hrs, 10hr shifts, f/t generally do slightly shorter shifts over 4 days. I know everyone else who comments works hard in their jobs, whether f/t or p/t. As I’ve previously said I’m happy to do my fair share of everything. But as Haberpop said it would be nice to get the odd long weekend, being p/t doesn’t mean I shouldn’t. I’m not p/t to be lazy or shirk work, I have other, family, commitments that take up my remaining time.

OP posts:

HoleyCoMoley · 08/08/2018 14:25

Do you have a lot of travelling, you're up at 5, home at 7, that's four hours extra on top of your working day. I know it's a change but it's only for a few weeks, what is your start time and do you really need to be getting in before anyone else. I've always worked 12 or 14hr shifts so 10 hours would be bliss for me. It is frustrating when shift patterns are changed but unless you were contracted to work only certain set days then I don't know how far you'd get with a complaint. You need to start putting in requests and stop being so flexible.

Original poster

Toomuchyogurt · 08/08/2018 14:46

Some travelling involved, often leave late from work due to various factors, think your right about being less flexible and making requests

OP posts:

trinity0097 · 08/08/2018 20:47

30 hours a week! That’s hardly anything! I worked out my annual average and it’s 56hrs a week. I’m supposedly on holiday at the moment and am working 9-10hr days, including 30min to an hour travelling each end of that. Term time hours are a min of 12hrs a day, 5 days a week, plus normally at least 6hrs a week on the weekend.

If you don’t like it request different shifts or look for a new job?

Original poster

Toomuchyogurt · 08/08/2018 21:39

Wow! Thank you Trinity0097, I wasn’t actually asking for a comparison to your job but thanks for the info. I was asking about being given the least desirable shifts every week because I’m part time, I’m sure you work very hard in your job as I do in mine, but being p/t (bearing in mind f/t is only 7 hrs more ) doesn’t mean I have to take all the crap at work...or on MN.

OP posts:

Nicknacky · 08/08/2018 22:02

I’m not understanding what’s wrong with working a Monday or Friday? I work nightshift and recover easier than you seem to from working a long dayshift.

And I do long day shifts too.

Chocolatedeficitdisorder · 10/08/2018 23:38

I'm and ex-nurse who used to do 3x12 hr shifts per week.

Your schedule would be amazing! If you never work more than 2 days together it's great for family life and to catch up on sleep. I used to do a pattern of 3 days of one week which went straight on to the first 3 days of the following week. When my DC were small I could go nearly a week and rarely see them, or work 6 nights in a row and be a zombie by the end.

You really, really shouldn't moan about what you have. Alternatively, take your chances and go elsewhere in healthcare - I bet you'll regret it.

Mistressiggi · 11/08/2018 00:54

Trinity if you should be on holiday and are working instead, you’re not best placed to give anyone advice on employment issues.
OP you won’t get an answer on this thread to your actual question, about whether it’s ok for you to be given less of a choice of shifts than a full time employee. I’m assuming the same posters go on threads posted by sahm experiencing problems and tell them to count their blessings as they are sooo lucky not to have to work.

daisychain01 · 11/08/2018 15:58

yoghurt just a simple and practical suggestion.

Could you capture all the shifts you have done for the past 8 weeks, ie 2 months.

For each week (7 day period) show:

Days in each week you worked
Which hours, plus any breaks (incl durations of break)

Take the list to your manager and show them the 'big picture' of your personal work pattern week by week.

Ask them to consider letting you have (for example) 1 weekend in every 3, or whatever you feel would make it more manageable for you.

In other words, give them the info, offer them the solution not the problem, and don't compare yourself to others, you need to ask for what you need.

You may find this is received more positively.

daisychain01 · 11/08/2018 16:05

OP you won’t get an answer on this thread to your actual question, about whether it’s ok for you to be given less of a choice of shifts than a full time employee

It's not about whether it's "OK" or not, it's about thinking "what do I actually want and need in this job, what isnt working for me in my life, with my family circumstances" and taking an alternative to the supervisor, to see if they can come to some reasonable arrangement.

Managers are not from a different planet, they are humans, they are juggling their priorities to keep the trains running, and if their staff act reasonably, then they are more than likely to get some traction, even if it's a compromise. Being p/t can be rough, they often get the short straw, it does mean having to "stand up and be counted".
I'm afraid.

daisychain01 · 11/08/2018 16:07

Oops not sure where the rogue Return came from

I try to be fair to my staff, but if things aren't working I like people to come and talk to me and we work it through together.

daisychain01 · 11/08/2018 16:14

And just to add, OP, I know you've tried to reason with her, but it sounds like you haven't been specific enough in terms of the big-picture, and you now need to put it all in writing for her to take your concern seriously. Then you both have a record of it, and she won't just fob you off. Also you could remind her you are p/t and that the f/t-ers seem to have an advantage over you. But avoid using the D word, as it doesn't sound discriminatory, as in protected chars etc, just you get the short straw!

m0therofdragons · 11/08/2018 17:06

You're part time so presumably need less recovery time than ft colleagues.

Totally confused as also work in healthcare and get weekends off. 2 days is surely normal in most jobs no matter how stressful?!

Hereward1332 · 13/08/2018 13:15

I'm not sure other posters have got the point. It doesn't matter whether your hours are perceived to be less taxing than other jobs; your point is that other people in the same team have a consistently better shift pattern. You may have chosen a job that allowed for 3 day weekends so you could travel, but can't because you get all the crap. All you can realistically do (unless there are other examples of behaviour constituting bullying or harrassment) is complain to HR, if there is one.

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