48 hours every week?

[MyBoyMyTreasure]

Good day lovelies!
I need some advice please.
So I'm a full time salaried worker, working shifts. Contracted hours are full time, no more than 48 hours. But this is where my boss takes advantage of it.
Every week and I mean every week we work 48 hours as it max hours allowed to work per week. It will never be 40 hours nor 45. Exact 48 hours. Can they do that? So my full time hours are basically 48 hours. Break time is not included. Is there any possible confrontation ? I'm mum of 1 year old, working full time but this 48 hour per week nonsense is driving me mad! I feel I never see my little boy although. It's like working an extra day per week to make up to those 48 hours or few long days. Anyone in a similar situation ?

Thank you fellow mums xx

No law being broken there in terms of hours, but what does “full time” mean in your contract? Is it set at eg 36/38/40 hours? Are you being paid for the hours you work?

what does your contract say? did you sign up for 48hs a week. have they worked it out as 4 x 12hr shifts? I would contact h.r. and ask and drop your hours if you can. if break isn't included does that decrease your actual paid hours.

Agree with others - it depends on your contract.
I can't imagine anyone would sign up to a contract based on hours, without knowing how many hours they are expected to work.
There are many jobs that don't have a 'fixed hours' and work on 'getting the project done' or '... and all work that is necessary to carry out the task' type roles, but the salary tends to reflect that, and that is known in the industry.
If hours are mentioned in your contract, then surely it must say somewhere how many that is?

Is there a need to be working extra? Is it the bosses way of not employing another person or is it due to inefficiency? Are there ways to save time?
But if you agreed to work up to 48 hours then this is what you agreed.
perhaps a discussion about well being and mental health needs broaching?

Thank you ladies for your responses.
My contract states -
"...will normally work a 5 day a week and will be expected to work such hours and days as the requirements of the job dictate subject to legislation. This may require to work on ant trading day, including evenings, weekends and public holidays.
...Should ensure that their average hours do not exceed 48 per week..if working hours are likely exceed during any 17 week period, this should be brought to the GMs attention."
And that's all. That's why I start believing they take advantage of 48 hour per week limit.

Are you salaried? What did you expect the hours to be? Can you ask HR? There has to be a baseline otherwise no entitlements can be calculated for part time staff.

Probably as an average - 40 hours.
I am salaried.
But I see they use 48 hours every week as law allows it.

The issue is HR will report to my GM straight away which will have a negative impact afterwards with my GM.
But I guess I don't have a choice .

but doesn't this indicate that your average hours per week should not exceed 48 ?

...Should ensure that their average hours do not exceed 48 per week..if working hours are likely exceed during any 17 week period, this should be brought to the GMs attention."

so that, in fact, should the business need be there, you could work 55 hours one week, as long as it is balanced by working less than 48 hours on other weeks. It doesn't suggest to me that you should be working less than 48 hours 'as a norm', but that 48 hours is what you signed up to.

Oh... Thank you for your responses.
Probably I understood wrong during work interview.

Isn't it what is defined by the working time directive, where you shouldn't work more than an average of 48 hours a week, worked over... 17 weeks? (I can't be bothered to check the details right now, but it's easily googleable. There's more information about breaks between work periods and so on.

I do understand if it's more. We don't work more hours than 48. I mean we never even once were able to finish let's say on 47 hours. At least sometimes once in a year. I mean it has to be exact 48 hours every week. No more no less. If it would be allowed by law to work 55 hours they'd do 55.

I think that's pretty standard though.

Very few people are allowed to work under their contracted hours!