Unfair shift allocation.

[Catchingbabies]

DP works in a retail store, varied shifts on a rota. They have just reopened after lockdown and DP given her shifts. She’s been scheduled to work every single Saturday and every single Sunday for the next 7 weeks. She is a part time worker so does 24 hours (3 days). No other colleague in her department is working every single weekend day and their shifts are more spread out. She raised it with her manager who basically told her tough that’s how they’ve been allocated. Is there any way she can tackle this unfair allocation? Her manager is well aware that childcare is difficult at the weekends due to covid. She’s not asking for weekends off just to do her fair share and not all of them.

@dontdisturbmenow They have been calling them back 1 by 1 since 1st September. So my partner had 2 more weeks then some that went back earlier, there are others who are still not back yet and they are all slowly returning over the next 2 months.

”Of course there has to be consideration that is is due to being part-time. If everyone else is part-time too, it won't go anywhere.”

You said all that is needed is “just one full time employee to have been treated more positively.” That’s incredibly misleading advice- it’s not like an equal pay claim.

If any colleagues who have been treated more favourably are part time, it immediately makes it virtually impossible to credibly state that the reason this particular employee hasn’t been able to choose shifts is part time status.

And nothing the OP says suggest part time status is anything to do with it. It sounds like other people went back sooner and therefore chose. Not fair, but not unlawful.

@notacooldad

I know this would never happen with our current manager. Everyone has to do their turn of having a few rubbish shifts plus a run of good ones.

Well possibly this manager was trying to be fair too. OPs partner has been paid to not do any shifts for the last couple of months since shops reopened, whilst the others have been in and doing weekends. Possibly the manager thought it OP’s partners turn for weekends seeing as she had the longest break.

@Florencex no, the others went back 3 weeks ago. Not months ago. They were given options, she was not. RTFT.

Well possibly this manager was trying to be fair too. OPs partner has been paid to not do any shifts for the last couple of months since shops reopened, whilst the others have been in and doing weekends. Possibly the manager thought it OP’s partners turn for weekends seeing as she had the longest break
I understand that but with everyone going back to work I would have seen that as a fresh start. The other staff have been working their regular hours and getting full pay and presumably OP has been on reduced hours. So swings and roundabouts.
It does seem harsh to do 7 full weekends on the bounce though.

To clarify the shop was completely closed until the 1st September. No one has been working through for months. It opened on restricted hours for the first 2 weeks due to staffing so it wasn’t even open in Sunday’s. No one has been working every weekend for weeks on end while my partner has been at home. No one else has been rota’d to do 7 weekends in a row.

I don’t think it has anything to do with her being part time. Most staff are part time.

They have always allowed them to submit their shift requests 3 months in advance, e.g. would prefer early shifts etc. and they try and accommodate but can’t guarantee. The issue has been because those that put their requests in first asked for weekends off and were given them. There is normally a deadline given for shift requests to be in by and fairly allocated but that didn’t happen this time and those that went back first submitted their requests and those that went back after the deadline didn’t get a choice.

”The issue has been because those that put their requests in first asked for weekends off and were given them”

Sounds like it fits firmly into the ‘unfair but not unlawful’ category I’m afraid.

Though she could raise a grievance, if she feels she's being unfairly treated. Has she tried to resolve with the manager yet?

She’s not going to raise a grievance, she spoke to the manager, was basically told tough and so she will have to deal with it while looking for a new job.