Hours being reduced after furlough

[AgainstAllOdds1]

I work in one of the industries that was forced closed the week before lockdown.

I was put on furlough and returned to work at the beginning of September. I was initially given my full contracted hours (part time 18 hours) back but on different days and shifts than before. I have since had 2 hours cut. Last week our department were informed that we will have further hours cut. We are being told and then given 4 weeks notice to each cut, we don't get a say in the matter.

Whilst I understand the need for a possible restructure and the businesses viability, can our hours be reduced to almost nothing which is the way it's going?

TIA

Your employer can reduce your hours if you agree to it. Or they can make you redundant if you don't.

What you can't do is insist they keep to the hours you were originally contracted for if there is no work for you to do.

It looks as if they're trying to avoid making people redundant - how has it been explained to you?

Obviously it is shit, and if you need more hours then you might need to look for a new job, which is easier said than done at the moment.

Thanks @NoSquirrels that's exactly it they are trying to avoid redundancy pay outs. My hours are heading to virtually nothing, we've just been told hours are being cut here's four weeks notice. The work is there but because of current restrictions it's just not viable.

The work is there but because of current restrictions it's just not viable.

So the work's not there at the moment really, is it? Would you rather be made redundant - would that work better for you?

I understand that @Nosquirrels, but the work will eventually return once restrictions are lifted. But management have confirmed that staff who have lost out wont be offered what they had back. Neither reduced hours or redundancy works for me despite 25 years of service. I wont be able to find a job in my field elsewhere due to the same problems. I'm stuck....

management have confirmed that staff who have lost out wont be offered what they had back

This sounds odd.

So you think when demand picks up again, eventually, they won't allow you to increase your hours again?

Or are they just saying they can't guarantee you could go back up to increased hours?

To be honest, whilst I see that you are stuck, presumably they are too? If the work's not there they cannot pay you to do it. There's no future-proof cast-iron guarantee of when things will go back to 'normal' or what shape the business will be in by then, so of course they can't write something into your contract to offer something that isn't guaranteed.

I'm not clear what solution you think would be reasonable?

Are you in a union? Is your employer usually unreasonable or a good employer? You seem to think they're acting shadily, but from here it doesn't seem like it to me - so you must have reasons for suspecting that?

I'm in a similar situation. About four weeks ago the dept. I work in were told that we were going to go from a forty two hour week to a forty hour week to save money

Obv I'm not happy as it's a days pay less each month but if it means no redundancies then it's a good thing

I am looking at the job market though as I don't know what's round the corner