Hours cut back - worked for 6 years

[Strawberryshortcake0]

I’m honestly just looking for some outside opinions because I feel like I’m going mad.

I’ve worked in retail for just over 6 years. For most of that time I was on a 4-hour Saturday contract because I was in college, then uni, then doing a master’s. I’ve never had any disciplinary issues, I’m rarely sick, always on time, and I regularly help train new staff.

After finishing my studies and not being able to get a graduate job, I applied in September for a 20-hour contract in my store. I was initially told I wasn’t being given it due to “reliability” (which made no sense), then two weeks later they said it was a mistake and offered me a temporary 20-hour contract until 27 December. I accepted because these contracts are usually extended.

Fast forward to now — management told everyone whether their temporary contracts were being made permanent. Mine wasn’t. I was told the business “no longer needs the hours” and that I’d be going back to my permanent 4-hour contract.

However, I’ve since found out that two colleagues who’ve only been there around 3 months have been given permanent 20-hour contracts — and those are effectively the same hours I was working. I’ve been training these people and helping them regularly.

Management are now saying it’s because my availability is “mornings only”, which isn’t true. My availability is 9am–4pm, which is on my form. I do have a heart condition and provided a doctor’s note saying it’s better for me to finish earlier due to symptoms — but I’ve been clear that this doesn’t mean mornings only, and my availability hasn’t changed.

So essentially:

• 6 years’ service
• trained newer staff
• worked the 20 hours with no issues
• then had my hours cut back to 4
• while newer staff were given permanent 20-hour contracts

I know loyalty doesn’t always mean anything in retail, but this feels incredibly unfair and possibly linked to my health.

Do I actually have any rights here, or is this just a case of bad management and I should cut my losses and leave?

Any honest opinions appreciated.

Are you in a union?

My ds works part-time in Next and it sounds your workplace operates in a similar way.

This does sound like discrimination on the basis of your disability. Obviously there are many other potential reasons but they haven't told you anything to help you see this.

Its likely they can say they need someone with the flexibility to do evenings and that's why you didn't make the cut.

Do you have the energy to look into this? Can you speak to HR department or a union or a disibility charity?

It’s probably that the others have more flexibility. Although you can do way over 20 hours between 9 - 4, it likely isn’t when they want someone. I worked retail management for years, I needed part timers to be available and flexible to cover key times. So if deliveries are at 7am I need my morning person in from 7, 9 would be no good. Also in retail, shops close later than 4, I need my later shifts in later than that. Are you able to offer more availability?

At my workplace, colleagues’ shifts never change, so you always do the same shift every day. However, they’ve given my usual 10–2 shift to someone else.