Changes to contract before sale of business

[JohnnyMarr]

I have been working for my current employer for 8 years, contracted hours are a minimum of 40 per week.

The business has been for sale for some time, and is currently under offer. Two days before Christmas my boss issued us all with new contracts, suggesting they were "just an update" prior to the sale finalising.

Upon inspection, the "updated" contract contains a clause entitled "Work Shortage" stating "In the event of work shortages, or other circumstances beyond the control of the employer, which prevent normal working, the employer reserves the right to lay off employees or impose short-time working to meet these circumstances".

This clause is not included in my original contract.

Today, I was asked for the signed copy of my new contract. When I expressed concern re the above I was told that this was already in my contract (it isn't), that it was "standard", "not operational" and just related to circumstances along the lines of covid. This is very much not how it reads to me!

My boss is pressuring me to sign, I intended to speak to ACAS this afternoon, but they're operating on reduced hours over Christmas /New Year so I haven't been able to.

If anyone could advise as to the wording of the contract, and exactly where I stand legally, I'd be hugely grateful - I'm currently stressing about going in in the morning because I know she'll ask me for it!

I would not be signing that either!

If you sign the contract with this clause, they can lay you off or put you on short time working temporarily if there isn't enough work. Without this clause, their only option would be to make you redundant. Has your employer laid people off or implemented short time working in the past?

Thank you both for taking the time to respond.

@prh47bridge No, no short time working enforced before, other than during covid, when we were obvioisly furloughed, rather than just unpaid!

In fairness, my employer has generally been pretty decent, it's a family run business and we're a tight team. However, all bets are off given our contracts will presumably be tuped over, and as far as I'm aware employees of the new owner are generally already on zero hours.

Whilst I wish them every success with the sale, I'm a single parent, already struggling financially, and not prepared to blithely put myself in a vulnerable position simply to expedite their road to a blissfully carefee retirement!