I have just had a phone call from a lady in a different office to me she has just been told by our area manager about the new pay structure.

We are all contracted to 22 hours per week. The area manager is driving round with new contracts asking people to sign saying our contract is going down to 20 hours but our wage is going up, the houes going down is taking into consideration hour dinnertime. it will go up to counteract the hours we lose. so in effect we will be getting the same wage but if we do over time we get a higher rate of over time. This lady just went ahead and signed as she doesnt like to question anything.

Now many of us do a full week as we are majorly understaffed anyway but really if they so wished they could stop this and make us all go down to the 20 hours and we would lose out surely?

Can anyone tell me if i am legally obliged to sign a new contract?

but really if they so wished they could stop this and make us all go down to the 20 hours and we would lose out surely?

They certainly could do this and the objective may be that due to the fact you are all doing overtime due to being understaffed it adds up, whereas if you are only contracted for 20hrs they could in fact employ new people to make up a few hours at a lesser rate than paying you all overtime.

Working is so complicated today with part timers all over the place, tax issues and hours and what this means to companies finances.

How long is the current contract you are on? You may end up having no choice at all if you wish to keep your job companies can change their working hours and payments usually you just accept or leave and go somewhere else, but if it is voluntary you certainly don't have to sign.

It's a shame you can't get into the CAB straight away there is usually a waiting list, you do need someone to look into it, also does the 20hrs definitely state the wage increase, at worse you could lose out on overtime. Can you sit down as a group write down all your questions and talk to your area manager?

Hi,

The problem is that they are so slow at employing people. It took 8 months from handing in my cv to when i started.

I have been here for 16 months now and have done full time all the way through as they cant find another part timer to work in my branch. I have offered to go full time ut they just wont do it. Its not like we get overtime really anyway. We have to do over 40 hours before they consider it overtime.

My contract is part time 22 hours but permanent.

With regards to sitting down with management.... i love my job. i actually consider myself lucky i enjoy the job i do but management are just a law unto themselves. Their is no flexiility anywhere.

Blimey you must love your job to do that many hours for no extra pay

I would be very wary about signing anything before you get advise.

Do a search for solicitors specialising in employment law and get a copy of your current contract with the terms and conditions then ask for the new one and send it to them to look over and also write down your concerns.

You will normally get the first interview FOC and hopefully the right advice to decide if you are willing to sign it or you have reasonable objections to take back to them.

I would be hasty take time to consider your options but personally they are taking the pee on expecting you to work the hours you to and would not be a company I would consider working for :-)

Blimey you must love your job to do that many hours for no extra pay

I would be very wary about signing anything before you get advise.

Do a search for solicitors specialising in employment law and get a copy of your current contract with the terms and conditions then ask for the new one and send it to them to look over and also write down your concerns.

You will normally get the first interview FOC and hopefully the right advice to decide if you are willing to sign it or you have reasonable objections to take back to them.

I would be hasty take time to consider your options but personally they are taking the pee on expecting you to work the hours you to and would not be a company I would consider working for :-)

> Blimey you must love your job to do that many hours for no extra pay

We do get paid for the extra hours but at normal time up until 40 hours then its time and a half.

Its hard out there i am lucky to have a job when so many are losing theirs, and in my industry jobs dont come around too often.

> I would be hasty take time to consider your options but personally they are taking the pee on expecting you to work the hours you to and would not be a company I would consider working for

Um.......... ok let's get this straight then, so your not worried that they are doing this to employ extra part timers then, so what are we left with.

You'll be doing 20hrs for the same wage as the 22hrs you were doing...........Plus :-)
You'll be given more money if you do overtime than you are doing now............Plus :-)
You'll most probably still be doing 40hrs a week (as short staffed) but at a better rate of pay to match the same 20hrs rate............Plus :-)

Very unusual for a company to give you so many pluses and if you look at it a better rate of pay for doing the same job hours which will still be 40hrs.

Looks too good to be true, but maybe they are looking after their staff to make sure you don't leave.

I think you do need to ask why they are offering you all these great benefits what is the purpose behind it.

If it is to drop you all down to 20hrs eventually with no extra work that is a minus, but if getting in more staff is not one of your worries then it all looks good IMO.

If jobs are so hard to come by I'd hold on tight and if you do drop to only doing 20hrs you can always look around for another job to make up for the loss, hopefully not though.

Yeh i personally think they are hoping to employ more part timers and then everyone on the normal 20 hours.

However in the process of the area manager doing his rounds we had really tragic news that one of our girls aged only 42 was found dead this morning so me moaning about a contract seems really irrelevant now.

Thankyou for everyones input.

Ah ok that isn't too bad then at all if you are paid !

I would still get advice just to be sure as changing your terms could have an underlying implication.

However in the process of the area manager doing his rounds we had really tragic news that one of our girls aged only 42 was found dead this morning so me moaning about a contract seems really irrelevant now.

That is just terrible Tilly, yes that kind of thing makes you sit down and take stock doesn't it, tragic news.