Hi all

After advice please. I have started working at a place that is shift work 24/7. Upon starting we were told that we’d get our shifts at least two weeks in advance, but more than likely just two weeks in advance.

I do feel that this two weeks in advance is not enough, but, beggars can’t be choosers.

Anyway, we have all just come out of training and this week is our first week on shift, we were told of our hours on Thursday last week! We only know what we are working this week and have no idea what we are doing next week nor the week after!

Needless to say I’m pee’d off. I shall be speaking to the main regional manager about this today when I go in. I’d like some evidence of any rules/regs about shift notification…. Are there any? What’s the minimum time you need to be given your shifts in advance?

Many thanks

It should be in the contract, or if not & u are unionised, the TU should have an agreement. Otherwise I suspect you are stuffed.

I’m still under contract with an agency and not under direct contract yet. However it’s the same for permanent staff too

I believe it’s ten days well it is where i work!

Even ten days would be an improvement. It’s a joke, how can you plan your personal lives?!

you are a machine , this is the year 2013, sounds like hell !

It was always 2 weeks notice of change when i was on shiftwork .

We had a set shift pattern, The employer could ask you to work another pattern but they had to give 2 weeks notice .
Dunno about these days though, seems employers can make the rules up as suits their needs – most folk are grateful for the work …

There is no set pattern for me.

if you had prior arrangements/ appointments then the company would have to allow for them if they hadn’t given you enough notice of the change in shift, according to what was set out in your contract of employment.

How can anyone actually plan a shift rosta and not have it a few weeks in advance. Are they short staffed?

Just spoke to ACAS. There is no legal minimum amount of time that you have to be given! Ridiculous

This is why you need unions

TJ was right 😯

your also working for an agency not the ’employer’ so your issue is with the agency not the employer.. but either way.. do you want the work or not.
if yes.. jumping straight in talking to a director isnt gonig to make life better.. work with the people that are making these decsions let them see your keen and want to plan your work going forward..

imnotverygood – Member

This is why you need unions

No it isn’t.
If the OP wants to plan out his life weeks in advance, he should get a 9-5 job and not go in for shift work.

imnotverygood – Member
This is why you need unions

No it isn’t.
If the OP wants to plan out his life weeks in advance, he should get a 9-5 job and not go in for shift work.

Neither you need somebody competent enough to organise a shift rota rather than just winging it. It’s called management.

If the OP wants to plan out his life weeks in advance, he should get a 9-5 job and not go in for shift work.

Maybe the OP didn’t have the luxury of choosing his job.

Maybe the company, due to the nature of the business, cannot produce the rota with greater notice?
Sounds like the OP doesn’t want the job anyway, so I’m sure it won’t be a problem for long.

sbob – Member

imnotverygood – Member

This is why you need unions

No it isn’t.
If the OP wants to plan out his life weeks in advance, he should get a 9-5 job and not go in for shift work.
Harsh and totally unreasonable statment to make, is the OP not entitled to a life outside of work?
If he wants to take time off, presumably he is required to submit them in a pre-determined time frame to allow the company time to make alternative arrangements. The reverse should also apply.

totalshell – Member
your also working for an agency not the ’employer’ so your issue is with the agency not the employer.. but either way.. do you want the work or not.
if yes.. jumping straight in talking to a director isnt gonig to make life better.. work with the people that are making these decsions let them see your keen and want to plan your work going forward..

Accurate, pertinent and straight to the point – this place HAS gone to the dogs 😆

*toodles off to ArbTalk

bigyinn – Member

Harsh and totally unreasonable statment to make, is the OP not entitled to a life outside of work?

Yes, it is a little harsh, and yes the OP is entitled to a life outside work.
Which he’ll have. He’s doing shiftwork not being forced down t’pit for 26hrs a day.

In an idea world managers would want employees who are interested and alert, and not feeling put-upon, undervalued and sleep-deprived. And who might be tempted to pull a sickie for some event that’s important to them.

It’s not as if the job’s safety related, or is it, H?

Other people’s lives are at risk. Literally

Its 2013, I Am Robot

Given that you are agency, you have virtually no rights, and worse than that, most traditional trade unions have absolutely no set up to deal with you or your problems (this is a failing of them, not you.)

In terms of who to turn to, the IWW, Solidarity Federation and other similar organisations tend to be the organisations of last resort when trying to change the minds of managements which will not succumb to the normal ways of ensuring workers get a fair deal in the workplace.

Up until fairly recently, my wife was working in a system whereby she might not have her shifts until 7-10 days beforehand. The one advantage this had was that her manager could accommodate most requests for specific shifts.

If I had just started in a new job – after being out of work for a while and been fairly low about not getting a job – I’d not be rushing in and complaining to anyone. Work for a while, find out how the system works and take it from there.

Ambulance service? When i was a trainee it was”ring up at 7am and see what you’re rotad for..

I work a fixed pattern (2 days 2 nights 5 days off) so I know what I’m working next year and the year after, but I think it’s written into the agreement that they can change the pattern with 96 hours notice and mutual agreement.

Incompetent and/or lazy management. And getting worse.

We do 12hr 2 days 2 nights 4 days off and can also preplan infinitely, we have a ten week rotation with wks 9 & 10 being flexible (7 12hr shifts of the 14, whatever is required). Being Civil Service there is extensive regulation, some of it is still open to interpretation though! Perhaps some of our people should see what you have to put up with Houns? As some of them seem to think they are hard done by if they’re required to change on flexi (24hrs notice) even though they are paid an extra 4% for being flexible!