Advice for work and college...

[razer121]

So it's anouther one about work Let's hope this one stay's on topic guys ye?

Anyhow the good news! thanks to a certain member here, i got off my ass and finaly applied for college and great news! i got in! capentry hopfully it will get me a decent well paid job.

But now the bad part, I'm contracted to 20 hours a week, i don't work sunday as i have my kids then, college is wednesday thursday and friday, 9 till 5 wednesday and friday, and 9 till half 1 on thursday.

So currently i work monday to friday 4 hours a day.

Would i be entitled to shift my shifts to (for example) 8 hours monday and tuesday, and do the other 4 hours on saturday.

Sounds odd but im not sure what to do if work say i cant and say the only way i can do it is if i cut my hours, this is what im exspecting work to do and having two kids living with my girlfriend and also having to pay the fee for college means i wont be able to loose the hours

So i wanted to know how i stand with work refusing to work with me on this, if for instance i have and grounds to back me?

thanks guys

[santa claus]

I suspect that the lack of forthcoming advice for you is because it would seem best that you give your employer a chance to consider if what best suits you, suits their business. You may be being negative about that which you expect as their response.

However, if they stick to their guns, on the face of it they seem entitled to do that. You're contracted to 20 hours a week and this may be divided equally across 5 days for simplicity (and an employer might assume this is an arrangement that would suit a part timer) or it may be flexible. They may agree to your proposed alternative but changing the times when they need manpower may not be an option for them even if they did want to accommodate your preferences.

I think you're going to have to hope they are positive or you may need to find a job that suits your availability (or cut your hours and supplement the loss with another job).

Sorry, I know you know all this but a thread with no response just seems so rude !

[kalniel]

Would i be entitled to shift my shifts to (for example) 8 hours monday and tuesday, and do the other 4 hours on saturday.

You're a contractor, what does your contract say?

Even if there is no restriction on when your contracted hours are, it is worth trying to stay on the right side of your current employer - they may have taken you on in the expectation of a certain service (you might have verbally agreed as well, which could be binding) and if the change of hours results in a change of service that you are providing then they might not be happy about it. On the other hand they might even be supportive.

But at the end of a day you are a contractor - you have a legally binding agreement and as long as you follow that then you're fulfilling your contract and whatever else you do is by the by.

[Behemoth]

I remember when I had a 20 hour a week contract and that stated hours would be based over 5 days as 4 hour shifts, so essentially meaning that could be for 4 - 8 or 12 - 4 or whatever the boss wanted. From what I can recall my contract stated my hours had to be spread over the 5 days to maximise the selling potential to the store.

There is no harm in asking your boss and saying look, I'm doing a carpentry course and I need to fit my hours around it in this way, is that going to be a possiblity ? At the end of the day there is no harm in asking as so long as you do your 20 hours they should be cool with it.

The only thing you may have to watch is if there is something in your contract which states you may have to work overtime as and when required, while overtime is not mandatory it may look bad if you keep refusing it (or have refused it) in the past so you may want to consider this when asking the boss to change the way your shift patterns are currently.