Work Contract v Actual Hours Worked

[BigBlueConk]

So as some of you know I had to leave the Asda last summer after surviving two consulations in recent years that left me struggling on minimum wage.
I started working as a night manager in Morrisons at the end of August.
I had heard some grim stories about working for them, but the same could be said for anywhere. It is the vocal minority that gets heard.

The contract is for 43 hours per week, with an 'expectation' that you will work 48 hours per week. (The average for a manager within the business).
I was ok with that. The pay is way above what Asda were paying.

The reality is that my average working week is 60+ hours. I go in at 8pm to start dragging stocking out and damned lucky if I get away before 8am. From 7am, the store manager walks in and gives you a jobs list and walks the shop, which can take 45 mins on its own.

There are 3 night managers doing these hours and we have tackled the store manager on the issue this weekend gone. We work too many hours. We are burned out. We have no work/life balance.
We seldom get any weekend days off. We asked for some help in reducing the hours we work.

The attitude is that if you don't want the job then leave. So you can earn a decent salary, but never live or be awake long enough to enjoy it!

The job is both impossible and impratical to do in 43 hours, or even 48 hours.
I should add that over my time, 3 people have left and not been replaced.
Nor any sign of them being replaced. The pressure and workload is simply laid down at our feet and we get a rollicking if we havent got round everything in 12 hours and a comment along the lines of you need to finish it before you go. Some shifts end up being 14 hours and you are back in work later that day.

What would you lot do? Quit? Try for constructive dismissal? Get on with it? ACAS?

 

[GrumpyBlue]

 

[Bungle]

I can't see that you're left with any other option than to beat the store manager to death with a stale baguette at this point.

It's what @Whistlin' Dixie would have wanted.

 

[kev]

So as some of you know I had to leave the Asda last summer after surviving two consulations in recent years that left me struggling on minimum wage.
I started working as a night manager in Morrisons at the end of August.
I had heard some grim stories about working for them, but the same could be said for anywhere. It is the vocal minority that gets heard.

The contract is for 43 hours per week, with an 'expectation' that you will work 48 hours per week. (The average for a manager within the business).
I was ok with that. The pay is way above what Asda were paying.

The reality is that my average working week is 60+ hours. I go in at 8pm to start dragging stocking out and damned lucky if I get away before 8am. From 7am, the store manager walks in and gives you a jobs list and walks the shop, which can take 45 mins on its own.

There are 3 night managers doing these hours and we have tackled the store manager on the issue this weekend gone. We work too many hours. We are burned out. We have no work/life balance.
We seldom get any weekend days off. We asked for some help in reducing the hours we work.

The attitude is that if you don't want the job then leave. So you can earn a decent salary, but never live or be awake long enough to enjoy it!

The job is both impossible and impratical to do in 43 hours, or even 48 hours.
I should add that over my time, 3 people have left and not been replaced.
Nor any sign of them being replaced. The pressure and workload is simply laid down at our feet and we get a rollicking if we havent got round everything in 12 hours and a comment along the lines of you need to finish it before you go. Some shifts end up being 14 hours and you are back in work later that day.

What would you lot do? Quit? Try for constructive dismissal? Get on with it? ACAS?

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

So as some of you know I had to leave the Asda last summer after surviving two consulations in recent years that left me struggling on minimum wage.
I started working as a night manager in Morrisons at the end of August.
I had heard some grim stories about working for them, but the same could be said for anywhere. It is the vocal minority that gets heard.

The contract is for 43 hours per week, with an 'expectation' that you will work 48 hours per week. (The average for a manager within the business).
I was ok with that. The pay is way above what Asda were paying.

The reality is that my average working week is 60+ hours. I go in at 8pm to start dragging stocking out and damned lucky if I get away before 8am. From 7am, the store manager walks in and gives you a jobs list and walks the shop, which can take 45 mins on its own.

There are 3 night managers doing these hours and we have tackled the store manager on the issue this weekend gone. We work too many hours. We are burned out. We have no work/life balance.
We seldom get any weekend days off. We asked for some help in reducing the hours we work.

The attitude is that if you don't want the job then leave. So you can earn a decent salary, but never live or be awake long enough to enjoy it!

The job is both impossible and impratical to do in 43 hours, or even 48 hours.
I should add that over my time, 3 people have left and not been replaced.
Nor any sign of them being replaced. The pressure and workload is simply laid down at our feet and we get a rollicking if we havent got round everything in 12 hours and a comment along the lines of you need to finish it before you go. Some shifts end up being 14 hours and you are back in work later that day.

What would you lot do? Quit? Try for constructive dismissal? Get on with it? ACAS?

Of course bosses will push and push .
And if you manage it once they expect it all the time regardless.
No doubt your immediate boss is an asshole and under pressure.
Some people thrive on pressure.
You no doubt know this and it's no help.
Me
I'd change career.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

So as some of you know I had to leave the Asda last summer after surviving two consulations in recent years that left me struggling on minimum wage.
I started working as a night manager in Morrisons at the end of August.
I had heard some grim stories about working for them, but the same could be said for anywhere. It is the vocal minority that gets heard.

The contract is for 43 hours per week, with an 'expectation' that you will work 48 hours per week. (The average for a manager within the business).
I was ok with that. The pay is way above what Asda were paying.

The reality is that my average working week is 60+ hours. I go in at 8pm to start dragging stocking out and damned lucky if I get away before 8am. From 7am, the store manager walks in and gives you a jobs list and walks the shop, which can take 45 mins on its own.

There are 3 night managers doing these hours and we have tackled the store manager on the issue this weekend gone. We work too many hours. We are burned out. We have no work/life balance.
We seldom get any weekend days off. We asked for some help in reducing the hours we work.

The attitude is that if you don't want the job then leave. So you can earn a decent salary, but never live or be awake long enough to enjoy it!

The job is both impossible and impratical to do in 43 hours, or even 48 hours.
I should add that over my time, 3 people have left and not been replaced.
Nor any sign of them being replaced. The pressure and workload is simply laid down at our feet and we get a rollicking if we havent got round everything in 12 hours and a comment along the lines of you need to finish it before you go. Some shifts end up being 14 hours and you are back in work later that day.

What would you lot do? Quit? Try for constructive dismissal? Get on with it? ACAS?

You getting paid for the overtime?
Have you written a formal letter detailing your grievances

 

[BigBlueConk]

You getting paid for the overtime?

No. It is expected you work as many hours as it takes.
I worked 10 hours on Christmas day to tidy up for Boxing day opening.
I didnt get anything for that either.

 

[dublinbluenose]

It's not worth the money if all you're doing is living to go to work. Life is too short.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

No. It is expected you work as many hours as it takes.
I worked 10 hours on Christmas day to tidy up for Boxing day opening.
I didnt get anything for that either.

You in a probationary period?

 

[Toast]

No. It is expected you work as many hours as it takes.
I worked 10 hours on Christmas day to tidy up for Boxing day opening.
I didnt get anything for that either.

The pressure on the night teams to deliver the shop for the morning is across the board for whatever store you work for.
You are getting mugged right off in this case however.

 

[chrismpw]

So as some of you know I had to leave the Asda last summer after surviving two consulations in recent years that left me struggling on minimum wage.
I started working as a night manager in Morrisons at the end of August.
I had heard some grim stories about working for them, but the same could be said for anywhere. It is the vocal minority that gets heard.

The contract is for 43 hours per week, with an 'expectation' that you will work 48 hours per week. (The average for a manager within the business).
I was ok with that. The pay is way above what Asda were paying.

The reality is that my average working week is 60+ hours. I go in at 8pm to start dragging stocking out and damned lucky if I get away before 8am. From 7am, the store manager walks in and gives you a jobs list and walks the shop, which can take 45 mins on its own.

There are 3 night managers doing these hours and we have tackled the store manager on the issue this weekend gone. We work too many hours. We are burned out. We have no work/life balance.
We seldom get any weekend days off. We asked for some help in reducing the hours we work.

The attitude is that if you don't want the job then leave. So you can earn a decent salary, but never live or be awake long enough to enjoy it!

The job is both impossible and impratical to do in 43 hours, or even 48 hours.
I should add that over my time, 3 people have left and not been replaced.
Nor any sign of them being replaced. The pressure and workload is simply laid down at our feet and we get a rollicking if we havent got round everything in 12 hours and a comment along the lines of you need to finish it before you go. Some shifts end up being 14 hours and you are back in work later that day.

What would you lot do? Quit? Try for constructive dismissal? Get on with it? ACAS?

Whaaaaa?

How do they get away with that? That's part slave labour.

Oh right, Maggie and the unions. Then the right wing media working on social expectations.

 

[JimmyJeffers]

Of course bosses will push and push .
And if you manage it once they expect it all the time regardless.
No doubt your immediate boss is an asshole and under pressure.
Some people thrive on pressure.
You no doubt know this and it's no help.
Me
I'd change career.

His boss will be milking praise from upper echelons for cutting staff costs whilst maintaining standards I imagine. Personally I’d like to let the tyres on his Audi down and allow my dog to defecate all over his lawn. Can’t abide arsehole jobsworth managers. Boot him up the arse

 

[Penno]

Write a dead long letter to Esther Rantzen enclosing a clip of a dog that says "Sausages"

 

[BigBlueConk]

The pressure on the night teams to deliver the shop for the morning is across the board for whatever store you work for.
You are getting mugged right off in this case however.

I don't disagree. The three of us approached the store manager asking for help as we are being driven to early graves.
We initially asked if we could reduce by an hour a day, do an earlier handover.
He said there isn't any help.

We also know that if we stuck to our contracts he would find a reason to sack us within weeks. It will all end up at tribunual of course.
But this is not how it should be.

 

[Eggs]

....you spend a lot of your life in work, you at least need to ensure you are relatively content with what you do. I wouldn’t recommend leaving your current job but I would consider doing whatever you need to open up other areas of employment.