Working Hours

[Markthepast]

Initially when I first started at my work I was on an office contract of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and 1 hr unpaid lunch break.
The company was bought out and I was presented with the 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and 1 hr unpaid lunch break contract with no pay increase for extra hours to be worked.
I did not sign this contract at first.
I had a meeting with the then Managing Director, where I was told that the contract was just a standard contract and nothing to worry about and that I could still work my normal hours.
As a show of good will I said that I would work an extra ½ hour and come in at 8:30 am and the contract was signed.
From that time for 10 plus years, I was working 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and 1 hr unpaid lunch break.
When the company moved office 5 years ago it was agreed with my then immediate manager that my hours would change to 8:15 am to 4:45 pm and 1 hr unpaid lunch break to avoid travel problems(nothing in writing)
These are the hours I have worked ever since
The new Managing Director now wants me to work 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Where do i stand?
If i am forced to work these hours i will have to give up my job as it takes me 1hr to travel to work and 1 to travel back again.

[ULA]

There are two things here:

1. it would appear that all arrangements after you signed the contract detailing a 8am-6pm work day have not been put in writing as an agreed variation to your contract. So effectively that is contractually what you have signed up to work and the new MD is basically just trying to enforce the terms of that contract.

2. You could try to argue that despite what was detailed in the contract you came to an agreement to vary this which has become custom and practice over a period of 5 years at least for the current timings.

The broader disucssion may have to be around the travel problems in regard to the hours of 8-6pm and facilitating a way to work around this.

[Markthepast]

It looks like i will have to dig out my CV then.

I just talked to a colleague who has been with company for a year and a half. He brought up the working hours at his interview and was told that "the contact was just a standard contract for the company and not to worry about it, and his working hours would be 8:30am to 5:00pm"
He too has been told to work 8:00am to 6pm, he told me that if he knew that he would be forced to work these hours he would have never taken the job.


I feel like the company is using the contract to force out, as they see it 'the less committed' of the work force..

[ULA]

Unfortunately that re-enforces the need to get agreed changes "from the standard contract" confirmed in writing.