Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

[thered]

Hi all

The wife has been asked to go into work on Sunday for a 1/2 an hour meeting.

Its not her work day, and she is only to be paid the 1/2 hour.

She is only contracted for 16 hours but always works more hours.

Can she be made to go?

I heard If you are called into work not on your shift there is a minimum number of hours to be paid??

Surely 1/2 hour pay is unreasonable for anyone to travel to work, it will just cover the fuel

[CleverClogs]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

Surely 1/2 hour pay is unreasonable for anyone to travel to work, it will just cover the fuel

It would be even less reasonable if the reason for the meeting was to announce that the firm has gone bust.

[teaboy2]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

She can not be forced to work more than her contracted hours or to go into work outside her scheduled working hours. She would have to be paid time and a half for the half hours as well. They have also not given enough noticed, and it is very unreasonable to ask her to go into work on her day off when it is the last weekend before xmas.

Tell the employer (in writing, and keep a copy for your own records) that she can not attend as one it is outside her contracted normal working hours, two, it is the last weekend before Christmas and she and her family had already made arrangements to visit relatives for the weekend, and three (only include this if she was asked with less than 7 days notice) not enough notice (less than 7 days) was given to her asking her to attend said meeting and therefore such request she attends the meeting is unreasonable.

[Inca]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

And whilst she fannys about finding ways NOT to attend what is a very 'quick' staff meeting which,as it's Xmas etc,might turn out to be very important (as indicated eloquently as always by Mr Clogs lol)..she may well be the 'last to know' and the last to be able to act on any information garnered at the meeting
It's a dodgy time of year for the bosses as well,,I'm sure they don't want to spend part of the sunday before Xmas at a staff meeting either.
It's a simple case of 'damned if she does go (cos she doesn't want to) or damned if she doesn't,,cos everyone else will know something she doesn't.
I know which option I'd choose.

[leclerc]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

Hi all

The wife has been asked to go into work on Sunday for a 1/2 an hour meeting.

Its not her work day, and she is only to be paid the 1/2 hour.

She is only contracted for 16 hours but always works more hours.

Can she be made to go?

I heard If you are called into work not on your shift there is a minimum number of hours to be paid??

Surely 1/2 hour pay is unreasonable for anyone to travel to work, it will just cover the fuel

Has she declined on the basis of already having a commitment(even if she hasn't since they do not have to know that)?


You are asking a hypothetical question which is rhetorical as well since the answer is: No she cannot be forced to go into work outside of her contractual hours which I assume is a salaried position since she works more hours than she is paid for rather than by the hour. I won't get into the hours or pay issue since they are completely irrelevant because, until she declines in whichever form she wishes to, there is no query to answer.

[teaboy2]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

And whilst she fannys about finding ways NOT to attend what is a very 'quick' staff meeting which,as it's Xmas etc,might turn out to be very important (as indicated eloquently as always by Mr Clogs lol)..she may well be the 'last to know' and the last to be able to act on any information garnered at the meeting
It's a dodgy time of year for the bosses as well,,I'm sure they don't want to spend part of the sunday before Xmas at a staff meeting either.
It's a simple case of 'damned if she does go (cos she doesn't want to) or damned if she doesn't,,cos everyone else will know something she doesn't.
I know which option I'd choose.

She clearly is not wanting to attend, and the OP was asking for help on how she can get out of it. We don't know who the employer is, so the subject of the meeting is pure speculation only - It may well be a major brand/company. For all we know the meeting maywell be nothing than a poorly and/or last minute arranged meeting to wish everyone a merry xmas, thank them for their hard work and share a class of champagne etc.

Also, we don't know what amount of travelling she has to do to get there and then to get back home either. So just because 30 minutes may sound like nothing to us, it doesn't mean the OP's wife is giving up just 30 minutes of her free time, she could have a 2 hour round trip to get to and from work for all we know.

I know for one thing, if i had already made prior arrangements to visit family the last weekend before xmas (though am not saying the OP and his Wife has), i'd say to hell with the meeting as they would still have to inform her if it is about redundancies anyway. and even if she were the last to know, it wouldn't change the inevitable or final outcome of the redundancies.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

I know for one thing, if i had already made prior arrangements to visit family the last weekend before xmas (though am not saying the OP and his Wife has), i'd say to hell with the meeting as they would still have to inform her if it is about redundancies anyway. and even if she were the last to know, it wouldn't change the inevitable or final outcome of the redundancies.

It might, if the names of those attending were put into a hat as a raffle or draw for the remaining jobs.

[thered]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

Sorry if its not clear from post, Its a major supermarket chain btw

She is not salaried

She is paid by the hour, i cannot see why her "talk" cannot be done after work, she is at work today

Personally i think to be called into work for 1/2 hour's pay is very unreasonable

Its 40 minutes round trip travel time, and it amounts to 30 minutes pay at about 20p over minimum wage Ł3.85ish

Personally nobody in any job i have ever worked would do this, but she has decided that she is going in anyway as she doesnt want them being "funny" with her as she says they are when people dont do what they are told.

What i am interested in is legislation as im sure there is something that says that if you are called in or sent home early ect you should receive a minimum number of hours 2/4

[gj500]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

It all depends on what is stated in her terms & conditions of employment. There may well be an entry which clearly states that you will be expected to attend meetings outside your normal working hours/ expected to do a reasonable amount of overtime at the companies discretion. Personally, I would attend, just in case it involves something important. I speak as an ASLEF union Rep.

[CleverClogs]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

It's a major supermarket chain btw

ASDA?

[thered]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

That is the one, Worst offenders and worst paid imo

Not a fan of the Supermarket, ruin a lot of lives. Open longer and later and Sundays what ever happened to double time and time and a half. Rubbish contracts that only guarantee low hours

What was wrong with the being closed on Sundays and bank holidays? Bah humbug :santa_cheesy:

It all depends on what is stated in her terms & conditions of employment. There may well be an entry which clearly states that you will be expected to attend meetings outside your normal working hours/ expected to do a reasonable amount of overtime at the companies discretion. Personally, I would attend, just in case it involves something important. I speak as an ASLEF union Rep.

Yes guarantee it will be something important, like thanks for your work and i want you at your post 10 min before shift starts for free

[wales01man]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

If its so bad there why are they still there?

[thered]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

If its so bad there why are they still there?

She likes who she works with and been their over 10 years, it was an old Netto

Thats not the issue though really is it? and not what was asked. Thanks for the input though, its very helpful

All i wanted to know if there is any legislation for being called in to work for a short time that guarantees a set amount of hours and if she has to go in, i am pretty sure i have seen some when looking about a year ago

[wales01man]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

I cannot see any problem with going if she feels so strongly about not going make an excuse trying to find some legislation that says they must pay more than half an hour seems strange to say the least there might be tea and mince pies?

[thered]

Re: Can you be made to go to a works meeting?

I cannot see any problem with going if she feels so strongly about not going make an excuse trying to find some legislation that says they must pay more than half an hour seems strange to say the least there might be tea and mince pies?

So what your saying is if there is a law saying all employees must be paid a minimum of 2 hours pay when called in you are happy to be paid 30 minutes.?

I think every employee should be paid what they are entitled too and for all time worked. Looks like our opinions are different