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I work in a shop / Petrol Station in Northern Ireland.
I work shifts with the rota changing every two weeks.
The problem I have is that I'm regularly, sometimes twice a week, asked to work from 2.45pm - 11pm (Most nights I don't get out until 11.15pm) and then start the next morning at 5.45am.
As you can imagine, by the time I get home, showered, make my lunch etc it's close to 1-2am before I get to bed, maybe another 30 minutes before I get to sleep, then up again at 5.00am for the next shift.
I'm aware that 11 hours break between shifts is the norm and when I pointed this out to the shop's manager he contacted HR and they came back that it doesn't apply to me because of the 'needs of the business'.
I asked what the needs of the business are and was simply quoted the opening hours, 6am - 11pm.
There's easily 20 staff, some part-time, some full-time working in this place, they should have no problems creating a rota where this doesn't happen.
The manager works one late shift a week, and big surprise he's off the following day.
I asked him how he would feel if it was him and was told I couldn't use him as an example.
Now when I first brought this to my manager's attention he was clearly unsure, and contacted HR... It turns out they too were unsure and apparently got legal advice this week saying I was an exception because of the 'needs of the business'.
He also changed the start of a shift I'm doing tomorrow from 5.45 - 10am (I'm working until 11pm tonight) but when he heard from HR that I wasn't entitled to 11 hours rest, today he changed the start time back to 5.45am.
He'd obviously been able to make other arrangements, seems a bit odd to change them back.
Can someone please give me some advice on this as these people are really starting to annoy me.
I know there are exceptions to the rules, Army etc but there cannot be any reason for this working in a shop.
Also, what do I do tomorrow, do I take my 3 hours sleep and be in work for 5.45am?
I appreciate all replies, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
I work shifts with the rota changing every two weeks.
The problem I have is that I'm regularly, sometimes twice a week, asked to work from 2.45pm - 11pm (Most nights I don't get out until 11.15pm) and then start the next morning at 5.45am.
As you can imagine, by the time I get home, showered, make my lunch etc it's close to 1-2am before I get to bed, maybe another 30 minutes before I get to sleep, then up again at 5.00am for the next shift.
I'm aware that 11 hours break between shifts is the norm and when I pointed this out to the shop's manager he contacted HR and they came back that it doesn't apply to me because of the 'needs of the business'.
I asked what the needs of the business are and was simply quoted the opening hours, 6am - 11pm.
There's easily 20 staff, some part-time, some full-time working in this place, they should have no problems creating a rota where this doesn't happen.
The manager works one late shift a week, and big surprise he's off the following day.
I asked him how he would feel if it was him and was told I couldn't use him as an example.
Now when I first brought this to my manager's attention he was clearly unsure, and contacted HR... It turns out they too were unsure and apparently got legal advice this week saying I was an exception because of the 'needs of the business'.
He also changed the start of a shift I'm doing tomorrow from 5.45 - 10am (I'm working until 11pm tonight) but when he heard from HR that I wasn't entitled to 11 hours rest, today he changed the start time back to 5.45am.
He'd obviously been able to make other arrangements, seems a bit odd to change them back.
Can someone please give me some advice on this as these people are really starting to annoy me.
I know there are exceptions to the rules, Army etc but there cannot be any reason for this working in a shop.
Also, what do I do tomorrow, do I take my 3 hours sleep and be in work for 5.45am?
I appreciate all replies, thank you very much for taking the time to read this.
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