Can your employment contracted hours be changed and given to someone else?

[swilli]

Hope someone can help me, i work in retail and my colleague has been off on maternity shes due back shortly however she wants her contracted days/hours changed and one of the days she has requested is my contracted day and hours (saturday), she has come in for a meeting and has been given the hours she wanted and my manager has not spoken to me about it yet, but i know she is going to say i have to do her Sunday which she was contracted to, is there anyway i can not agree to the changes.


Any help or advice much appreciated

[strangewayofsavin]

Re: Can your employment contracted hours be changed and given to someone else?

Any change to an employment agreement has to be given 1 months written notice, any change to your contract should be open to negotiation, you can refuse but be careful, and read your original contract as there may be clauses which enable them to make certain changes with notice, if the changes effect you to a certain degree, for example, you are not originally required to weekends, and this change to work weekends would effect a second job, or stop you looking after children or a sick relative, then you are well within your rights to refuse the changes, or negotiate the changes.

[bluebottle]

Re: Can your employment contracted hours be changed and given to someone else?

As stated by Strangewayofsavin, an employer cannot change your contract of employment unilaterally without your agreement. Also, employers have to be careful when instigating any significant changes to an employee's contract as should the employee refuse to accept any change, which they can within reason and the employer dismisses them, the employer then runs the risk of a claim for Wrongful Dismissal.

You would do well to contact ACAS who provide free advice on employment matters.