Legal Paperwork - do i have to sign?

[dawson-megan]

I currently work on the shop floor in a supermarket. We have legal training for various areas in the store, one of which is checkouts. There is nothing in my contract that states that i must work on checkouts when required. My legal training paperwork for checkouts has expired and my employer is trying to force me to sign the new paperwork, saying that i have no choice. Is this right or do i have the right not to sign anything that I don't want to sign. Also, if i don't sign can they still force me to go on checkouts?

[darwinawards]

Re: Legal Paperwork - do i have to sign?

I would suggest reviewing your contract of employment again. In most, if not all, supermarket contracts there is a " you may sometimes be required to work within other areas of the store/business as deemed necessary." or words to that effect.

The fact that you have previously worked on the checkouts ( I assume this as you have completed the paperwork before), would imply that it is only recently that you have decided that you do not wish to go on a checkout. Regular actions you have completed in the past can form part of your contract, as they become a verbal agreement between yourself and the employer.

Unless you have a medical issue or disability that they are aware of, that would give you a reason not to operate a checkout, then in my opinion their request seems reasonable.

If this specific training is related to age related product sales then you should not operate a checkout without the relevant paperwork, but by refusing to sign you could be in breach of contract and this non-compliance (as it is related to the law, rather than employee contract), could also be deemed to be Gross Misconduct.

Just my opinion.. but I don't know any large supermarket where you are exempt from checkout operation.