Night shifts and stuff

[The Curn]

Is it fair for a company to expect someone to work;

Monday to Friday 6pm - 2am (nights)

Sunday 8am - 4pm (day)

Ongoing. 150 mile round trip.

The contract of employment doesn't mention nights and the person has never worked nights, just Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm?

Anyone know about this type of thing?

[10 Pence Short]

Sounds a bit unreasonable to me.

[Tycho]

6pm-2am is not true nights. That is 1/2 a night.

Does seem a little harsh though. Is that every week? Usually shift work is longer so you have more time between nights or days. 150 miles round trip is a big journey to make 6 days a week.

[randomman]

If you are contracted at a fized place of employment then they can't expect you to travel for more than an hour from the place of employment (IIRC)

150 miles in 2 hours = 75mph... so they want you to speed?

[captainzep]

Probably just skirts around the Euro working time directive rules? No expert but its where I'd look first.

[illmonkey]

randomman said:

If you are contracted at a fized place of employment then they can't expect you to travel for more than an hour from the place of employment (IIRC)

150 miles in 2 hours = 75mph... so they want you to speed?

They probably want his to stay there and not bother going home.

[randomman]

illmonkey said:

randomman said:

If you are contracted at a fized place of employment then they can't expect you to travel for more than an hour from the place of employment (IIRC)

150 miles in 2 hours = 75mph... so they want you to speed?

They probably want his to stay there and not bother going home.

Truth is that its totally down to they way the contract is written, seek advice if its getting to you. Put up with it if not.

[The Curn]

The person concerned currently has (and has always had) a Monday to Friday job with this company with a 35 mile round trip.

Redundancies have been made and the company has offered this to him until March when a new project starts to avoid making them redundant.

He is grateful for the offer and will take it, but a day shift in the middle of 10 nights seems a bit OTT?

[AndrewTait]

All depends on the time between the night shifts, and the day shifts. There has to be a minimum of 11 hours between each shift.

What shifts are worked each week, as again there is a maximum number of hours you can work on average (46 seems to ring a bell).

Also what is the 150 miles for? Is it just normal commuting, in which case, that is the employee's problem. If the employee is being asked to work at a place other than their normal place of work, and hence the 150 miles, then travel/accomodation expenses should be paid.

For an example of how screwed up shifts can be, mine are as follows, and averages out at 39.8hrs per week over a 5 week period.

Wed 06.30 - 18.30
thu 06.30 - 18.30
Fri 18.30 - 06.30
sat 18.30 - 05.00
sun 18.30 - 06.30
mon Off
Tue Off
Wed Off
Thu Off
Fri 06.30 - 18.30
Sat 06.30 - 18.30
Sun 13.00 - 18.30
Mon 18.30 - 06.30
Tue 18.30 - 06.30
Wed Off
Thu Off
Fri Off
Sat Off
Sun Off
Mon 06.30 - 18.30
Tue 06.30 - 18.30
Wed 18.30 - 06.30
Thu 18.30 - 06.30
Fri Off
Sat Off
Sun Off
Mon 08.00 - 18.00
Tue 08.00 - 18.00
Wed 08.00 - 18.00
Thu 08.00 - 18.00
Fri Off
Sat Off
Sun Off
Mon Off
Tue Off

[esselte]

The Curn said:

He is grateful for the offer and will take it, but a day shift in the middle of 10 nights seems a bit OTT?

There's 26 hours between his Sunday and Monday shifts.....

[Tycho]

Don't forget that 6pm will be right in the middle of rush hour. I do 80 mile round trip which would take 2 hours each way in rush hour but as I do 7am - 7pm or 7pm - 7am then I miss it all and it takes 45mins.

[Crusoe]

Unless you get paid for your milage and can count the travling time as work hours then it looks ok from a working time law perspective, though i'm no expert. The total hours are less than 50 a week (think the law is something like 48hrs a week max averaged over 4 months now) and you have at least 10hrs between every shift (it's either 10 or 12hr minimum gap after a 12hr shift).

[GingerWizard]

i'm on nights tonight. Try 17:30hrs-10:00 hrs with 1 hrs break (2x30min) now that is a night shift (16.5 hrs)! I think its unreasonable though fella, can't just be expected to work outside 07:00hrs-19:00hrs, its could "unsocial working" or something... depends what the OT clause in contract states.....

GingerWizard

[The Curn]

AndrewTait said:

For an example of how screwed up shifts can be, mine are as follows, and averages out at 39.8hrs per week over a 5 week period.

Sod that!

[Neil_H]

What does your contract say?

ETA: what does it say about extra hours/ busy periods?

Edited by Neil_H on Thursday 4th December 14:19

[Crusoe]

I don't book all mine so I can keep HR off my back, need to get certain things finished before the end of the year or I'll never get any peace when I'm on holiday. 60+hrs a week the last few months, sure there are plenty of others just getting the job done out there. Would suggest sticking with it for a while but looking for something closer to home at the same time. Better to be in a job at this time of year even if the shifts aren't great.

[Audimuse]

Tycho said:

6pm-2am is not true nights. That is 1/2 a night.

Does seem a little harsh though. Is that every week? Usually shift work is longer so you have more time between nights or days. 150 miles round trip is a big journey to make 6 days a week.

try 24 hour call out for most of scotland. thats fun