Complaining about no Contract

[cricket24]

My younger son works for a well known Pizza Chain he is 18 and has worked for them including training since June last year. When the new store opened officially all staff were asked to sign a contract. Which he did and agreed to work full-time, to begin with he was given full hours, due to lack of custom all hours were cut, they also changed managers and despite my sons constant request for a copy of his contract they denied they have a copy. They are apparently supposed to have 3 including one at HO and store and one for staff which he has never had. He has taken a constant reduction in hours and in the past month has only had between 4 and 9 hours a week because they reckon he is part-time. We do not seem to be able to get a copy of his contract. What do we do, he has had to resort in signing for benefit for working under 16 hours he should not have to do this. Can anyone advise me??

[Gandy]

The fact that you son has "never seen" this contract he has signed might cause problems. Why hasn't he got a copy of it?

Despite all this, do you not think that it's time to cut your losses? Why would you want to continue to work for a failing business that is unable to provide the level of income. I take it that the job is effectively unskilled labour and that your son would easily be able to find a similar job through an agency.

[dot.hawkes]

A claus in any retail contract will include a section on the possibility of hours being reduced for the good of the business, which is contrasted by a similar claus stating that staff would need to be flexible and willing to work extra hours for the good of the business, but every time a staff member's hours are permanently reduced, a new contract should be issued to replace the earlier one. Holiday entitlement is also based on contrcate dhours and this has to be set out in a contrcat, he should ask what holiday entitlement he is owed before the end of March early April, as he may be owed this as well.

[Lindylou]

Your son obviously doesn't belong to a Union. He should speak to the CAB or a solicitor that specialises in employment law. He could always threaten an Industrial Tribunal! Are other employees being treated the same way? If so, maybe they could 'get together' and draft a letter to the Managing Director of the company. Did the change in managers mean that the original manager left the company? Because rats leaving sinking ships comes to mind. Good Luck to him and reassure him that there are plenty of jobs out there for hard-working, conscientious people. Has he thought of a college course / training for something that he would like to do?

[gammaray]

Your son may work for a well known chain but the shop itself may have a franchise with the pizza company (50% of Burger King restaurants are privately run franchises) . That said the parent company will not be responsible for contracts, wages or anything else. Somewhare in the shop it will say (probably on a plaque or similar) who the owners and operators of the business actually are. The law still applies though and the operator still has a duty to provide employees with contracts.