xmas working

[ginger1607]

My sister works for a car rental company and has just been told that she has to work christmas day. She's been with the company for 6 years and has never been asked to work christmas day before. I believe she has been threatened with the sack if she refuses. Can employers do that?

[meglet]

What does her contract say?

[SizzleSquid]

http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/bank-public-h olidays/faq/page18878.html

Please copy and paste this link into your address box. Christmas day is regarded as a bank holiday by legislation, and depending on her contract she would be able to see from this where she's positioned. She should stipulate that as a bank holiday she does have some rights that prevent her from working on that day, and there are xmas rights that protect employees. It also depends on the size of the company. As a gesture of goodwill and common sense her employer shouldn't open. I mean, who wants to rent a car on christmas day? are her empoyers mad or ust plain stupid and greedy? I can understand people may want to get around, but maybe the boss can sit on his arse in the office and deal with it-not your poor sis. She should tell em to stuff it and find somewhere else, while her boss sits on his/ her desk counting the gold coins scrooge style. Shame on the boss. Disgusting.

[ginger1607]

Thanks for you answers. I have told my sister to check her contract to see where she stands. The stupid thing is, there are no cars to hire out on xmas day - all the cars are booked out by xmas eve! Don't know what her bosses are thinking. Scrooge is not the word. Thanks again.

[benjiesmum]

It seems to have been a bit short notice to be asking her to work on Christmas Day. Surely she should have been told earlier so she could make arrangements!

[Memore]

the law has now religious discrimination so she can refuse under religious grounds go work Christmas day - also the fact that she has never done it before can be regarded as an implied term of her contract whether or not it is written