Salary pay and extra hours what is the law

[cris r]

Hi anyone here who can shed some light on employees rights. My husband is a project manager working on a very difficult site. It is a prestigious developement. He is payed a salary but because the project is behind the completion date they are now putting pressure on my husband to spend more time on site. he works from seven in the morning untill seven at night. He sometimes has paper work to finish when he gets home I have known him to work untill half ten at night. They have now informed him that he has to work Sat and Sun ( alternatley ) and to put the tin hat on it they are asking telling him they will expect him to work up till Christmas, Christmas day and Boxing day. His contract says that he has 22 days holiday a year and that he has to take 8 of those at Christmas. He gets no extra pay as he is on a salary and if he dares to complain they say he is lucky to have a job in these hard times I am so cross that they treat him like this. he has worked for the company for five years and done a brilliant job on other projects. It is starting to stess him out he has already had a visit to his doctor. Im wondering if he has any rights or an they make him work all these hours Many thanks for any advice Christine xx

[tonywiltshire]

You will have looked at the Working Hours Directive?
The problem with all employment law is that in the real world your husband will want to keep his job and please his employer by doing as he is asked.
If, however, the hours and pressure are causing his health, and probably his work, to suffer he should explain this to his employers, who should want to do something about the situation if they value his contribution.
It would be a good idea for your husband to have positive suggestions to take to his employers on ways to alleviate the position.

[cris r]

Thank you for the reply I know what you are saying and he does try to accomadate his employers but Im sure his boss will not be working
Christmas day Thanks again.

[tonywiltshire]

If his employers do not try to help him I would be surprised, it is in their interest, they must be reasonable people or he would not have been there five years.
He is probably outside the Working Hours directive and to quote this may not be helpful for your husband but gives him a good starting point for discussion.
I would want people to come to me and outline the problem and then give me ways to overcome it.

[EvianBaby]

My company is in the construction industry and these sort of hours are very much the norm, although we do try to ensure our employees are paid a decent wage for all the extra hours but what sort of site is he working on that's even going to be open on Christmas day?