Shift work and Continenatal shifts.

[falcona6394]

I have a friend who works for a company that changes shift pattens and hours.
My friend was working on day shift all week and his employer told him he was going on to continental shifts starting on the Saturday the day after he was on day shift.
He has been on these shifts for 4 weeks and now his employer is putting him back on day shift and the oposite now has happened where he is working weekend continental shift and returns to day shift the following monday.
My question is can an employer do this without any notice period, and to me it looks like his employer does not want to pay weekend overtime rates of pay.

[Whickerman]

Of course the employer can. Especially if the employees are happy to put up with it.

Of course, if they aren't happy they should get their union involved. And if they aren't in a union, they bloody well should be. Changes to terms and conditions imposed without negotiation are deemed to be accepted unless a grievance is filed.

[falcona6394]

Thanks for the reply.
From what I know about the company they don't recognise any unions at all.
Employee's including my friend have their shifts changed many times without any notice.
How can you define their contracted hours of employment if the company changes their hours so often from week to week.
The employee's don't have a voice to accept or refuse the change in shift or hours.

[Lucy Thomas]

The employee's what?

[falcona6394]

My friend's employer changes his shift patterns on a regular basis, without any notice given.
That means my friend could be working monday to friday then told he has got to work continental 12 hour shifts at the weekend.
I suspect the employer does not want to pay overtime for the weekend.
The answer my friend would like to know is what are his rights and can he rufuse without any notice given by the employer and him getting sacked for refusing the new shifts.