Can you get sacked for not going in on overtime?

[LimpyLionel]

I work for a horrible company and I haven't gone in today because my girlfriend - who is due to give birth anytime now - wasn't feeling too well. So I didn't go in.

Can they sack me through this? I was on a final warning, but have only had one occasion off since March 2010??

As I said, they are horrible company to work for.

[cazzz1975]

I know a guy who was sacked for being 4 minutes late over 2 years, some companies are just awful! have you thought about looking for something else?

[LimpyLionel]

I'm going for an interview to try and learn a trade. Sick of working in dead-end jobs with silly, little people who are a cross between Spud from Trainspotting and Ian Beale. Real idiots.

But is it illegal?

[ChuckFickens]

You can't be sacked for refusing to do overtime, you can be sacked for agreeing to do overtime and then just not turning up.

[factor-fiction]

Did you let them know you were taking the day off? If not, I think dismissal is likely

[Eve]

If they are that bad then I'd get looking for something while you still have a job, especially in this job market and with a baby on the way. Ending up out of a job is not a great place to be at the moment unless you are in an industry which had been unaffected or have other backups.

What was your warning for? Did you ring in with reasonable notice and give a proper explanation? Did you agree to do overtime or were you required to and will it have caused a problem them being a staff member down?

[Graham-W]

On my contract of employment it says, "Must be willing to work a reasonable amount of overtime."
No-one has ever said what "reasonable" is but I guess if I turned down all overtime I could be sacked.
Does it say anything like that in your contract of employment?

[paddywak]

Most contracts have the reasonable amount clause but nobody I know has ever been able to define reasonable amount. When I worked in the food industry it was actually in your contract that you would work overtime IF REQUIRED during the ten weeks before Christmas which was our busy time. Otherwise what chuck says is almost spot on

[JonnyBoy12]

I would not advice working for horrible companies; I would only suggest working for nice ones! Yes, they can sack you if you said you were coming in, and then did not.

I too wish I had a job to go to!

[dotty.]

A final warning will carry a time scale, was the final warning issued in march 2010 and if so was it for 12 months ? You will certainly have given your employer ample oppirtunity now to proceed to a dismissal after the final warning or if that previous warning was up then they can issue further disciplinary action, but if you did follow company policy on reporting absence then they would be more cautious about taking action.

[stokemaveric]

really,there are laws and regulations as to how you can sack a person and yes you can be sacked as has been stated...however it depends on the company and its policies...