As an employee, am I entitled legally to re-bargain my contracted hours having been in an oraganisation for more than 6 months?(reducing my hours)

[rd191285]

I have been working within my company for 10 months now. I have to cut my hours because I am a student at university and its all becoming a bit too much. i work 20 hours a week. Due to me undertaking a voluntary placement, it made me go under my hours by cutting 6 hours out of one of my shifts. I therefore decided to make up 4 of those hours on another day. I do 2hrs in the morning, go to uni, come back and do 2 hours in the evening. Now its just getting too hectic and is affecting my studies and my time and attendance at work. Bearing in mind that friday was already covered as it was not in the agreed days for me to work on my return to uni, only mon,wed and thursday were. My employer has now said that they cannot cut my hours because it is not in the companies contract. I haven't seen this in black and white and i was not told this either at the start of my employment. Is it not a legal requirement that an employee can re-bargain their hours, if being in the company long enough, wheter it be to increase or decrease them? could someone let me know before wednesday 23rd november 2006. Thank you

[bednobs]

sorry i cant give you the legal position, but from common sense i would say you have a right to ask, but there is no obligation on their part to agree. After all you are there to suit them, not the other way round

[rd191285]

I have asked and they are being difficult so I am now after researching the legalities

[cascarelli]

Without going away to check, I believe that you can ask to go part time or to reduce your hours. This is usually a full time person going part time etc, maybe after being on maternity. Your employer can say no to your request if they have a valid reason. If theyre a large company they'll have less reason to say no as there will be more cover for you. In a smaller company it can affect the company more so theyre more entitled to refuse.

As I said, thats my understanding without looking it up

[antiguru]

You have no entitlement here at all, regardless of the length of your service. The right to ask to work PT or to negotiate hours stems from legislation covering parents or adopters/carers of children.

�My employer has now said that they cannot cut my hours because it is not in the companies contract� doesn�t make sense to me. I suspect what you mean is they�ve said you�re contracted to 20 hours, so that�s what they would like you to do.

Your studies are the most important thing here. Redoing part or all of them is tedious and costly, so that has to be your priority.

Explain to them that you�d like to stay with them, but if they can�t be flexible you�ll have to find work elsewhere. If they value you they�ll bend. If they don�t, they won�t.

People leave jobs because they don�t suit each other all the time. Start looking for something else that allows you to get your degree.

Good luck.