Working hours and pay

[Windowfitter1987]

Hello

New to here and after a bit of experienced advice

 

I have worked as a window fitter for almost 3 years now for a small local company and gone from being a 'fitters boy' learning the ropes to now leading a team and running my own jobs. I've learnt on the job from colleagues and completed NVQs along the way

 

I started on a low wage with a view that as I learned and could do more my salary would increase, this didn't really happen and I only saw a small increase after a years learning. As it was a job with a friends family i stuck it out and cutting a long story short after being given my first job to run and then subsequent ones I had a review meeting with my line manager and the MD (she runs all HR, payroll, accounts etc as we're a small company) and it was agreed I would go from £17k to £24 which I was over the moon about and felt like I'd finally go somewhere.

At the end of the meeting she said she'll need to write a letter to add a change to my contract and summarise what we said in the review meeting (plans for further training, planning for future etc)

4 weeks on after I had an accident which left me with a broken toe and received a parking ticket (which I offered to pay as it was completely my fault) I have been told I won't be getting my increase this month.

Initially the MD wanted to hold it back for 3 months but my line manager fought my corner and so far has made it only a month. My main question is can she do this? After all we agreed a new salary as my responsibilities and role had got bigger and now I'm expected to work on my old salary and do more

 

My second issue is with our working hours. The company hours are 0800-1700 (1 hour for lunch) and there is a clause that says from time to time it may be necessary to work earlier or later to meet the needs of a particular job and also that an extra hours worked outside these times would be collected as lieu time and can be taken back as time off or in exceptional cases paid as over time with our salary

All of the above I'm fine with but a few weeks back our MD has emailed everyone saying that any time worked between 0700-0800 and 1700-1800 cannot be claimed as lieu time anymore and her justification is that if you work a bit earlier or later it shows you're going the extra mile will be taken into account when it comes to bonuses etc (which are discretionary) so potentially she could have 2 hours a day free work from us

Is this change allowed without any kind of consultation?

 

Sorry for the long post and I hope someone can help and perhaps I could one day share any knowledge I've got.

[obiter dictum]

Seems to me a grievance is needed immediately

 

If you do not it will be seen that you have accepted the contractual change

 

On both counts was anything given to you in writing with the contractual changes

[Windowfitter1987]

Nothing was given in writing about my pay rise as she said she will be doing the letter later and let me have it soon once she's finished drafting it.

All employees were emailed about the hours issue but in her email it was only half an hour either side of the regular hours but since then it has been changed again!

 

I've got a copy of our grievance procedure and considering it now.

Just wanted to check where I stood with the laws

[ericsbrother]

This is an example where collectivism works. Every member of staff affected should send the same grievance letter about this attempt to change the employment contract and you will find that the problem will suddenly disappear. The trouble is there will always be someone who will either bury their head in the sand or be obstructive to the common aim for selfish reasons and it wont happen. So you have to be practical about this. Window fitting companies are not thin on the ground and demand for skilled employees is still pretty strong so you can submit your grievance knowing that it wont be the end of the world if the matter is treated improperly.

I dont buy the bonus bit

[Windowfitter1987]

I'm far from the only person who is unhappy with the new hours issues so I'll have a chat and see if others will do the same

 

On both issues what is deemed a reasonable time for accepting the changes?

[obiter dictum]

You need to be doing it as soon as you became aware of any proposed changes

 

You mention a few weeks back

 

I would be doing the Grievance like now, in the first month of notifications of that contractual change

 

Try and get your colleagues to sign it as a mass grievance

 

That will make them sit up and take notice

 

At the top of the letter insert this term

 

"Working under protest" and Grievance

 

That gives you protection then if they impose this contractual term while in a grievance procedure by executive action

[Windowfitter1987]

Hello and happy almost Easter to all

 

I've got a question about a frustrating issue to do with pay days

 

Little background, I work for a small window fitting company, family run with 4 fitters, 7 office staff and a part time delivery driver. Pay day in my contract is down as the last day of the month. Generally for the last 3 years is been taken as the last Friday of the month but, in the words of the MD (who does payroll, accounts etc) because it's such a large amount of money going out of the bank she spreads the transfers out over the week. So a couple of people get paid a day.

 

This week with the last Friday being tomorrow, I would have assumed I'd be paid by today as does my loan payment which were expecting the money today!!

 

Now I'm sitting with -30p in my bank, not been paid. Company is closed tomorrow and it's a 4 day weekend.

 

Is there anything I can do to ensure I'm paid on a regular day and by a regular method? It's so frustrating and now I'm gonna faces charges from my bank for the bounced direct debit and face a weekend with no money

[BazzaS]

Hello and happy almost Easter to all

 

I've got a question about a frustrating issue to do with pay days

 

Little background, I work for a small window fitting company, family run with 4 fitters, 7 office staff and a part time delivery driver. Pay day in my contract is down as the last day of the month. Generally for the last 3 years is been taken as the last Friday of the month but, in the words of the MD (who does payroll, accounts etc) because it's such a large amount of money going out of the bank she spreads the transfers out over the week. So a couple of people get paid a day.

 

This week with the last Friday being tomorrow, I would have assumed I'd be paid by today as does my loan payment which were expecting the money today!!

 

Now I'm sitting with -30p in my bank, not been paid. Company is closed tomorrow and it's a 4 day weekend.

 

Is there anything I can do to ensure I'm paid on a regular day and by a regular method? It's so frustrating and now I'm gonna faces charges from my bank for the bounced direct debit and face a weekend with no money

 

"Is there anything I can do to ensure I'm paid on a regular day and by a regular method? It's so frustrating and now I'm gonna faces charges from my bank for the bounced direct debit and face a weekend with no money" : there absolutely is!

You can assume you get paid on the last day of the month, and make sure the DD's get changed to come out e.g on the 3rd to account for weekends too.

 

That way if you get paid earlier you are fine, but if you get paid as per your contract : sorted!!

You can't make them pay you earlier than the end of the month if the pay day hasn't consistently been the last Friday and your contract says "last day of month"

 

Would you want to ask them to fix your payday as the last day of the month if the changing day is causing you problems in budgeting?

[Windowfitter1987]

Luckily most of my payments go out into the next month but my loan was set up as last Friday as that was when I'd been getting paid for the last however many years

 

On a previous occasion I was told by the MD that "we are under no obligation to pay you on any specific day or method" this was when we all expected payday and were given cheque, adding a week on to payday.

 

I guess it's one of those frustrating things I've sort of caused myself by setting it then. I'm heading back to the office now and gonna have a chat about it but just posted after a frustrating day waiting and asking for some opinions

[Windowfitter1987]

So I was paid around 5.30pm, the md said she had a busy say and hadn't had time to do the transfers!

 

Got an appointment to have a chat about a fixed day later next week

[Windowfitter1987]

Hello

 

I've previously mentioned this in another post but want to ask again as a new thread

 

We have old style paper time sheets at work, fill them in daily and hand in at the end of the month

 

I've attached the section I want to ask about, our standard day is 0800-1700 with an hour off for lunch. Then it has time before 0700 or after 1800 will be considered as lieu or over time

 

Is this allowed? I take it as basically my company expect us to work that time (potentially an hour extra each side of the day) for nothing. This has been in place now for a while but recently a time sheet was bounced back to me saying I can't claim for overtime as not within the time brackets, basically my job needs me to do earlier or later starts than 0800-1700 some days but they don't want to pay us for it!

 

[AndyOrch]

Three threads merged..please keep to one thread per issue.

 

Regards

 

Andy

[disgruntled2007]

Did you put in a grievance as suggested by orbiter dictum way back in August last year?

 

If not you've let it way too long to start complaining now.

[obiter dictum]

If you have not raised a grievance and mentioned working under protest like i advised almost a year ago you have very little chance now. As you did not object to any contractual change it will be seen as though you have accepted that contractual change by management

[Windowfitter1987]

It hasn't been a problem with them paying me the extra time since way back in August hence my new thread and asking the question again now

 

Boss came in today in a seemingly bad mood and brought it all up again out of the blue.

 

I asked out of interest and not to get a negative comment back from people so let's not worry anymore and don't waste any more of your time replying to me