Sunday wages question

Kold

I work 10 hours every Sunday just as a shophand which is from open until close, I take an hour lunchbreak which I used to get paid for. The shop has recently changed hands and the new owner seems to have decided not to pay me for this hour and I haven't really brought it up but it got me annoyed enough to bring it up with some mates at college. They said it was a pretty stingey gesture seeing as most of them get paid 1 1/2 or double pay for Sundays... They have jobs in Dunnes and the like and don't have shifts as long as mine. Now I can't imagine that Dunnes are this generous seeing as I'd imagine Sundays would be quite a popular day for students to work.

I guess what I'm asking is that am I entitled to a higher rate for working long Sunday shifts?

Wishbone Ash

Kold wrote:

the new owner seems to have decided not to pay me for this hour

An employer is under no statutory obligation to pay an employee during mealbreaks.

Shop employees who work more than six hours and whose hours of work include 11.30am - 2.30pm are entitled to a one hour consecutive break which must occur during those hours. Employees who work in the Retail Grocery trade (Nationwide) and the Retail Footwear and Drapery Trade (Dublin only) are entitled to a 15 minute paid break (exclusive of the main meal break) if working more than four and a half fours.

Unless your contract provides otherwise your 24 hour rest period referred to above should include a Sunday.

In addition, with regard to pay, unless already included in the determination of an your pay, your employer must give you one or more of the following for Sunday working, etc:

A reasonable allowance
A reasonable pay increase
Reasonable paid time off work

Kold

Thanks for the reply but I'm still not sure how to work this..

I only work weekends because of long college hours, the odd week night. Are those for full time workers or what? Also, what is a reasonable allowance?

Would it be reasonable to approach my boss and ask for 1 1/2 pay for Sundays?

I don't actually have a contract as far as I know.

aslantheslayer

I think you are entitled to your lunch paid.

Even though the previous poster has quoted the the exact law regarding breaks, i think you may have a claim depending on the amount of time you have worked for that company, regardless of owners.

If you have received payment for a break for X amount of time, that payment then becomes part of your existing contract of employment.

You best bet would be to either join a union or contact http://www.comhairle.ie/.

P.S, even though you dont have a contract, you are still employed by certain laws of a contract.

gerrycollins

aslantheslayer wrote:

I think you are entitled to your lunch paid.

Even though the previous poster has quoted the the exact law regarding breaks, i think you may have a claim depending on the amount of time you have worked for that company, regardless of owners.

If you have received payment for a break for X amount of time, that payment then becomes part of your existing contract of employment.

You best bet would be to either join a union or contact http://www.comhairle.ie/.

P.S, even though you dont have a contract, you are still employed by certain laws of a contract.

no matter how long something has been done it does not automatically become part of your contract as both parties have to agree to it

as part of the new owner he/she is obliged to issue new contracts between the staff and them upon takeover of the shop as any preexisting contract no longer are legal as they are not between the two parties considered

you are covered by the law of the land in the absence of a contract but the law is very vague IMO opnion thats why contracts are still relied upon by many not all though

In Ireland Sunday is considered along the same lines as a bank holiday when it comes to payment, you should recieve a pay rate agreeded by both parties which is above the flat rate of pay or an allowance along with flat rate pay

the length of your shift is based on a 11hr rest period before starting time and 11hr rest period from the end of your shift till the begining of your next shift once you are paid for every hour you work no law broken, the only thing is that since last year in the grocery trade any work done after 8 hours of actual work(not shift period) is classified as overtime, but considering you have no contract stating an overtime rate of pay then flat rate is all your entitled to

your mates dont have such long shifts in Dunnes because they pay 1.5 for sundays but still only pay the equivalent of a regularl 8 hr day hence on sundays its a 5 hr shift including unpaid half hour break. thats just store policy it varies