working hours

PrinceMax

Is there any obligation for an employer to give weekends off? I'm working a job which I know requires 24/7 cover. There is a 31 week roster up, and each staff member only has 5 weekends off in that time. Additionally, when I tried to request holidays for weekends, I was told there was no holiday allocation for weekends. I work day shifts, evening and night shifts - sometimes in the one week. For example, I have one week where I work 8am -4.30monday to thursday, and then friday I work 11 pm until 7.30 am friday night/sat morning, and then it's back to work on Monday for the morning shift. I find these hours very demanding.
any ideas if there's anything in employment law that forbids this?

wmpdd3

http://www.employmentrights.ie/en/media/Workingtimeact.pdf

Once you are getting 11 hrs rest between shifts they are keeping to the law.

In relation to holidays you must get the amount of days you are paid holidays for off.

This happens a bit in work because you may be on hols from Sat to Sat but working till 12am Fri night. Because you get paid for sat as a holiday and technically your off on sat thats your hols.

The usual is 4 weeks holidays. Are you getting these?

Or are you asking for example: sunday the 26th off as a days hols ( you wouldn't get this where I work unless there was nobody else on holiday.

I get 4 weekends off per year, as in the 4 weekends off during my holidays, but I'd be working till 6pm on the Saturday before the week off.

PrinceMax

Thanks for the response. I'm getting the usual four weeks holidays, but am being told they can't be taken on weekends or nights. Nobody can request holidays on those days, as we're told there is no allocation. So nobody else has these days off either.

wmpdd3

sorry i dont get it, how are you getting hols that dont include weekends or nights?

PrinceMax

Sorry if I wasn't clear.
I work various shifts - morning - evening - night, during the week and at the weekend.

I'm working most weekends. I have a holiday allowance, but have been told I can't request off any days where I'm working a night shift, or working at the weekend.

wmpdd3

oh yeah we're the same if its 'your' scheduled sunday or bank holiday you cant get the week off.

i presume you dont have a union or employee forum.

there may be a way around it, what do your work mates say, do you ever hear them say they've missed weddings, concerts, kids communions etc?