Rostered for impossible and illegal hours

Clampdown

So I was out of work for a year and so broke I had to move back home with my mother in a small town. I applied for work in a hotel as a barman and was told at the interview 'we'd have full time hours between doing some bar and some porter work.' I was delighted to be offered anything and took the job.

The roster for my first week I did 40.5 hours in 4 days, the first 2 were day shifts 8am -4pm and then 6 am,-3pm and then the next 2 were night shifts, 1st from 3pm to finish which ended up being 4 am and then today I was rostered from 5 pm to finish again. At about 10:30 one of the managers put up the roster for next week which included a 7am start tomorrow. I actually had told the other manager I could not work at all on Monday due to having a dentist appt for a root canal but obviously the message was not passed on or heeded.

So they expected me to serve until whatever time the residents bar closed sunday night and be back in at 7am to move luggage for a tour of 100 people. They also have me in at 5pm to finish Wednesday and back at 6 am on thursday morning to do tea and coffee for a meeting.

I told the manager on duty there was not a hope of me coming in at 7 am if I was to work till finish and asked her why she even thought that this was possible for a human being to do work with such short time between shifts. I told her that legally employees are entitled to an 11 hr break between shifts (aren't they?) and that I know hotels bend the rules on stuff like that but that what they were proposing is ridiculous.

Eventually she agreed to let me leave at 12 pm if I would come in at 7am and said that I could leave at 8:30 am to get to my dentist appointment.

I need the money from this job badly to try and get a few quid together to move out of Mum's and go somewhere where there are more jobs. I am qualified in another field and can do much better than this job if I could just get relocated. But I also need to mind my health (I have psoriasis, I need sleep or it flares up). And I don't want to have to fight with some manager over this issue every week and I know it will likely get worse as the hotel will only get busier and busier as we move into Spring and SUmmer.

How should I approach this when I go in tomorrow as the main manager will be there? I was thinking of just saying something like, 'The job I applied for was bartending and I didn't think that would include mornings. If you need me to work mornings I can do them, but I can't be put on til finish the night before.'

They told me the last guy who they hired for my job lasted only a day. I've done five days now and got on really well with the staff other than the managers who are useless and just walk around doing nothing as far as I can see. I'm an experienced bartender and good at customer service (made 40 quid in tips this weekend). I don't even mind working til 4 or 5 am as long as I am starting at 5 or so in the evening.

I am so frustrated. I hate being on the dole but employers in Ireland treat you so badly. I was so excited at getting a job, had to borrow money from my Mother to buy the shoes and work uniform and now I think I might not be able to stick it because this place is obviously going to expect the impossible.

Anyway, I'm away to get my 4 or 5 hours of sleep before heading in again but any advice would be appreciated.

zoobizoo

MAybe go to the manager and say something along the lines of:

"hey, I'm happy to do those late nights in the residents bar and I'm happy to do the early morning shifts but it's impossible for me to do the early morning after a late shift. Can we ensure that I'm not rostered to do a seven o'clock start if I finish at X time the night before"

_Brian

I'm thinking this is standard enough for the hotel industry.

I've often noticed staff serving till 2am and then there at 8am serving breakfast.

Jayop

Aye, nothing too unusual about it in that trade. The problem is that as ****ty as the hours are, there's going to be someone else willing to do them if you're not.

eggox

I work in hotels, and apart from sickness and staff shortages no manager would rosta those hours. My advice start of as you mean to go on and politely explain that those hours are impossible. Does your manager work those hours? If you let them take advantage it will keep happening. Plus this is the quiet season.

SCOOP 64

eggox wrote: »

I work in hotels, and apart from sickness and staff shortages no manager wo

No manager would what ?

The Undecided One

I'm a manager in a hotel for the last 10_years and have been doing 3pm-11pm shifts and back at 7am the next morning for as long as I can remember. Finishing at 2-3am and coming back at 7 is pushing it though and I wouldn't do it and wouldn't expect anyone else to do it. As for working 40 hours in 4 days? Nothing unusual about that, just have to get on with it.
You said yourself you need the job.

seamus

Clampdown wrote: »

I told her that legally employees are entitled to an 11 hr break between shifts (aren't they?)

Short answer is no. Where you're involved in shift work (which you are) and changing shift, the requirement for an 11 hour rest period doesn't apply.

The logic being that if you're switching from nights to days you will get your 11 hours the next night and an extended break very soon after that.

As others have said, my understanding is that this is very typical of hotel work not least because it ensures continuity of staff - guests like to see the same faces around, not new people every 24 hours. I'll often see the same staff serving you in the bar at 4am, looking after the breakfast service the next morning.

In reality 40.5 hours is a standard work week, they're not killing you with work. It's likely just a matter of getting used to the shift changeover.
If there's a bit of a trip from the hotel to home, maybe ask if there's a bedroom that can be used in the hotel for these short shift changes? At least then you can finish and go straight up to bed.

You've made a bit of a song and a dance in your first week I'd be inclined to keep your head down for the next couple of months and prove your worth.