New employers not honoring contract offer

gabe1977

I started a new job 4 weeks ago after I'd received and accepted an offer in writing along with a contract stating my salary and shift pattern.
The salary incorporated a 37.5% shift allowance and the shift pattern suited my current family`situation.

I happily accepted the offer and started on a day shift while training but now 4 weeks later I've been informed the shift pattern offered in my contract is now not available due to poor organisation in the department and an alternative shift of which the hours are not suitable and a much reduced shift allowance is available.

This would mean a reduction of 6000 euro on my initial offer along with the fact the hours aren't good for me.
I wouldn't have accepted the job offer had I know this was the shift I'd be given and feel quite annoyed about the current situation.
I'd already taken a pay cut to join the company and this further cut is going to hit me hard financially.

Have I any grounds for complaint or am I totally at the mercy of the company.
The contract states my hours can be changed to suit company needs which is a standard inclusion in most contracts but surely 4 weeks after not letting me start it at all is very unreasonable.

davo10

gabe1977 wrote: »

I started a new job 4 weeks ago after I'd received and accepted an offer in writing along with a contract stating my salary and shift pattern.
The salary incorporated a 37.5% shift allowance and the shift pattern suited my current family`situation.

I happily accepted the offer and started on a day shift while training but now 4 weeks later I've been informed the shift pattern offered in my contract is now not available due to poor organisation in the department and an alternative shift of which the hours are not suitable and a much reduced shift allowance is available.

This would mean a reduction of 6000 euro on my initial offer along with the fact the hours aren't good for me.
I wouldn't have accepted the job offer had I know this was the shift I'd be given and feel quite annoyed about the current situation.
I'd already taken a pay cut to join the company and this further cut is going to hit me hard financially.

Have I any grounds for complaint or am I totally at the mercy of the company.
The contract states my hours can be changed to suit company needs which is a standard inclusion in most contracts but surely 4 weeks after not letting me start it at all is very unreasonable.

When considering whether to make a complaint, remember three important things, you confirmed that your contract states that shifts can be changed to suit business needs, your employer can terminate your employment during probation and most employee rights/protection does not come into effect until you have been employed for 12 months.

R.D. aka MR.D

This happened to me recently. I decided to stick it out and give it a try but they just kept changing things further and further away from the role I initially applied for/accepted so I left.

If I had to do it over again, I would have left right when they changed my working hours because I now have a job on my CV that I only stayed 3 months in. Looks pretty bad.

TrustedApple

R.D. aka MR.D wrote: »

This happened to me recently. I decided to stick it out and give it a try but they just kept changing things further and further away from the role I initially applied for/accepted so I left.

If I had to do it over again, I would have left right when they changed my working hours because I now have a job on my CV that I only stayed 3 months in. Looks pretty bad.

I know how you fell I am in the same ship myself the company keeps changing there mind on things with no warning and always on a Friday evening we get told something crazy or a major change to what was said in my contract basically i learned my contract is worth as much as loo roll ha ha. If you question anything on it you are called into HR and giving a ear full.

Bank holidays became mandatory and you wont be getting a extra day off and a extra days pay as my contract says. IT is now a normal working day.

kidneyfan

Talk to a solicitor. You've left a job to go and work for this crowd and you relied on their offer.

Bandana boy

I sympathize with you as it sounds a right PITA but as you stated the possibility of this was communicated upfront via the wording in the contract , So you would not have a leg to stand on in trying to force the company to return to original shift offer.

Best way forward imo is to work very hard over next month and be very flexible , get your self noted as a good hire , then approach your manager with family circumstances (childcare cover etc not cash ) as a reason why that original shift is what you need.
Is there anyway they can facilitate or should you start looking for replacement work.

Don't play the You promised or this is hurting my pocket cards at this point , just not sure I can continue on this different pattern. If they view you as valuable then they might flex to keep you , appear difficult then they could as well just let you go.

davo10

kidneyfan wrote: »

Talk to a solicitor. You've left a job to go and work for this crowd and you relied on their offer.

Why? The op's contract states that the employer can change shift patterns, presumably the op read and signed it. The thread title is misleading, the employer is abiding by the terms of the contract.