help!

mockerydawg

I am working in a company since christmas. Its fun and all, but there are some problems. For starters only one or two people have contracts, the rest of us, 12+ have no contract. The work would be casual but people have worked 2 weeks straight in the past when we're busy. There is no overtime premium, unless its a bank holiday. We are not paid on holidays, and in a whole day only get 45mins in total for breaks. Other than that there is always suspicion that we are not paid correctly for the hours worked and certainly never paid correctly for travel time accumulated.
Is there any information or advice you can give me or direct me to people/websites that can?
Thanks for your time...

nesf

mockerydawg wrote:

I am working in a company since christmas. Its fun and all, but there are some problems. For starters only one or two people have contracts, the rest of us, 12+ have no contract. The work would be casual but people have worked 2 weeks straight in the past when we're busy. There is no overtime premium, unless its a bank holiday. We are not paid on holidays, and in a whole day only get 45mins in total for breaks. Other than that there is always suspicion that we are not paid correctly for the hours worked and certainly never paid correctly for travel time accumulated.
Is there any information or advice you can give me or direct me to people/websites that can?
Thanks for your time...

What field are you working in?

What kind of role have you?

Are you part time or full time? (I know you said casual etc)

What age are you? (this is actually an important one, different rules for those above and below 18 etc)

More information please. Help us help joo as WWM says.

mockerydawg

It would be in the services sector, and because of the type of work most people would be only part time, myself included. There is 3 full time employees, one being the owner. The other 2 do not have complete contracts either as far as I know.
Everyone in the company is over 18.
Need anymore information?

seamus

Your employer is obliged to provide you with a written contract within two months of your starting employment. Demand one.
http://www.oasis.gov.ie/employment/starting_work/contract_of_employment.html

There is a limit on how many days/hours you can work, and your breaks. General rules which apply to you are:

• You are entitled to one unpaid 15min break after 4.5 hours work, and another unpaid 15min break after 6 hours.
• If you work in a shop and do more than 6 hours including the period 11.30am - 2.30pm, then you are entitled to one consecutive unpaid hour break.
  Your break cannot include leaving early - i.e. They can't make you leave 15 mins early in lieu of taking a break after 4.5 hours.
• In any 7 days, you are entitled to a full 24 hour rest period. However, they can have you work 7 days, on the condition that you receive 2 full days (i.e. two periods of 24 hours) off in the next 7 days. Essentiallly you are entitled to two 24-hour periods off in any two-week period. This is a statutory minimum right, they can't override this.
• In addition to the above, you are entitled to 11 hours of consecutive rest every day. The above mentioned 24 hours off can only follow an 11-hour rest period, i.e. a 24-hour rest period does not start immediately after you finish work, rather you are entitled to 35 hours consecutive rest after finishing work.

http://www.oasis.gov.ie/employment/employment_rights/hours_breaks_sundays.html
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA20Y1997.html

You are entitled to paid holidays, even if you're a part-time worker.

• If you work more than 117 hours per month, you are entitled to one-third of your average working week in paid leave, per month.
  or
• 8 per cent. of the hours you work in a year (but subject to a maximum of 4 working weeks)
• Your annual leave is in addition to the normal public holidays. If you work on Public Holidays, you are entitled to "compensation", unless otherwise agreed in your contract.

The idea of compensation for working public holidays, also applies to Sunday working, again unless agreed in your contract. But since you don't have a contract, then the minimum statutory rights apply.

mockerydawg

Thank you for the information, I will put it to good use or get fired trying!!