Home Work & Study
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

The law on working overtime

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
In my job, I often have to work evenings, going to meetings. We're very understaffed, so the amount of meetings has gone up. Often twice a week I don't get home till 9pm or 10pm, then have to be back in at 8.30am the next day.

I don't get paid any extra for this, but for every 3 evening meetings, I get one Friday off. Is this the law? Do they not have to pay me for the hours I work? I would rather have extra money than time off.

Comments

  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    Hi Katchika,
    Whether it's right in your circumstance really depends what's in your contract afaik. There is probably a sentence or two saying "your normal hours of work are blah, but you may be expected to work hours outside of this from time to time" or something to that effect. But yes it is usual, and legal, for companies to offer time off in lieu instead of extra money - particularly if you're on salary.

    ETA: this askTheSite Q&A on overtime will probably be of more help.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks Helen. Guessed I probably had no right to complain, am just sick of being so tired and feeling unable to have a social life on week nights!

    Hopefully won't be here much longer anyway. :)
  • **helen****helen** Deactivated Posts: 9,235 Supreme Poster
    katchika wrote: »
    am just sick of being so tired and feeling unable to have a social life on week nights!

    Aw, that's completely understandable. Good luck with moving on to a better post :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but:
    Aren't you meant to have a minimum 12 hour break between each shift?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes. But I think there are some exceptions.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    11 hours according to our copy of working time directive
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sofie wrote: »
    Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but:
    Aren't you meant to have a minimum 12 hour break between each shift?

    My contract states 12 hours unless we've volunteered for overtime, in which case we can sign a release form or something.

    katchika - is it written in to your contract that you must attend these meetings?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    11 hours according to our copy of working time directive

    Because that assumes that fulltime work is 37 hours and therefore part time workers don't do "overtime"... it also takes you to the maximu 48 hour week which defines the nightmare of the WTD
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hi katchika, if you are finding the overtime a bit much at the moment perhaps you should talk to your line manager about it, although you probably feel obliged to stay on late at work to help out with you colleagues, I don't think you actually have to stay and do the overtime. Unfortunately as others have said, most places offer time off in lieu for doing the extra hours.

    The only thing that I would really have a problem with is the fact that you get 1 day off for every 3 meetings you go to. If you are staying at work until say 10 and I am assuming you finish work at 6 so thats an extra 4 hours. If you do that 3 times thats 12 hours extra work for 1 day off. My normal working day is 7.5hours so based on that you could be losing 4.5hours worth of pay/time off! Thats great for the company but not so good for you and if I were working there I would prefer my time off to be worked out by the amount of extra hours I was doing and not by the amount of extra meetings.
Sign In or Register to comment.