Part time workers rights

[depoix 11]

i have a mate who,s wife has started working part time in a large shop on the moor, she works from 7.30 till 12.30 six days per week,she is also expected to work any overtime when required. she has been told by a supervisor that she is not entitled to any breaks at all,i thought that after a set number of hours, wasnt it the law, that you must be allowed a ten or fifteen minute break,looked on google ,under dti guidelines and it says that the government may be being sued for not allowing workers proper statutary breaks ,but does not mention whether this includes part time staff,can any one help ?

[HotPhil 10]

I could be wrong, but I think it's after 5 hours that employees must have a break. So working 07:30 while 12:30 is the max. Most contracts these days do have a clause along the lines of "you may occasionally be asked to work extra hours or at another location", but it's a two-way street - if it's expected/insisted that she works extra hours every day (especially if little notice of the request is given) then that seems an imbalance. And of course, I expect she should be allowed a break if those extra hours start at 12:30.

I think she needs to bring up her concerns with her employer first of all. Or with a union rep if she has one.

[wendy 10]

I think you may be right about the 5 hour guidelines but they have to allow "comfort" breaks - you know going to the loo etc. Other breaks depend upon the job, for example using machinery or a computer has different regulations, but check on the Health and Safety regulations for the type of job because these are what this relates to.

[Zebra 10]

I used to work for a nursery who told me it was four hours without a break, even if my hours covered lunch time. I said I expected to be able to be adult enough to judge if I needed a break providing I left the kids in a safe and suitably legal situation (min 2 qualified staff).

God only knows that people need s break from kids, never mind the general public. She looked at me and told me not to take the p*ss. I never did, took a break when needed that's all!

If the company expects her to work over at times then there's such a thing as give and take and unless specified in enough advance warning, she can tell em to take a hike!

[silverknight 10]

The law is if your working day is 6 hours or more you are entiled to a 20 min. break unpaid.

A useful leaflet for anyone working in shops can be downloaded from the shop workers union USDAW go to http://www.usdaw.org.uk It lists all your rights for full and part time workers.

[venger 10]

Well employment agencies have made their place in the working environment...

 

...but 20 years ago their contract workers would have been called scabs!

 

Workers rights?

 

Going down by the hour, if you are not being threatened by redudancy also!

[depoix 11]

Originally posted by venger

Well employment agencies have made their place in the working environment...

 

...but 20 years ago their contract workers would have been called scabs!

 

Workers rights?

 

Going down by the hour, if you are not being threatened by redudancy also!

??????? what ? who mentioned contract workers?

[*Twinkle* 10]

It differs from place to place, they appear to be a law unto themselves. Claire's Accessories used to give me a paid 15 minute break if I worked over 4 hours. (I was under 18 at the time but the over 18's had the same priveleges) However there was a lad I used to work with at Index who worked 5 hours on a Saturday and he was only just 17 and he was allowed a 15 minute break unpaid... So he didn't take it. It's wrong how he was treat like that. I'm sure it's legal but he's just a kid and hauling huge packages around for 5 hours non stop isn't good for anyone.