Since I've been doing this job now for almost six years, I am pretty much used to inane and seemingly bizarre management decisions made by those on high.
But a recent message from the Gods caused my flabber to be utterly gasted!
A little background first...
I work a shift system. Over an eight week period I work three weekends (a day, evening and night shift of each) about two week's worth of evening shifts (10pm finish) and seven night shifts (10pm through to 8am).
In return for working "unsociable hours", I get paid a shift disturbance allowance (which is calculated as 15% of my basic pay), and the hours I work at the weekend are paid at overtime rates. This amounts to a nice little top up to my salary every month - especially with a new mouth to feed come November!!!
Our glorious leaders have suggested that we do away with the shift allowance and cease payment of overtime for shifts that we are rostered to do.
Their reasoning? Well, apparently we all live in a "24 hour Society" now, and therefore there can be no such thing as "unsociable" hours. This is patently a load of balls!
(The overtime payment issue? To be fair I've always wondered why I get paid overtime for doing a shift that I'm rostered to do anyway, and on top of my shift allowance... but hey, I wasn't going to argue!)
The Union have roundly pooh-poohed the idea, pointing out that it contravenes our contracts etc etc, and to be honest I don't see it ever happening. There will be a sizeable proportion of staff that see this as the last straw, and they will simply walk. Before I was promoted I relied upon getting my shift allowance and overtime, I simply would not have survived without it!
But a more immediate question to ask the management Gods is "So, when will I bump into you at 3am in the office corridors, sir, or is that a little 'unsociable' for you???!"
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3 comments:
Exactly!
These decisions are always made by people who only work 9-5, Monday - Friday for some reason...
Lets just hope that your Unions put up a good fight (God I hope it's not Unison!) With shifts like that you are looking at a minimum 33% shift allowance on top of your basic.
33%!!! Jeeze, would love 33%!
We get 15% shift allowance and each weekend we work comes to around £200 odd in overtime. Essentially, if the management got their way I would lose about £400-£450 per month!
Our union is Prospect, and so far they've been pretty good at fighting our corner.
Finger's crossed...
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