Here we go...!

My boss originally said at the start of the holidays that I would work 5 days a week, 9-4. Fine. But then I applied for 4 days off on weekends to do things uni related, and she made me work those to catch up. Fine. I was still doing 5 days a week, 9-4, but different days to compensate for the ones I had off elsewhere.

But this week takes the mick! I was told last friday that I would be doing a 7 day week. Not too thrilled at that fact, but then she told me that one full day (9-6) would be by myself, and 2 half days (8:45-1) would be by myself and that she'd come in half way through the day to finish the day with me. Ok, I thought, I can just about manage that.

THEN she leaves a note saying I'm to work 9-6 on sunday. I said I couldn;t manage that, I'd keel over. THEN she says I have to work til wendesday before I can have my day off. So by the time wedensday comes, I will have worked 9 days, doing a total of 65 hours, 17 hours by myself



ok rant over.

Eeek, that's horrible! Where is your job? When you first got the job, did you come to some sort of written agreement about time off? If you did then just remind her of it.

Hope you can get this sorted and that you're not too shattered.

I don't have a written agreement, I don't have any sort of contract! After a fight, I've *just* managed to get some sort of lunch break for most of us when it's quiet enough. I work in a tearoom and shop, and it cn get quite manic at times

Walk out elmo and find something else. She's taking the mick. Just mention the EU "working time directive"

Oh no, that sounds really bad. Hope things improve soon.

Work has two main purposes: i) salary; ii) a subject for rants!

It does sound like an awful lot of hours, and a long time without a day off. I've had a look at http://www.businesslink.gov.uk, and this is what it says about the Working Time Directive:



So it looks as though they're still legal, even though it's alot of long days, and a long time without a day off.

Is there a personnel officer you can discuss this with?

Nope. Everything has to go through the one person. The only other person that's higher up than I am is her husband.

The legal stuff was useful though, thanks

Thanks for the link Deborah. I now know that my employer is breaking the law - as I'm 16, I should be getting a half hour break every four and a half hours but I normally work seven and three quarter hours (six and a half on Fridays) and I've only once got more than two ten minute breaks.

Elmo, your health is more important than your job so if it's affecting your health, then get out quick!

Glad to have been of help, ladies, and I hope that things are resolved.

For some reason, my employers tend not to mess with me if they can help it - can you guess why? It helps having Comrade Husband around - he's the branch chairman for his union. Funny, when I was growing up, I never thought I'd end up making flasks of coffee for my husband to take to the picket line

No problem! I'm not going to make a big thing of the breaks because it's only casual work and they've been pretty good about letting me have time off for prom and college intro days. To be honest, I wouldn't mind quitting because I don't really NEED the job (it would be nice to have some money saved for the future e.g. uni but I don't need money urgently yet, unless my parents want me to pay for private viola lessons, which is a possibility) and it's very tiring - 37.5 hours a week. I just don't want to get ill again, like I was during my GCSEs. Hmmmmmmmmmm........., any opinions? I'd feel like I was a quitter if I left though.

You're sixteen, and they have you working 67 hours in 9 days, with 10 minute meal breaks?!

You would not be a quitter to quit this job in order to look for somewhere more appropriate. Are you able to practice with that sort of work schedule? Is the money more important to you than your music?

There is a minimum break that you should have in a day. I believe that it is 30 mins, or 20 if they are providing a hot meal.

They obviously trust you, and value the quality of your work, but they really are taking the mickey. Is it possible to have Serious Words with them?

Rainbow, it might nevertheless still be worth mentioning it - you may find that your employers are actually unaware of the legal situation (it happens, particularly in smaller companies) - but don't go in with all guns blazing! Even if you were all big and grown up and over 18, you probably shouldn't be working quite that many hours with so short a break. Most companies tend to shy away from the negative publicity that such a breach would entail - I know that if I ran my own business, I'd do my best to avoid "Deborah plc in child labour exploitation" type headlines.

It's a good idea to have some money saved up for university - I'd saved up from a Saturday job I had whilst at sixth form, and worked during the holidays after GCSEs, A levels and after my second year, which meant I wasn't reduced to foraging for wild berries for something to eat. If you can prove that you're a good worker, they might consider having you back during future holidays, and be prepared to write you a good reference if required as well. Having good experience is often as important as qualifications when looking for a job - if nothing else, it proves that you can get out of bed in time for a day doing mundane tasks.

Erm, now you put it like that, it seems a lot worse..... I have been practising but I also want more time to relax and see my friends. The money is not more important to me but I'll need good viola lessons for AS music and I don't know if my parents will be able to pay for them.




I agree, it's just that I'd feel awkward making a fuss as I knew what was involved when I started - although I didn't realise that it was so bad.

If I were to quit, would people get the impression that I couldn't stick at things? I'd hate to give that sort of impression as I like to finish the things that I start.

I thought my job was bad because i have to work one saturday in 4 and get a day off in the week!!!! Sometimes have to work at night if i'm the one doing the viewings which is one day a week! But it still only adds up to 37.5 hours a week and i work fulltime.

Elmo: and Rainbow: I think you need to be looking for a different job!!!!!!!!!!

The working time directive was brought in under health and safety regs for a good reason. As well as daily breaks and weekly breaks you are entitled to lunch breaks (or a break of at least 20mins after a certain no of hours).

Part of the responsibility has to be with you (very often for the lunch break bit, how many people work through lunch and take a sandwich at their desk?), and as someone said earlier (Deborah was it?) some smaller organisations are not aware and are not intending to exploit their workers, they just need to be made aware.

Young workers have separate regulations with longer breaks, again for a reason. Your health is paramount, but first of all give your employer a chance to put it right, they just might be ignorant.

Part of the regs is about keeping records too. If you can't be sure your employer is keeping records of your working time, its a good idea for you to kkep your own for your own peace of mind. (I have more than one employer so it is important for me to keep records for myself.)

If you go to your employer with records of your hours and a solution for how you could comply with the regs, its much better than being aggresive and accusing them of exploitation.

I keep a record of my hours anyway. They've been pushing my workin hours for a while coz I'm 19. She was asing me the other day if I would work til 6 and come in later because she was getting tired at the end of the day. I said I would be tired if I did that and wouldn't be able to work effectively. She said, yeah but noone else can handle closing up or when everything kicks off. I just left it, and it'll hopefully stay the same as it was!

I haven't practiced for at least 3 weeks. I can't be bothered when I come home! I play piano but don't practice it. Nver mind! I'm also on a campaign to get a 13 year old girl less hours, coz she works up to 24 hours a week during term time. Sometimes starting at 6:30am!! I think I'm getting off quite lightly compared with that, at least I don't have school!

That is just plain illegal. During term time, a 13 year old can't start work before 7am for a start.. the number of hours per week is also restricted.

All this exploitation of younger workers "because they don't know any better" makes me really angry.

But then you are talking to someone who lost a job "blowing the whistle" on Tax, Insurance and The Working time directive.

Great being self employed, there all my responsibility!

Ok this sounds like exploitation, and you have evidence if you have been keeping records. The next thing to think about is what to do next. How much do you need the job? Are you prepared to sacrifice your health and practice time for the summer or not? How much of a crusade do you want to go on to get the bad employers exposed and things put right? You do stand the risk of losing your job if you rock the boat, whistle blow etc, and as an employee with hardly any service you don't have many employment rights. They could just sack you and legally do not need to give a reason at this point.

If you need the money (which as a student you probably do) then you need to consider your options, maybe you feel better about it for having a rant, and can cope in the short term, or maybe you feel it is really getting you down and you need to take some action. You could look for something else (if you had any energy / free time) before telling them where to shove their job, so your income is secured.

If you want to take them to task (and it sounds like someone should, but don't feel *you* have to take it on) then a visit to your local citizen's advice bureau might be a good starting place. Or alternatively if they recognise a TU (unlikely I think) then you could get them to fight it.

I think I've made some sort of progress! Today, she kept telling me off for yawning, and I kept telling her I was tired. So she started complaining about how tired she was, until I pointed out that I'd been working in her business for more hours than her this week. Anyway, she kept going on about it, and I kept going on about it, occasionally throwing in the fact that it would be about 67 hours of work til I got a break. She didn't shut up all day, and I got really fed up and plugged myself into my MP3 player, which I'm not supposed to do when people are in, but she took the hint! The next time I sat down she didn't find me something to do and I was allowed a 20 minute sit down

Then she said later when one of the girls asked why I was working so much, that "she's flogging herself to the ground to get money". Yeah, whatever, but it still shows that she's paying me some attention now! I think?