Excessive Hours

[Smowball]

(I’ll answer about injured son on another thread - this is separate xx)

Teen Smow started new job bout 6 weeks ago roughly. Hours are meant to be 8.30am - 5.30pm. The commute is at least 1.5 hrs each way so at least 3 hrs a day. But for the last few weeks he has been in the office till at least 7.30 pm every day, meaning he isn’t betting home till almost 9.30pm, and he would have left the house at 6.30am.
He looks like death, he is so shattered. He is still on probation so won’t say anything but I think they’re taking the P. He says his boss just keeps saying oh this needs to be done before you leave, but she sounds like a complete workaholic. She might as well sleep there! He doesn’t get paid for any of these extra hours and is basically doing at least an extra whole day’s work a week unpaid.
Is it just a case of tough luck??

[Mamyalynne]

Get him to read the links supplied and see if any of the advice given is useful.

2 hours unagreed and unpaid overtime every night is excessive.

[237SJ]

If it was me I would probably suffer the probationary period, wait until I`ve been offered a permanent position and have got a contract in my hand, read it and then stick to it as regards hours/breaks etc.

[Smowball]

He’s actually just txt me to say they’ve basically said it’s going to be another late one..... sounds really miserable

[Mamyalynne]

Pass the links on to him.

[Smowball]

I’m going to now x

[EdmundD]

It's rare these days that office-based people in private companies only work their contracted hours. In my last few years of working in IT and Finance in various companies I would see people starting early, working late and coming in at weekends (myself included).

Internet access and I-phones also means that they are contactable at any time. It is an expectation that has become the norm.

The exception these days is the public sector as my OH found out when she left the private sector and went into the NHS. Now she has fixed contractual hours and starts and finishes at the agreed times.

[Smowball]

He’s just started though, and he would have never applied for the job had he known they would expect him to stay 2 hrs late almost every night - he’s only 19!

[anneasquith]

New job ?

[Smowball]

He’s only been there a matter of weeks.

[Mamyalynne]

//Teen Smow started new job bout 6 weeks ago roughly.//

[pixie374]

Probation or not, he needs to politely ask them what is expected long-term re unpaid overtime and then decide whether their answer is acceptable to him. But he really does need to speak to a manager there.

[Smowball]

I’ve told him we will check his contract tonight, if he ever gets home!!
It’s just not the hours they described to him. He’s even going in early too - he’s there at 8am!

[Maydup]

it sounds like a great job and he's young, i'd encourage him to get a flat closer to work and go for it.

[Smowball]

It’s London, he could never ever afford it yet.

[Maydup]

Oh gosh, thats where I really feel for the current and future generations. They need to fly but they cant afford to. All you can really do is to encourage him to leave a little later on the occaisonal morning and to get used to being reasonable rather than a walk over. If that doesnt work he'll have to look for another job closer to home.

[Smowball]

He’s got in at 9.15pm, refused dinner and gone straight to bed. : (

[pixie374]

It's one thing being obliging and willing in a job, it's another being taken advantage of. He really does need to speak to them to get a real picture of what they expect. Probation works both ways, it is for him to see that the job is for him as well.

[Cloverjo]

Does everyone else in the office work the same hours?
He’s obviously a very good worker and they’ll want to keep him. Perhaps he ask if his hours could be managed better?

[pixie374]

This does all need to be sorted out now, I think. Personally, I would never sign a permanent contract to work somewhere I wasn't already happy with. They should know that too.
It is easy to say, and harder to do, especially for a youngster in a new job... but it needs to be sorted out and make sure any contract reflects it.

[Smowball]

Teen Smow is meant to be going out with a friend this eve. It’s all booked and paid for. His boss has just sauntered over, flung 3 big quotes to do on hIs desk and gone home! He says of he finishes them he won’t leave till at least 8pm. What’s he meant to do?