Lay offs

[scaniavabis]

If a company is struggling to find enough work to keep all employees at work every day and all these employees are paid weekly the same amount regardless of the amount of work done in a 5 day week what are it's options? There is nothing in the contract of employmet regarding working hours.

Would the company be within it's rights to tell the employees they had to work a day at the weekend instead of a weekday to keep their pay the same?

Would it be allowed to tell it's employees that they had to stay at home 1 day a week and not pay them for that day?

[samuelcat1]

I currently work in a warehouse on an annulised hours contract.I get paid for 38.5 hrs regardless of what I actually work.I have to complete 2008 hrs per year which includes holiday hours. Part of that contract includes 6 Saturdays a year.
Depending on your own contract I suppose your company could do the same.
As for asking you to take a day off unpaid I think there are several companies doing just that so they can cut costs and save jobs.

[buildersmate]

Some good general advice about lay offs here - suggest that you read it.
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=81 4
What you will find is that unless it is part of a national agreement for your industry, or it is mentioned specifically in writing in company documentation like a Handbook that forms a part of your contract, or if it has become custom-and-practice in your company (unlikley) then it can't be done.
HOWEVER these are difficult times for some businesses, and it is perfectly possible for your employer to have a discussion with the staff that could propose either of the two things you mention in your question.

Staff (as individuals) are under no obligation to accept (it in effect becomes a proposed change to T&C of your employment - equally staff as a group do not have to accept (if collective bargaining occurs in your company).

If staff reject it - it is possible that redundancies might occur.

I would never subscribe to a company using this as a threat to force such a change through - much depends on the employee relationships that exist in your company and the extent to which you trust managers to tell the truth about the economic outlook - and whatever other options may be on the table..