Advice for my lass
 

Ok im after a little advice for my lass. Career wise

She loves her job and enjoys it very much. She has built up a little branch of the main busness over the past 3 years and it is now running well (from nothing) The problem is she is still classed as a nurse and not "higher staff"

Now she does 47.5 hours a week including every saturday morning. Not a problem with this but she also has a b vitamin deficiency meaning that she gets tired very easily. This week she has approached her employers asking for her sat mornings off. Now no one else in the company does as many hours as her or works as many saturdays. They've turned around and called her a silly little girl and that its in her contact to work them and so she must. they have offered to knock 3 hours off her mid week hours but that still leaves her doing more than everyone else and shes starting to burn out.

So is she screwed on this or can she get them to reduce her hours? Is she being unreasonable? And what is the best way forward? Any help is greatly apreciated.


Cheers

Andy

Re: Advice for my lass
 

What are her contracted hours ?

Personally I'd say find another job, no job is worth making yourself ill for, but thats easy for me to say and hard for her to do.

Re: Advice for my lass
 

Put it in writing. If they still offer unreasonable work arounds then you can prove that the company aren't doing enough to help you in your job.

Re: Advice for my lass
 

find out what it says in her contract and if she has signed the waver of contract hours or not.

Re: Advice for my lass
 

Isn't 47.5 over over the EU working regs anyways? Or has she opted out?

Re: Advice for my lass
 

Disability Discrimination Act ought to cover it. She should ask for an occupational health assessment to verify whether sh'es worknig too long hours, and a quiet chat with her union rep might help given that she's being singled out for extra hours (presumably for no overtime).

Re: Advice for my lass
 

its 48 hours for the max working week. Unfortunatly its in her contract. Although the sat is compulsery overtime and not in her working week. Nifty hey :) All the hours are in her contract and thats the problem if they wernt they wouldnt be an issue. Theyve said "well its your contract so you have to do it" but i was hoping there may be some way to reduce her hours?

Thats this disability descrimination act? and is the assessment done via her employer or antoher party? eg the docs?

Re: Advice for my lass
 

The DDA is a bit specific when it comes to what constitutes a disability,but worth checking if a vitamin problem is covered.
Another angle would be to get her job evaluated independently and compared to other similar jobs.There may turn out to be a sex discrimination angle to persue there.
You do need some advice from a union or employment law person on the specifics though.

Re: Advice for my lass
 

Employers should hire a third party to do OHAs. Like BB says, talk to union or similar.

Here's the DDA 2005 definition, designed to have the widest possible scope (I should know cos I helped write it):

For the purposes of the Act:

• substantial means neither minor nor trivial
• long term means that the effect of the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)
• normal day-to-day activities include everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going shopping
• a normal day-to-day activity must affect one of the 'capacities' listed in the Act which include mobility, manual dexterity, speech, hearing, seeing and memory

Some conditions, such as a tendency to set fires and hay fever, are specifically excluded.
People who have had a disability in the past that meets this definition are also covered by the scope of the Act. There are additional provisions relating to people with progressive conditions.
The DDA 2005 amended the definition of disability. It ensured that people with HIV, cancer and multiple sclerosis are deemed to be covered by the DDA effectively from the point of diagnosis, rather than from the point when the condition has some adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

HTH, but PM if you need to.

Re: Advice for my lass
 

under the dda (just looked) it stated that a disability is anything that prevents you from going about your activities. So if shes tired through over working and this is exasperated by her vit deficiency would you think she would have a good bargening point there?

You see the thing is she loved her job and doesnt just want to move. However she gets quite tired a lot. but she does want to stay so we dont want to be pushing them too hard.

Theyve had her in the office this morning knowing she can be a bit of a push over and had somone opposite her slapping their hand with a ruler intimidating her. It makes me mad and shes phoned me up in tears!!!! Bloody fuming! thing is shes a littrle hot headed so i know she will have turned around and have given them a mouthful if shes upset. Not really helping things...... bugger!