340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Knew it was coming really but just had a meeting at work before finishing this afternoon and been given 2 options.

My boss said the 2 viable options for them is either making people redundant or putting us all on a 3 day week down from 5 days. He said apparently by law if he puts us on a 3 day week that we would have to sign a new contract reflecting the change to our working hours etc.

My first question is - is it true that by law we would have to sign a new contract to put us on the 3 day week ?

Second question is - if we sign a new contract for the 3 day week do we lose extended holiday entitlement and length of service etc ?

I've been working there just over 13 years and one of my thoughts at the moment is maybe taking redundancy but i'm not sure about that with how hard it is to get a job at the moment. What would I be entitled to if I took voluntary redundancy with regards to length of service and holidays owed etc ?

We've been given the weekend to think it over and if no-one wants to take redundancy on Monday then we will be put on a 3 day week from a week Monday. So I need to think this through and find out all the facts as quickly as possible.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated

Dedrater

It sounds like its either take the 3day week, with a new contract, you will get the same amount of time off 4-6 weeks or what ever, obviously you are now two days down though so its a four day weekend or get made redundant. You won't lose time of service as this is added annual, not based on hours.

Redundancy : Directgov - Employment

Calculating your redundancy pay : Directgov - Employment

Dedrater

Loads more here mate about employment rights and so forth

Employment : Directgov

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Cheers mate,i'll take a look through that

PaulC72

TBH if the field you work in has plenty of jobs consider redundancy.

If not take the 3 day week although with 13 years service if redundancy is forced it may be you won't be on the list anyway depending on who else has been there and for what time as 13 years is a decent sum.

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

I work in a factory mate that manafactures rubber moulded components mainly for the automotive industry but also for aerospace and oil rigs. I'm the senior person on the shop floor and i'm also responsible for maintenance of the machines and the building.

I've been there the longest time out of everyone,the next longest is 5 years.

PaulC72

Tricky one then really it all depends on if you want out to find something else and hope the money lump sum would see you through {a gamble} or if you can survive on 3 days a week pay and how long will it go on for....

Tough call good luck.

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

At the moment i'm not sure what to do. There doesn't seem to be many jobs around. Working only a 3 day week nearly halves my monthly pay so it's a massive drop in wages

fivetide

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you might be a difficult one to replace. They may not offer you redundancy because of that. Not entirely sure how it goes so hope it works out for you.

5t.

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Yeah that is something i'd thought of aswell. I get the feeling they are hoping for other people to go for redundancy so we won't have to go onto the reduced the week but I don't think that's going to happen.

Dedrater

If I were you, I would arrange a meeting with upper management and discuss ways to force redundancy on the lower ranks as it were, thus ensuring others who have been there longer/more skilled/senior are able to retrain the upcoming work force once the economy has picked up have a full week of work.

Harsh I know, its the done thing though.

Petem95

Before taking redundancy I would have a serious look at what other jobs are available out there.

Be pretty gutting to take redundancy, then have a nightmare 6 months trying to get another job, and end up with something sh1te that pays less for a 5 day week than you get there on a 3 day.

If I were you I reckon I'd for the 3day option and hope things improve in a year or two so the 5day week comes back. Just cut out the luxuries and maybe downgrade the car. If you found it really hard then at least you could use those 2 days off to job-hunt and go for interviews.

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

I did discuss that with them quickly but didn't get much time. I'm going to be talking to them more in depth on Monday so will know more then.

To be honest I personally think that forced redundancies would be the way to go as there are a couple of people who make as little effort and do as little as possible if you know what I mean.

This sounds harsh but if they went down that route then at least the rest of us that work hard would still have the full working week.

dunx

iTrader: (3)

Compromise cut the wasters and do four days !

That's a deal I'd take permanently !

dunx

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Yeah that's another idea !

In the meeting we had yesterday my boss said that we would have to sign new contracts to go on to the 3 day week but we had to agree to it,if we don't agree then they can't do it. Is that true ?

Also,what if it's just me that refuses to be put on the 3 day week on the grounds that I think they should be making at least one person redundant and keeping the rest of us on a 4 day or even the full 5 day week ?

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Had a meeting today and after long discussions with all the other staff on the shop floor we had all agreed to refuse the 3 day week and let it go to redundancies. When we were asked the question by our boss everyone except me backed down and accepted the 3 day week

I am the only one who has refused to accept the 3 day week on the basis that I think redundancies should be made first before putting everyone onto the reduced week even if that means that it could be me facing redundancy.

There is 5 of us employed on the shop floor and my boss has said that 2 of us will face redundancy.

Dedrater

If you did go 3 day week, is there any way you could fill the other two days, work for yourself etc?

Bummer though mate

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

No because part of the deal for the 3 day week is that we would need to be flexible to be able to come into work for 4 or 5 days if the work picks up on the particular week

zs_phil

iTrader: (1)

this happened to me last year i went to a 3 day week from 5 ,was also redundancies ,we neverr signed a new contract but it was better cutting hours than being out of work ,if i would of took voluntary mortgage woudnt get paid as it was voluntary .so i kept on trucking now we are on a 4 day week

c_maguire

That's unenforceable. If you sign a new contract for a 3 day week then any work on the other 2 days would then be classed as overtime which would normally be voluntary and also paid at a higher rate. It sounds like your company are trying to stack the deck in their favour, perhaps helped by playing the 5 of you off against each other. If you belong to a union then you should contact them now.

Kevin

+Doc+

Echo the above, sounds like they are forcing new contracts to work in their favour, it doesn't sound good though as their intentions come across as having no optimism for the work picking up.

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Thanks for all the advice so far guys

Nothing else has happened yet,my boss is now deciding what to do next. I suspect what might happen is he will back down over asking us to consent to the 3 day week and signing new contracts to that affect and just bring in the 3 day week as they do in other companies.

It's either that or redundancies !

340BHP-WRX

iTrader: (6)

Had a meeting this evening just before finishing and have been told that as I objected to the 3 day week then they cannot bring it in.

They said we've got a few little jobs that will keep us going for the next few days so they are not going to make any decisions until at least the end of next week. So at the moment it's no 3 day week or redundancies.

All seems very strange to me,everybody i've spoken to has told me they can put us on a short week without our consent or having to sign any contracts so why don't they just do that

Devildog

Its also completely contrary to employment law and hence, by definition, illegal.

Dedrater

A quite off the record word, who is to know, if it benefits the company and long standing staff then thats only a good thing

Devildog

I agree mate, but unfortunately all it takes is one person to claim unfair selection, go to a tribunal, and the company is facing a significant damages award.