Ajusting Part Time Staff Hours

[Guest]

Hi

 

I have a part time member of staff who works 5.5 hours a day, each day.

 

Thing is we don't really need her any longer on a tuesday afternoon, but we do need her all day thursday, rather than just thursday AM.

 

In her contract she is contracted to 27.5 hours to be worked between monday and friday. her contract does not stipulate whether it will be half days or full days.

so to meet the needs of the nurery i do need to review her shift pattern, to include her working at least one full day and mybe two.she will still have her 27.5 hours a week though.

 

how much notice do i have to give her to do this?, and about 9 months ago she was off sick with a bad back, she is now back and fine, but has been heard to say to another member of staff that she shouldn't work full days... yet she has covered the occasional full day when needed???? so not sure if she just doesn't want to work a full day as she is so used to half days or whether medically she shouldn't work a full day, although as i say she does it ocassionally... guess if she said she couldn't do it due to medical reasons she woulld have to get a doctors note....

 

so back to my question, how much notice is needed to change her shift pattern?

 

Dawn

[Guest Wolfie]

Does it say anything in her contract about notice to change shift patterns? I think the most important fact in this scenario is that you are not making a change to the total number of hours worked per week and therefore it is hopefully not going to be a major issue for the member of staff. If nothing is said in the contract about changing working patterns, hopefully you could come to some agreement about when to change the shift pattern so that it suits you both? Maybe she has other issues outside work that she would need to sort out in order to change shifts,e.g. her own childcare, and you would need to give her adequate time to make those adjustments? But all in all it doesn't sound like an unreasonable request that you are making and hopefully this member of staff will see this and realise that you are responding to the needs of the nursery.

 

Good luck anyway

[alis2son]

I think its 2 weeks notice and even if it isnt, that is a reasonable time for her to make alternative arrangements, that said you could always say it will be in 2 weeks, but would be very grateful if she could start as of next week.

 

I also think its best to be straight to the point. She is afterall there to care for the children and should understand that ratios must be met. If she cannot work a full day due to health, then quite frankly she is not fit to be back in work at all, and as you say should have a doctors note to state this. This should be in your file anyway after she was signed off for your own cover.

 

I have tiptoed around staff before and at the end of the day, its nice to ask rather than tell, but sometimes, and especially since you are concerned that the member of staff may be hard to persuade, its better to exert your authority early on. After all you are not asking for a favour, you are making neccessary changes to the working rota.!

 

Good Luck!