Can my hours be changed?
Contracts of employment can be written, verbal or a combination of the two.
That said, for obvious reasons, it is strongly recommended by the IEU that prior to commencing employment with a new employer an employee should receive (or insisting on receiving if they do not) a written contract or letter of appointment.
Commonly it is signed by both parties and each retains a copy.
This letter among other things should identify
- the hours of work that the employer and employee have agreed will be performed
- duties or role and classification
- remuneration and special conditions.
Not having basic conditions of employment in writing is a recipe for disaster.
The agreed hours of work are what an employee is entitled to as a minimum. It is their substantive fraction of work. A reduction below these hours is only permissible if a partial redundancy has been initiated.
Of course an employee may seek temporary variations above or below the contracted hours of employment for any number of allowable reasons. Most common is on return from parental leave.
An employer may also legitimately offer to temporarily increase the hours of work for any number of reasons.
However as time passes memories fade and staff change. What was once clearly known and understood becomes vague or lost.
At such times the written contract or letter of appointment is worth its weight in gold….or at least a minimum amount of work.
If ever the original agreed hours of work are to be varied either permanently or temporarily, as a result of negotiation, it should be captured in writing as such to protect all concerned.
Unless there have been agreed changes to an employees hours or work or either conditions, there is no need for ongoing employees to periodically sign anything as if their employment was not on going.
Members should seek assistance from the IEU when being asked to commit to varied terms and conditions.
