Can an employer require me to work a different shift to cover an employee on vacation?

Question

I work a standard day shift schedule, 8 AM to 5 PM. My employer has mandated that, once a week, I shift my schedule ahead four hours (NOON to 9 PM) to cover for employees that are on vacation. This is expected to last for the summer months.

I object to this requirement because I work a second part-time job and cannot alter my hours to accommodate.

I got the runaround from Human Resources, in the form of a non-answer wherein they complained about how difficult it was to schedule employee shifts.

I feel if I don't approach this correctly, they will simply fire me. What is the best and most effective way to deal with this situation so that I do not lose either of my jobs?

Answer 1

It is likely that you are going to have to choose between the two jobs as there is no reason for either one to care about the needs of the other company. I would ask the one you are most likely to give up (Probably the part-time one) to rearrange the schedule due to this issue and make the employer that you most need to to work for (the full-time one) happy by going along with what they want. If you try to negotiate with both of them and it fails with both of them, you could lose both jobs. I think the best you can do is limit the possible damage to only one workplace. You basically have little to no negotiating power in a situation like this unless you have a skill that they would have difficulty replacing if you quit.

You could consult with your state labor department to see what the legalities are in the situation. http://laborcommission.utah.gov/

Answer 2

Since both of your jobs are in a bind, I would suggest looking for another job. First, approach the part-time position to see if there is a chance to get full-time work. Also, look for another job and let them know you are looking for a particular range of hours. That's a very legitimate reason to leave your current position.

You can still give it your best shot. Somehow, changing your hours is making someone else's job easier. It could be your manager or someone in HR, etc. I don't see how this could be an unexpected circustance unless no one ever took a vacation before. It's a little naive to think a company that has multiple shifts would never ask you to switch and unprofessional on their part to make such a promise. My guess is they don't want to ask someone else to make the change because this person has a history of complaining.

State your case to the person who is going to have the most trouble if you leave. Replacing employees does cost money. Let them know you were told this would not happen. The fact of the matter is you need more than one job. Maybe they have some insight on what is really going on and are in a better position to find a solution.

Is there any chance you can get over-time on this job, so you don't need the part-time job over the summer? I hate to just say find another job, but this problem may occur beyond the summer hours or repeat itself every year.

Answer 3

There is a legal side to this, but there is also a plain common sense side: You cannot work at two jobs at the same time.

For the worst case, you decide which job is more important to you. Maybe one job would be able to give you more hours, so you could have one job only. Worth asking.

If that doesn't work, you tell the job that seems more flexible or that you are more willing to lose that you won't be working on these hours (and why, if you don't mind them knowing that you have two jobs), and then you see what happens.

Thanks for JeffO for reminding us that the reason you are asked to change shifts may be that someone else was asked and complained loudly about it. So if nothing else helps and you think you may be losing your job over this, complaining loudly (like storming into HR, shouting at them and so on, or loudly complaining to your supervisor's boss) may be the solution. It works with some people.