What are my hourly rights as a zero-hour worker? (Bartender/Waitress)

Unfortunately I'm not sure this counts as being illegal or against your rights as a 0 hour worker (will admit I haven't studied the employment law on it...). My friend is currently on a 0 hours contract and works from 10am to midnight/closing - I asked if that was even legal, but she said that because she's not contracted anything, they can ask her to work that. Unfortunately if you don't do it, someone else who is willing to work those hours will get the job. It's very common for bars to have hours 'until close', so I'm not sure you'll get anything from him on that basis - I used to work in a similar job, never knowing my end time, which was really inconvenient for me as I couldn't drive and relied on lifts or public transport. I know it's depressing, but you're lucky you're paid more than minimum wage at least for those kind of jobs.

Not sure if you get extra rights on account of having a disability, so you might want to look into that.

Even if you're a zero hour contracted worker, you're entitled to the breaks and maximum hours as everyone else is. She cannot work 10am til midnight legally

Posted from TSR Mobile

Even if you're a zero hour contracted worker, you're entitled to the breaks and maximum hours as everyone else is. She cannot work 10am til midnight legally

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thanks for the response, I'm aware I wouldn't have much leeway in legal matters. They claim they have license to be open until 1am but I have never actually seen this license. But I know that 1am is the cut off time so to ask me to work until 2am was definitely hypocritical.

So I know that I have the right to pick and choose my shifts and my employer isn't obligated to give me any. My question is about the hours I work.

My employer texts me every week along the lines of "Can you work Friday 6-?, Saturday 6-? and Sunday 12-6".
Essentially he never tells me what time I'm allowed to clock off in the night. We usually close at midnight and I clock off at 00:10. However there are rare occasions where the pub is still booming at midnight.
The most recent incident I can remember was at 11:50pm my boss called us over and said "[name] you're now working until 2am". I felt awful, this was too short notice and I found it unfair. I said to him "Don't we get a break?" as I had started at 6pm. He said "Fine, you can have a 15 minute break." I know I'm entitled to a 20 minute break at least. I finally stood up for myself I said "[Boss] this is too short notice. I can't work until that time, break or no break, you know about my spinal condition and my pain-relief tablets only last me until now."
He shouted at me about how inconvenient it would be for him with one less staff member, however earlier that night he had sent home someone who had started LATER than me! I left after standing my ground as I pointed out prior to my 6pm starts he used to make me work "5-?" which was an illegal total 7 hours with no break.
But with the Christmas season fast approaching I'm scared it'll happen again. I'm a university student and I deserve to have adequate time to rest in order to get up early and study in the morning.

We supposedly have license to stay open until 1am (even though midnight is the advertised closed time) but my point is don't I deserve to know my clock off time in advance - even if I'm on zero hours? Should I speak to him and ask for my shifts to be changed to 6-12 or even 6-1 if he knows it will be busy?

Some extra info: I've been in this job for a year, I'm paid way over minimum wage for my age. My boss is an renowned alcoholic, customers and staff can see this which makes it difficult to reason with him as he is constantly intoxicated.

Unfortunately I'm not sure this counts as being illegal or against your rights as a 0 hour worker (will admit I haven't studied the employment law on it...). My friend is currently on a 0 hours contract and works from 10am to midnight/closing - I asked if that was even legal, but she said that because she's not contracted anything, they can ask her to work that. Unfortunately if you don't do it, someone else who is willing to work those hours will get the job. It's very common for bars to have hours 'until close', so I'm not sure you'll get anything from him on that basis - I used to work in a similar job, never knowing my end time, which was really inconvenient for me as I couldn't drive and relied on lifts or public transport. I know it's depressing, but you're lucky you're paid more than minimum wage at least for those kind of jobs.

Not sure if you get extra rights on account of having a disability, so you might want to look into that.

I'm on a zero hours contract myself (I work in a shop) and I always get given a break when I do long shifts. So OP is definitely entitled to break(s)!


Posted from TSR Mobile

Didn't say she wasn't!

This is true. Technically.

Practically - if you dont do it, then you dont get the hours next time. 0 hour contracts are the biggest weapon of unscrupulous employers.




If they didnt have a late liscence they would be shut down fairly quick. So I'd say thats true

The bar is open till 1 am. however after that youve then got to clean the place for the next morning so an hour is about right.

Welcome to the world of 0 hour contracts, where the employer has all the rights and power and threaten/bribe and blackmail you with no hours the next week if you dont do exactly what they want.