PA and Secretary Community - Deskdemon.com

I am posting this in the hope someone can provide me with independent advice, either via the forums or pm.

After our last company re-org and in bringing the UK into line, we have been informed there will be new Terms & Conditions for all employees.

We should receive a letter next month and thereafter will enter a 90 day consultation process.  My questions are -

1.  Am I obliged to sign a new contract?
2.  What will it mean if I do sign it?
3.  What will it mean if I don't sign it?
4.  Can my salary be reduced after I sign it?
5.  Could I be liable for redundancy if I do or don't sign it?

As yet we have no visibility as to what the new Terms & Conditions are, so not having been through this before, I would appreciate any advice you have.

Gee

I will send you a pm!

Jess

Rumours abundant in advance of an employee brief next week.  I think individuals have been spoilt for far too long.  They want to try living in the real world for a change.

Gee, it will never happen - they don't live in the real world (if it really exists!)  ;)

Ha!  They will have to after next weeK! ;)

My guess would be if you don't sign it they could term you.  Until you read the terms and conditons it's all a lot of speculation.  It could be as easy as a non-compete, business associate agreement or non-disclosure agreement.
This is the new real world folks, companies want to protect their assets - tangible and intangible.
I seriously doubt your salary would be reduced based on a T&C alone.
However my opinions are based on US HR knowledge

If your working hours are increased is there a legal requirement to increase your salary?  I don't think so.  I get paid a salary for the job I do, not the hours I work, and we have already been told salaries won't change.

My guess is they settled the pay rise early to concentrate on new Ts & Cs.

Gee

Sorry, that is about right (although it does not mean it is fair!)

Agreed Jess.  I argued this point with someone else. 

I don't think an employer is obliged to pay you any more just because they increase the hours of a working week.

If there was a substantial increase in hours, I'd expect some negotiation around what remuneration is due.

Nobody can have pay reduced (not with the same contract) but you could be frozen, red circled, or whatever you want to call it.  I guess you could have pay reduced if there was a new contract.

Most senior level admins in the US are salary not hourly.  My hours fluxate from my normail 37.5 to over 50 a week if we are involved in a project - all at the same rate of pay.  I knew it when I signed on to the position.  While there isn't comp time if I come in late from dentist or car repair I'm not docked.  I wouldn't think of askign for more money if I consistently started working over 50 hours a week, but if it continued for a long period of time I would either approach bossie for temp help or time off not on the PTO register!

"Proposed" changes -

- Working week moves from 36hrs to 37hrs
- Flexible Working Hours remain eg. school run would allow later start time
- Removal of Flexi Time
- Reduction in Holidays eg. everyone in the UK gets the same stats - no extra if you live in Scotland or NI
- Changes to Redundancy Policy

We should know more tomorrow but that is what the union have indicated to members.

Atlanta

Here in the UK (and all over Europe) there is the European Working Time Directive, which means that if you regularly work over 40+* hours you can be asked to sign a waiver.  Otherwise you can't do those kinds of hours as it's against the law.  Temps with agencies are usually asked to sign this waiver.

* can't remember exact figure offhand.

Looks like 48 hours Jackie -

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/employment/employees/workinghoursandtimeoff/dg_10029426

Interesting morning.  Doom and gloom for some, but generally ok for me.

We now enter the 90 day consultation period and get down to the finer details.

Gee

I'd fight against losing flexi, it's so useful

thanks for the hours for the WTD, just couldn't remember the figure offhand.

Well Jacqui a lot of employees are up in arms about it and other issues, but I'm not in the union.  Whatever power the union have left will be up to them to fight it out with members.