Am I overreacting feeling like since we announced our pregnancy I am being punished at work decreased hours without explanations (am casual have been for 10 years)... I am feeling like just because I'm pregnant I'm being punished for it I did the exact same job with my previous pregnancy no issues... I was in tears all last night thinking that I may be regretting this long awaited baby we cannot ever get ahead on my currently reduced hours
12 Replies
That's the shitty thing about being casual, they can reduce your hours however they want without explanation.
Talk to your manager, ask them why you're getting less shifts. Maybe there's just less work, maybe they felt they were doing you a favour by reducing your work load, maybe they have been training your replacement for when you go on maternity leave.
You won't know unless you ask!
Have a chat to them and see what is going on, however unfortunately being casual, you're completely disposable :(
How long have you been with this employer for? You can't be casual for more than 12 months with the same employer. Give fair work a call and see what they suggest. They could be changing your hours so you can't prove you have been working regular hours for permancy and then be eligible for maternity leave.
Been with them 10 years my shifts are never the same times each week or the same days but the hours add up to the same each week am not entitled to maternity leave payments in our workplace agreement only PPL from centrelink
You clearly know nothing OP of this comment. Get your facts straight before commenting, it's ridiculous the false shit that flies around these forums https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements/types-of-employees/cas...
Casual employees are entitled to ask to change to full-time or part-time employment when they:
have worked a regular pattern of hours over a period of at least 12 months
could continue to work those hours as a full-time or part-time employee without significant changes.
Employees who have been working full-time equivalent hours over 12 months can ask to change to full-time employment.
Employees who have been working less than full-time hours can ask to change to part-time employment, to work hours that are consistent with what they have been working over the last 12 months.
Employers need to give all their casual employees notice in writing that they can ask to become full-time or part-time within the first 12 months of them starting work. Casuals who were already employed on 1 October 2018 need to receive this notice by 1 January 2019.
Casual employees that don’t receive this notice are still able to request a change to full-time or part-time employment.
Changing to full-time or part-time employment
Employees need to ask their employer in writing if they want to change to full-time or part-time employment. Employers can agree to the request or they can refuse on reasonable grounds after consultation with the employee.
If the request is agreed, the employer and employee need to discuss and record in writing:
the type of employment the employee will change to – either full-time or part-time
if the employee will be part-time, their part-time work arrangements as set out in the award.
Once the change has occurred, an employee can only change back to casual employment by agreement in writing with their employer.
An employee can’t be hired and re-hired as a casual or have their hours changed to avoid any right to change to full-time or part-time employment.
Refusing a request to change to full-time or part-time employment
An employer can only refuse a request if the refusal is reasonable and based on information the employer has or information that they could reasonably foresee.
Reasonable grounds for refusal include:
the employee doesn’t work regular hours
the employee’s job won’t exist in the next 12 months
the employee’s working hours will be significantly reduced in the next 12 months
there will be a significant change in the hours or days in the next 12 months which cannot be accommodated within the days and/or hours during which the employee is available to work.
If an employer refuses a request, they need to give the employee their reasons in writing within 21 days of the request being made.
Check the Restaurant Award for the complete process to change from casual to full-time or part-time.
To find out more about who this award applies to, go to the Restaurant Award summary.
Sorry for the messy copy and paste, and I was wrong by saying they HAVE to, but they also can't refuse it without good reason either! If you were a casual employee for at least 12 months before October last year, your employer had to send you a letter by the 1st of January letting you know you are eligible to ask for permanent employment. They obviously haven't sent you that OP and are cutting your hours back so they don't have to employ you as permanent. Sounds like a shit employer anyway if they have kept you casual for so long and now doing this to a long service employee.
I’ve known someone who was casual for years, called up fair work, there is no legislation saying they have to change you, there is nothing you ca do.
I also worked casual at Coles for like seven years, asked for permanent part time, denied. We had a strong union but nothing they can do.
It only changed in October last year! You can ask for it now if 12 months of working regular hours, they have to have a good reason to deny.
This only applies if positions are actually available. Otherwise no law breaking has been committed ,
If a business has managed to employ a casual for 12 months with regular hours then it will be assumed the business does have a position available, that's the point of the changes.
And this lady was employed for 10 years! There are employees out there that get bonuses and payrises after so long, she is getting hours cut! Really dodgy keeping someone casual for so long.