Just looking for some other people’s opinions on a situation that has arose today for me at work.
For the past five years I have worked for an air conditioning company as a stores controller and occasional project co-ordinator when certain projects require. All of my time at work has been based at the company’s headquarters in Stoke. Today I have been informed that the company has got a job supplying air conditioning for temporary structures based near Ascot during the Olympics and that I am required to work there from mid May until October. This will involve staying at Ascot Monday to Friday and coming home at weekends. Apart from hours worked I will be paid £20 per night out to cover food costs, which I don’t think will really go too far in a place like Ascot. I will also be expected to share a hotel room for the entire duration with a colleague that I do not get on with. A colleague that is morbidly obese and renowned for loud snoring and poor hygiene. I've been told that if I refuse to do the work that the MD will be unhappy and I will basically get stitched with the jobs that no one really wants to do for the foreseeable future.
Just to make things a little worse I am currently studying a Masters on a part time basis, I have an assignment that I will need to complete that will overlap with the first two months of working away. As I do not have a laptop the majority of my work will need to be completed at home during the weekends, it will also be difficult to get in completed in the limited time that I will have. I know the obvious answer it to get another job, and that is what I will be doing. But for the short term I could do with some input on where I stand on this. Is this deemed as an unreasonable request by my employers? And what are my rights to refuse to work away? Any advice on the situation would be greatly appreciated!
For the past five years I have worked for an air conditioning company as a stores controller and occasional project co-ordinator when certain projects require. All of my time at work has been based at the company’s headquarters in Stoke. Today I have been informed that the company has got a job supplying air conditioning for temporary structures based near Ascot during the Olympics and that I am required to work there from mid May until October. This will involve staying at Ascot Monday to Friday and coming home at weekends. Apart from hours worked I will be paid £20 per night out to cover food costs, which I don’t think will really go too far in a place like Ascot. I will also be expected to share a hotel room for the entire duration with a colleague that I do not get on with. A colleague that is morbidly obese and renowned for loud snoring and poor hygiene. I've been told that if I refuse to do the work that the MD will be unhappy and I will basically get stitched with the jobs that no one really wants to do for the foreseeable future.
Just to make things a little worse I am currently studying a Masters on a part time basis, I have an assignment that I will need to complete that will overlap with the first two months of working away. As I do not have a laptop the majority of my work will need to be completed at home during the weekends, it will also be difficult to get in completed in the limited time that I will have. I know the obvious answer it to get another job, and that is what I will be doing. But for the short term I could do with some input on where I stand on this. Is this deemed as an unreasonable request by my employers? And what are my rights to refuse to work away? Any advice on the situation would be greatly appreciated!
