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This is a very long story short. I am a part time employee contracted to 14 hours a week and have been with the company just over a 18 months.

I love my job and have readily accepted additional hours (overtime) during my employment.

For various reasons, I was recently offered increased in hours to a 20 hour contract to come in affect in October. I asked for my employer to consider a 30 hour contract as someone is leaving to have a baby (and not returning) meaning there are additional hours available for me.

However, I was told by HR that I was very fortunate to even receive an increase because its not standard practice (which from 1st hand experience I know to be true.) So, I accepted the 20 hours.

I have since learnt through 'office gossip' that in one of our other offices, a brand new employee was hired on a 30 contract. Upon investigating, my manager found out this employee is my exact counterpart in that office and that the same HR officer dealt with his contract.

This has left me furious as, for complex reasons, I have been struggling stay solvent and relying on unreliable benefits and overtime for the past ten months. A 30 hour contract, however, would solve this.

My manager has been no help and admitted she has no influence in such matters. So now I am left with the question, is there anything I can do?

StackExchange What The Heck
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Kostka
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2 Answers2

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My manager has been no help and admitted she has no influence in such matters. So now I am left with the question, what should I do?

While I'd normally expect that you could ask your manager to "go to bat" for you, she may be signalling that she doesn't want to (or simply can't) get involved for some reason. I don't know why that might be, but let's assume that she cannot.

Your best bet would be to calmly talk to the original HR rep you spoke with, and ask what was different about the situation that merited 30 hours, and your situation which was only allowed a 20 hour contract. Try not to be furious - just be inquisitive.

You might learn that (as is often the case) both positions weren't exactly the same. You might learn that 30 hours isn't needed in your particular office. Or you might learn that it was just a mistake. Or there might be some other reason that you can only learn by asking.

You can then ask if you could be increased to 30 hours at some point as soon as it's feasible. Perhaps the HR rep will feel like you are owed some consideration, perhaps not.

Joe Strazzere
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Interesting.

Can you get in touch with that HR officer and tell them that the next time she has a 30-hour contract, you'd like to have it?

Don't blame your manager for being powerless on this issue. She did as much for you as she could by investigating. Spend your energies on getting that HR officer know what you wish and if possible, HR officers with similar responsibilities and powers. You want them to know that if they have 30-hour contracts to give out to brand new employees, you'd like to compete for them, as a brand new employee if necessary.

Forget about what "HR told me" - It looks like that person told you the first thing that came through their heads to rid themselves of your immediate presence.

Vietnhi Phuvan
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