I've been let go from work and been in complete shock about the whole thing!
So last time I spoke to you all, I was busy doing 40+ hours a week, loving my job and keeping very busy.
Three weeks ago I went to check the rota to write down what days I was doing that week and to my surprise I couldn't find my name, I spoke to one of my colleagues, and they asked whether I had booked holiday. With my palm on my face I remembered I had booked that weekend off as I was going to have a little look round Bath and see my friends in Glastonbury over four days.
That still didn't explain why I was given the whole week off, a couple of the other girls offered me some of their shifts as they had too many that week, so I gladly took them.
While at work that week, the rota for the following week went up. Still nothing. So I spoke to a manager who said he didn't know what happened and told me he would absolutely sort it out and give me some hours for when I got back from Bath.
I had a lovely time in Bath!
I felt a bit panicky all weekend about what it is I could have done for them to take me off the rota, if it was a mistake or whether I had done something wrong.
On the Monday, after we got back I rang in to find out my hours (as I was told it would be sorted out) I was told to ring back on Tuesday. So I did and they said they'd ring back at some point that day. I stayed in all day expecting a call. Nothing.
I felt horrible, I was left hanging not knowing what was going on.
Jake who also works in the same place got back from work one day and said that the new rota had gone up and neither me nor him were on it this time.
On the Friday, I waited till the quietest part of the day to go in and find out what was going on.
They said that the managers were taking over the host role, and there wasn't another role I could do. They said they could keep me on but they wouldn't give me any hours so they suggested I find a new job. I felt very trapped and panicked, there was nothing I could say but "Okay". I asked why they hadn't told me sooner, they said they were meant to three weeks ago.
Straight afterwards, Jake went and spoke to them, they said to Jake that he didn't look like he enjoyed the job, he argued saying he loved it and the people are great etc. Then they said the same thing to him that they said to me, "We won't give you any hours, so we suggest you find a new job".
As we were both in zero hour contracts there was nothing we could do.
We felt awful, it felt like they just needed two people to get rid of, so they targeted us as a couple and made us leave. Everyone we told was in shock and worried for their job. We hadn't done anything wrong and their reasons were pitiful.
We have one month left now before we leave for uni, so it's going to be tough not diving into our savings if we cant find a new job.
This is just my story and experience of a zero hour contract. 583.000 of the UK workforce were estimated to be on zero hour contracts between October - December 2013. Many employers are abusing them and offering no security to their members of staff.
Some may argue that this "flexibility" is equally beneficial to both employers and employees, in most cases this is untrue, employees have no control over the hours they work, the amount they earn each week or the breaks they take.
If you would like to help ban zero hour contracts click here to sign a petition against them, in order to increase security for members of staff.
