Day 206 - 22 Jan 96 - Page 51
1 previous week's schedule for them to follow on to the next
2 week's schedule to ensure that they would not have an
3 inappropriate shift on the Monday.
4
5 Q. Then Mr. Morris is asking you why would you, if it be the
6 case, ensure that someone does not work more than seven
7 days in a row?
8 A. Obviously, to ensure that they have the correct number
9 of days off.
10
11 MR. MORRIS: So, really, in any period of seven days, people
12 should have two days off; that is only fair for an
13 employee?
14 A. Yes, unless they specifically requested otherwise.
15
16 Q. So that the rules about fairness to employees do not apply
17 if somebody needs the extra money and is prepared to work
18 longer hours; is that what you are saying?
19 A. We would not schedule an employee to work greater than
20 five, you know, five days within a week period with two
21 days off.
22
23 Q. What I am trying to find out is if the Company cares
24 anything at all about its employees and ----
25
26 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Put it another way, because it could be a
27 point of view that a Company who cares about its employees
28 would be only too happy to let them work as long as they
29 wanted to, as many days in a row as they wanted to. That
30 is not the point of view you are putting, but try to put it
31 another way.
32
33 MR. MORRIS: I will put it another way then. (To the witness):
34 Does the Company have any policy about their Managers
35 taking advantage of people's lack of money or need for
36 greater money by having any kind of policies on restricting
37 the number of days in which they can be scheduled or number
38 of shifts which they should work in a row? You did the
39 scheduling; you must know what the guidelines are.
40 A. The guides lines are that the crew member would work in
41 the period of 35 to 40 hours a week.
42
43 Q. Are you saying that anyone who works over 40 hours a week,
44 therefore, is doing it outside of the Company's concern for
45 their length of hours they work; it is something that
46 should not be done, no-one should be working more than 40
47 hours ------
48 A. Extra hours -- if a crew member came to me and asked to
49 be scheduled extra hours, or wanted extra shifts, then we
50 would try and accommodate their needs.
51
52 Q. So, is it the case that you are happy to accommodate your
53 staff, your workers', needs when it comes to longer hours
54 working, but, say, if they ask for double wages, the
55 Company would not consider that?
56 A. The Company are actually happy to oblige for extra
57 hours. Accordingly, if the crew member was to work shorter
58 hours or change their availability, and we would try and do
59 our best to accommodate them as well. The wage rate that
60 we hire at ------
