Am I entitled to anything?

Pigwidgeon

Ok, so in 2007, I got my first job in a small, just opened business. The owners work there everyday. I was only 16 at the time, so didn't know what to expect. I was never given a contract, and as far as I am aware, nobody was. We were just asked at a staff meeting what days we wanted to work, and that was that.

About a year into the job, my hours began to get less and less. I had originally worked two full days on the weekends, but now was working only one day. As it continued, I kept getting less and less hours, sometimes only 3 or 4 hours a week, being told, we aren't expecting it to be busy. Eventually, I started applying for a second job, for during the summer, as it was usually more quiet during the summer, I was asked for a reference off someone, which I said to my current boss, that this was a second job for weekdays. This would have been September of last year. Since then, I have received no hours.

What I am wondering is, is there anything I can do? I'm still listed as an employee, despite not having worked since last September. Is it too late to even do anything, or am I entitled to something? Until now, I'd just thought, sure I never signed anything, there's nothing I can do, I'll just learn from my mistakes and move on. However a friend go me thinking recently, is there anything I can do?

cronos

kateos2 wrote: »

Ok, so in 2007, I got my first job in a small, just opened business. The owners work there everyday. I was only 16 at the time, so didn't know what to expect. I was never given a contract, and as far as I am aware, nobody was. We were just asked at a staff meeting what days we wanted to work, and that was that.

About a year into the job, my hours began to get less and less. I had originally worked two full days on the weekends, but now was working only one day. As it continued, I kept getting less and less hours, sometimes only 3 or 4 hours a week, being told, we aren't expecting it to be busy. Eventually, I started applying for a second job, for during the summer, as it was usually more quiet during the summer, I was asked for a reference off someone, which I said to my current boss, that this was a second job for weekdays. This would have been September of last year. Since then, I have received no hours.

What I am wondering is, is there anything I can do? I'm still listed as an employee, despite not having worked since last September. Is it too late to even do anything, or am I entitled to something? Until now, I'd just thought, sure I never signed anything, there's nothing I can do, I'll just learn from my mistakes and move on. However a friend go me thinking recently, is there anything I can do?

Did you ever find out what he said when he was giving a reference for you. Sounds like he could have given you a bad one. Which can be slander if anything he said in the reference was untrue or something he could not prove.

MagicMarker

cronos wrote: »

Did you ever find out what he said when he was giving a reference for you. Sounds like he could have given you a bad one. Which can be slander if anything he said in the reference was untrue or something he could not prove.

A bizarre post to say the least.

OP, what exactly do you want? You haven't worked there in 9 months, you're no longer an employee there. I think you should move on.

The Big Red Button

It sounds like you were employed on a pretty casual basis. What exactly do you mean by saying you're "still listed as an employee"? Where are you listed, and how do you know this?

And what are you trying to achieve? If you want your job back, why not just walk in and ask the owners if they might have any hours for you to work (I don't know what would have stopped you from doing this at the time?)

As a matter of interest, did you get payslips when you were working there? How were you paid (i.e. cash, cheque, lodgement into your account?) Do you know if you were paying tax?

By the way, while a contract should have been signed, you are still covered by employment law even if there wasn't one. But I just don't understand what sort of action you are considering taking against them?

Pigwidgeon

chatterpillar wrote: »

It sounds like you were employed on a pretty casual basis. What exactly do you mean by saying you're "still listed as an employee"? Where are you listed, and how do you know this?

I went onto revenue.ie to order a P45, and it still has my old job listed as my current employer.

And what are you trying to achieve? If you want your job back, why not just walk in and ask the owners if they might have any hours for you to work (I don't know what would have stopped you from doing this at the time?)

Oh I have, several times. For about 2 months after I stopped getting hours, but eventually I gave up.

As a matter of interest, did you get payslips when you were working there? How were you paid (i.e. cash, cheque, lodgement into your account?) Do you know if you were paying tax?

I did at first when I started working there, by email, but eventually I stopped. It was going into my account, but I never earned enough to get tax.

By the way, while a contract should have been signed, you are still covered by employment law even if there wasn't one. But I just don't understand what sort of action you are considering taking against them?

It's not so much what I can do now, it's more is there anything I should have done at the time, so I know if it happens again in the future. I'm really just trying to get information.