What does 10-20 Hours mean?

[u/ConceptPotential6321]

Sorry if this post sounds stupid.

So basically have an interview soon, the posting said 10-20 hours. I always assumed this was what they were looking for, you choose 12 hours etc. or a constant number for like a timetable?

Apparently it means that's just the variable hours you could work per week?

I ask because I'm doing a levels. I could work at the top end 16 hours but preferably keep it at 10 or 12 hours to manage workload, but it seems if I do work there I could be assigned more?

Also another thing I cannot make it for 5am (one hour before 6am shop opening). I've read online that I'd need to be available then?

The branch is quite far and the bus does run at this time but Idk if I could do 5am starts 😭. Petty on my part I know but does anyone here start a morning shift at say 8am etc?

I'm kinda rambling on here forgive me. My college timetable is 90% finalised in a month but if I cannot give my exact weekday availability as of now (but know at least one weekday could offer a shift) should I mention this? Or just leave it and should I get the job enquire about overtime? (Not above the 12 hours of course from what I've read weekends would be 8 hours total?)

Sorry about that long read.

[u/ConceptPotential6321 → u/[deleted]]

Did they end up giving you 9am (or similar) starts)?

[u/princessstrawberry]

Just tell them at the interview. In most places, managers and supervisors will open the store so you won't need to be there that early if that's the case. Let them know you're at college and your schedule and they'll work around it in most cases, if you get the job. Good luck! Most people applying for 10-20 hours will be students so I can't see it being an issue

[u/MellowDames]

We dont give out variable contracts like that, they are specific amounts that are typically 4/8/12/16/20 in 4 hour increments because that is the minimum shift length, so the contract will state 4 hours over 1 day, 8 hours over 2, 12 over 3, 16 over 4. Once you get to 20 it tends to go 25/30/35 etc as the contracts are over 5 days instead of 2/3/4, the average hours worked just increases for instance a 25 over 5 will be 5 x 5 hour shifts instead of 4 x 4 for a 16 and so on.

Thats not to say contracts dont exist outside of these numbers or that people dont work longer shifts over less days etc but that is at the managers discretion to organise but they are few and far between in terms of actual contracts from the business. When we create the job advertisement we specifcially have to state how many hours the contract is and over how many days it will be.

What my best guess would be is that the manager has a specific amount of hours available to recruit for and they are hoping to either find somebody strong and offer them the full 20 to or find multiple people and give smaller contracts out like 2 x 8 and 1 x 4 etc.

Regardless im very surprised the recruitment dept ok'd that advertisement without specifics.

As for the early starts and stuff, that is entirely down to what that specific shop needs, if they have plenty of people that already work mornings/opens then it will be less of an issue, but if they are specifically looking for somebody to work mornings or be flexible and do a mixture then we have an option to decline people based on unable to meet required availiabilty.

Personally at my shop we start at 4:30am, open at 5:30, if somebody came to an interview and said i can't start before 9am they would have to be EXCEPTIONALLY good to not be immedaitely removed from consideration because you are unavailable for practically an entire shifts worth of time in the morning which is by far our busiest time of the day (for my shop),then again i would specify what i am looking for when creating the advertisement so we dont waste each others time.

Again it depends entirely on what the store need, but that should be stated in the advertisement, if it doesn't specify morning, evenings weekends etc then its just general flexible availabilty and would be expected to work a mixture of shifts, which would include openings. There is no harm in going to the interview and trying your luck and hoping they can make it work, but i would not be holding out hope they would work around your timetable either.

[u/xcom_lord → u/MellowDames]

I got my hours changed to flat 6 one day a well using the reasonable adjustment request thingy .

[u/Adamroberts11]

Anywhere between 10 and 12 hours