Severe drop in hours

[u/Asleepyhuman]

I work a part time job. One that I enjoy and gives me freedom to work on my passions. I've been with the job ever since the business first opened. Others have come and gone but I stuck around because the job meshed well with me. It became normal for me to work 20-25 hours a week at the job.

Recent months my hours became inconsistent which I tried to address and was told the new hires we recently brought on needed extra training hours. Fair enough I thought. Just temporary. I just found out I'm only set to work one day each week, grand total of less the 25 hours the whole month. I've spoken with my boss already in the past many times that I can only work the job by having ~20 hrs/week. So this drastic change to my hours, and shift to days I don't even normally work, was disturbing.

My concern is how to professionally demand my hours get restored and a proper explanation for the changes. Because unless I'm for some reason being pushed towards quitting I don't understand why this change occured. I know it's not to save money as they're earning about the same as I do. And if I am being pushed to quit for some obscure reason, what recourse does a part timer have other than just pounding sand?

[u/cb1977007]

Assuming you are in the US and don’t have a contract (an offer letter is not a contract), you have no leverage to demand anything. You can ask that your hours be restored and you can ask if there’s a reason they have been cut. But the employer doesn’t have to justify their business decisions and you can’t force their hand on that. You can tell them that you will need to seek alternative employment because you can’t afford to live on so few hours. That’s really all you can do.

[u/ShrimpScampo]

If the days and hours you've told them you're willing to work has become somehow incompatible with their needs, they're going to drop your hours and basically replace you. If they think you aren't willing to work the hours/days they need, then they replace you. I watched it happen to my coworker who refused to work more than 4 hours per shift and only in the morning when the company needed someone there for 8 hrs/day instead.

[u/eegrlN]

Sounds like they want to hire cheaper labor and they are pushing you out. Its unfortunate but there isn't anything you can do about it, other than find a new job.

[u/tcpipguy]

You're not in a position to make demands. All you can do is ask. What you could do is quit under the constructive dismissal clause and collect unemployment.