If a work contract states to be available any 5 of 7 days, does that mean I have to be able to work on any 7 days or I can have 2 days of a week I am unavailable to work?
It is a 25 hour a week part time contract, but I have commitments on Monday and Tuesday, available to work the other 5 days. Does this mean I have to be available Monday and Tuesday as well? What is the proper definition to “available any 5 days of 7”
My guess would mean you have to nominate 5 days that you're available during the week
I thought the same thing at first, but it says "Any 5 days of 7" so it might require OP to be available to work, well, any 5 days as needed. But OP should honestly just ask, it's a 2min conversation if that.
It means, pick 5 days of the week that you're available to work the 25 hours.
Welcome to Liberal's new world. I don't believe you get to choose your days and this means weekends are included at the same rates - my guess. It is what business has been wanting - not to pay penalty rates. It looks industry dependent - but I'm guessing it's all the same: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employee-entitlements
Oh no, the humanity, how dare businesses want to hire people who're available to work when the business actually needs someone to work…
I agree, please ask them and then get back to us on what this actually meant. I think it is ambiguous as it might mean either you get to pick the days or they get to pick the days. Also, you need to find out if this means you must be available, at minimal notice, if they decide to change what days you need to be available. It is a valid issue to be clarified.
They’re basically saying that I need to be available 7 days a week, and I will be rostered on days that I’m unavailable on if they need me, even though my contract clearly states “to be available any 5 of 7 days” which to me means, I need to be available any 5 days a week, meaning unavailable the other 2. Am I wrong to assume this? They’re basically trying to downgrade my contract to one that pays $5 less an hour, but in turn means I can be unavailable up to 4 days a week, which is not what I need.
I suspected that might be the case; they roster you when they want you to work and it will start drying up if you aren’t available.
At least we don’t have the zero hour contracts like they have in the U.K.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-hour_contract
I’m not sure there is much you can do, maybe talk to the relevant union or plead your case with the rostering people. There might be someone else at your work who would prefer the days you need off.
Personally I would start looking for a new job. Don’t let these guys know until you have secured another position, then give them notice. Be very polite about it and just let them know the rostering didn’t work for you and wish them luck.
I need to be available any 5 days a week
I'm not saying it's easy to parse because I read it like you did at first too, but "any" means "any".
Ask them?