Can my boss force me to work the kind of shifts that I dont want to work?

I work as a proffesional security officer in a team of 17, I have been working night shifts for the past 6 months and recently I have put in writing to the managment that I would like to work permanent Night Shifts as it gives me greater balance of work and social life (Night Shifts = 4 nights on, 4 nights off = 48 hours I am contracted per week). He has just done the next months duty roster and put me on day shifts for the entire month without consulting me. I am protesting but he says it is out now and it can't be changed. Is there anything I can do?

Not sure what country you are in, but for the UK...
This is a tricky one. It is probably in your contract that they can issue you any hours they please.
However, there is a small piece of employment law legislation that may help you. It states that if you perform a role or duty or anything about your job becomes regular for a period of at least 3 months, then it becomes an implied part of the contract 'through established custom and practice'. For example, you work mon-fri 9-5. But for the last 6 months you have done sat 9-12 as over time on every sat, then that becomes an implied term of contract, and you are entitled to that shift until they go through the change of contract process (usually requires 1-3 months notice to do this). This may well apply in your case. Explain that you have been doing nights for 6 months, and that if they want you do do days, they need to re-issue you're contract as per your current contract for changes contracts (a mouth full eh?!)

Edit:
Read this...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/E...

Scroll down to the bit about 'Implied contract terms' and 'Terms implied by custom and practice'

should help you!

It depends on the terms and conditions of the contract you have signed. If contains in your contract that you will work days or nights as required, then you really cannot do anything about it. You may enter in to negotiations with you boss and agree a certain shift pattern with a view to alter your contract, then it may be binding. If however, it is a temporary measure, then it can again be changed by you boss.

Unless you were hired specifically for a certain shift, and your job description says you only have to work that shift, they can ask you to work any shift you want. If you make a big deal about which shift you want and they think you're being unreasonable, they might put you on the opposite shift just to spite you. I'm sure you could find a night security job somewhere else though, it seems like that would be the most difficult shift to find someone for!

Not at all ... exercise your rights ... do the boss a favor and QUIT ...

But if you decide to stay there and collect the paycheck, then yes, do everything your boss tells you including your schedule.

You see, there are 168 hrs in a week ... when you accepted the job, you agreed to allow the boss to schedule you for 40 of those hours ... the remaining 128 are your to do anything you want to with them.

See, that's the thing about being an adult - sometimes, your social life gets pushed to the wayside because of that whole pesky gotta-make-a-living thing. On your team of 17 people, i guarantee that every one of them would prefer one shift or another for a variety of reasons. What happens if 14 out of 17 want nite shift? The other three are just stuck juggling days?

Apply with a different security company. Either you'll get a shiny new job that suits you better, or they'll call your boss for a reference and he'll give you what you want.

Perhaps it would be possible to trade with someone who is sceduled for the night shift, with permission from management, If another employee is willing to trade. It never hurts to inquire----nicely.

Needs of the company do come first. If they need a night worker, you have the option. Work the shift and keep your job or quit.

You can quit bitching, and be glad that you have a job.

Yes your boss can, the needs of the business out-weight your needs for a social life.

You can quit.

Not if you wish to continue working for the same company.

I agree with honk2goose. Be happy you're not unemployed right now, and STFU.

If the night shift is premium pay (usually is) and everyone else wants it (NOT usually), you may be stuck on days a while. But don't stay with a job you hate (IF you hate it) "because you're lucky to have a job". You should respect yourself enough to demand respect from others. NO job can MAKE you do anything. You CHOSE the job, you can UN-choose it too.

So, you did accept the job and they probably told you they would be changing up shifts on you. Now here is the reason it's called "employment at will". They have the right to fire you at any time for no reason, and you also have the right to quit at any time for no reason (it might not look good on a resume or get you a reference, but it doesn't mean you'll never work again).

If you have decided that working for this company on a day shift is not what you want to do, you have every right to quit. I certainly wouldn't do that before having another job lined up first (tough economic times, you know).

If it is simply a matter of who is gonna work the day shift if you don't, why not ask your boss that if you can find co-workers who prefer to trade schedules with you, would that be satisfactory to GETTING THE JOB DONE? Sound perfectly reasonable and concerned that their business is taken care of first, and they will probably be reasonable as well. If they are not reasonable, then it's probably time to start looking elsewhere to work anyway.

And don't worry about it too much. Most people HATE night shift, so you are in a good place in that respect.

Personal story: My boss called me on the morning I had scheduled off for an important event and demanded that I come in to work. I refused and they said I'd be fired for "insubordination". I said "That's OK. I quit." I got a lot of begging then about how I was gonna ruin my wonderful career (I had been there only 6 months) and miss out on my upcoming 10 cent pay raise (like THAT was gonna inspire me).

I turned in my employee badge etc on Monday morn at the headquarters office and Personnel offered me a position elsewhere (there were some worries about if I'd sue, which I won't get into here). I countered with "Why didn't you support me when I called and told you Friday what was going down? You knew THEN that what they were doing wasn't right."

So I quit that job flat. And promptly went out and got another one with a great company, where I worked over nine years total (7 + 2.5 with a gap between).

Moral: There's enough other trouble in life without CHOOSING a situation that makes you miserable. Work where you are happy or at least semi-content. Because if work stinks and then makes your home life stink too, you have got NOTHING good going on.