HELP’S AT Hand, by North Shore Community Services (NSCS), is a forum for discussing government policies and programs, benefits, consumer and legal rights, taxation and public * services. * Answers are intended only as a general guide and should not be applied to individual cases without further consultation. Question: I have been at home with my kids for several years but have recently started a full-time job in a restaurant. I consider myself a hiard worker and I'm even willing to doa bit extra. The preblem is that my boss treats me us if I'm lazy. He teils me to hurry up and get hack {o work when ['m on my tunch, and just expects me to work: later if it’s really busy. _ Once i had to say no because I had a doctor's appointment and he got very angry. Treatly need this job. How can f get him to ‘understand that £ heed more notice if FE have io work late, and to leave me alone oa my break? Auswer: Not only is it unres- sonable for your employer to ex- pect you to work overtime on short notice, but it goes against the rights of workers outlined in the Employment Standards Act. The Act says that you must be told about changes to your hours of work at least 24 hours before any change. . . Overtime pay must be paid for ‘-extta time worked over the basic work day of eight hours, or the basic work week of 40 hours. ' So if you work more than eight hours. you should be paid 1% times your. usual pay for each hour over ight hours. That means if you make $6 per hour and work one hour overtime, you should be paid $9 for the avertime hour. You must also be paid overtime for working extra days in the week. If you work over 40 hours in one week you should also be paid 1'% times your regular rate of pay for the extra hours. Employees who work over 48 hours in one week must be paid two times their regular wage (known as double time) for every hour over the 48 hours worked. Regarding your break, you should know that you are entitled to at least a 30-minute period to eat in every five hours of work. This break does not count as paid work time if you are given the time off with na work interrup- uions. tf your employer and you agree that you will still be available to work even on your break, say, serving customers, then you should be paid for the time. This is what you are entitled to under the law and your employer is probably aware of these rules. Even if he gives you the proper notice to work extra hours and is Prepared to pay you the overtime wage, remember that you still have the right to say no. Try to arrange a friendly discussion with your boss where you can express your concerns. In most cases, a clear statement about what you expect from the job and from him will be enough to prevent further problems. If after you have made this ef- fort he remains stubborn and de- manding, you can remind him that you are aware of your rights. Hopefully you will be able to avoid any serious confrontations, which may result in an unpleasant working environment. You might have to ask yourself how worth- while it is to stay. This column is prepared with financial assistance from the Notary Foundation. For more in- formation call NSCS at 985-7138. Block Parents booth set up in Lynn Valley Centre From page 38 call the police for assistance if -someone fs in trouble. North Vancouver RCMP Cyl. _ Sheila Armstrong, the officer in - charge of the detachment’s com- “munity policing section, said the local Block Parent program is in- . valuable. , “The kids need to know that there’s sorneplace for them to go. It’s a wonderful program. For a ‘child to know they are safe, for me, is the most wonderful thing in the world,”’® said Armstrong. But she added that while more Block Parents have signed up for the program, more are needed. To apply to be a Block Parent, applicants must be over 18 years of age, fill out an application form listing any people living in the house who are over 18 and be put through an RCMP security check. Block Parents do not have to be parents in order to qualify for the program. In addition, Block Parents do not: . @ administer first aid; ® provide food and beverages; ® act asa washroom facility; ®@ provide transportaiion. The annua! national Block Parents week will be held from Oct. 25 to 31. In North Vancouver, a Block Parents information booth will be set up in the Lynn Valley Centre on Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information on the North Vancouver Block Parent program, call the North Van- couver RCMP’s community polic- ing section at 985-1311. sete. 9st “Sunday, Ociober 25, 1992 - North Shore News - 37 NEWS photo Cindy Goodman NORTH SHORE Beavers and Scouts are caught sampling the merchandize at the first annual Scout Apple Day held on Saturday to raise funds for Vancouver-Coast region scout activities. A total of 1,800 cases of B.C. apples were up for grabs. WEVE CHANGED OUR. - ADDRESS ~ WE'VE CHANGED OUR BUT QUR RELENTLESS PURSUIT ...CONTINUES. eneremorven rte Visit us at Our New Showroom The Northshore Kingsway Auto Group is proud to announce the birth of its latest dealership. Kingsway Lexus Toyota has now become Burrard Lexus. Visit our new showroom at Burrard & 2nd to view the latest in Le