Royal Mail Acting Manager was sacked after Droitwich delay

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail worker was sacked after Droitwich deliveries were delayed

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HUNDREDS of Droitwich people had their Royal Mail deliveries delayed when three bags of letters were returned undelivered to the Worcester depot causing a major investigation.

As a result Mr David Hewitt, manager of the Royal Mail depot at Droitwich, was sacked and other staff disciplined.

The situation was revealed as Mr Hewitt, of Meadow Close, Droitwich, sought compensation for unfair dismissal against the Royal Mail at Birmingham Employment Tribunal.

The Royal Mail opposed his compensation claim and told tribunal judge Miss Vera Jones that the Royal Mail had an obligation to deliver mail every day.


“Failure to deliver is a serious situation – especially to wilfully delay delivery,” said the respondents.

Mr Hewitt said he had been unfairly dismissed and should not have been held responsible for what happened.

He said he was suspended four hours after the incident and later lost his job.

“I was an acting deputy manager at the time after having a five-day induction course,” he said. “I did not have the experience of a full manager.

Mr Hewitt complained he had been working more than 12 hours a day.

The respondents said Mr Hewitt was the manager at the time and that he had volunteered to do the job.

He was also reminded that he was being paid as a substituted manager and that he was “the leader of the day.”

The tribunal was told that the three bags of undelivered mail were sent back to Worcester by an agency driver.

There had been no phone call about what had happened, it was said.

The tribunal was told that people living in some blocks of flats in the Droitwich area may have been among those who failed to receive their mail on the day.

A tribunal decision is to be made at a later date.

Mr Hewitt said he now had another job.

[chrisj]

Suspended within 4 hours of the incident... Wow! And what is the bit about an agency driver taking the mail to Worcester?

Harsh!!!

But he was ready to take the money so was ultimately responsible... However, given the thread about 5 walks not going out, how do some managers get away with it?

There must be more to this story than was reported.

[OnAFlyer]

Suspended within 4 hours of the incident... Wow! And what is the bit about an agency driver taking the mail to Worcester?

Harsh!!!

But he was ready to take the money so was ultimately responsible... However, given the thread about 5 walks not going out, how do some managers get away with it?

There must be more to this story than was reported.

Half the managers in RM would have been sacked by now if this was standard policy.

[steven100]

Maybe someone should write to the judge and tell her this is a daily occurrence at RM. Sacking him was harsh, even although he works for the darkside(star wars tune begins).

[UnhappyGremlin]

Sounds like a scapegoat to me.

[blackadder]

you cant sack a dim for bringing back 3 bags of mail ??? this sorta thing happens everywhere

[jack]

maybe he had been walking around with a target on his back..

[UnhappyGremlin]

maybe he had been walking around with a target on his back..

He'd know how the rest of us feel then.

[sparky80]

We've had lapsed and uncovered duties left in the frames for days! This acting manager was probably used like a lamb to the slaughter to protect others!

[jack]

We've had lapsed and uncovered duties left in the frames for days! This acting manager was probably used like a lamb to the slaughter to protect others!

This is it you see, royal mail break every agreement & procedure in the book, on the other hand it will be followed by the letter to favour them in an ET

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

you cant sack a dim for bringing back 3 bags of mail ??? this sorta thing happens everywhere

happens everywhere but reported no where usually! if people started emaling moya to say that it was happening in their office things would soon change for the better, part timers will end up getting hours increased etc

[Lounge Lizard]

Suspended within 4 hours of the incident... Wow! And what is the bit about an agency driver taking the mail to Worcester?

Harsh!!!

But he was ready to take the money so was ultimately responsible... However, given the thread about 5 walks not going out, how do some managers get away with it?

There must be more to this story than was reported.

"HUNDREDS of Droitwich people had their Royal Mail deliveries delayed when three bags of letters were returned undelivered to the Worcester depot causing a major investigation."
So was WR9 Droitwich mail returned to Droitwich Delivery Office or to the 'Worcester depot' ?
And, most significantly but unreported, had the Acting Manager claimed that it had all been delivered ?

[britwrit]

If a manger got sacked every time casual staff did something wrong, we'd have no managers left.

[Acca Dacca]

He has probably just not reported it as a failure and taken the appropriate steps to attempt to get the mail delivered be that contacting people to ask if they want OT or other offices etc.

[steven100]

Today were is my mail, hopefully this will be classed as a failure. I know I was expecting mail as I work in the same office.