splitting breaks

[Danelectro]

exactly stormproof but there clearly is no effort to monitor whats going on with these sort of issues by the CWU because if there was im sure some senior reps wouldnt come out of it with flying colours, there is major local bending of agreements and aims on all H&S issues and in my experience its a charade carried out by Royal Mail and CWU and willingly implemented by all and sundry including union reps who should know better.

[keithposty]

as stated

the people who are bitching about the breaks would be the first to complan if they stop paying for them

[justdeno]

In our office and many rural offices, taking a MR in any form is a waste. We have no chairs for starters, so not much of a rest. We do eat on our frames not suitable, so the best thing for us is to either go to the local cafe and spend a fortune, or take our break at the end of our day. The people in larger offices have no understanding of the rurals and lack of facilities,(no TV,DVD,POOL TABLE, GYM etc) so unless this is sorted everywhere, there will always be places that would rather take their MR at the end, but not through their own choice.

[Stormproof]

In our office and many rural offices, taking a MR in any form is a waste. We have no chairs for starters, so not much of a rest. We do eat on our frames not suitable, so the best thing for us is to either go to the local cafe and spend a fortune, or take our break at the end of our day. The people in larger offices have no understanding of the rurals and lack of facilities,(no TV,DVD,POOL TABLE, GYM etc) so unless this is sorted everywhere, there will always be places that would rather take their MR at the end, but not through their own choice.

I'm in an office with over 150 so its not just small offices and SPDO's that don't have the all singing/dancing facilities!. Stop using excuses and do the job properly.

[justdeno]

I bet you have the basics like chairs!!! How can you rest standing up then out walking for 6 hours. I would happily have full breaks. I used to run racing yards with many employees, did not expect them to have their meal break on top of a horse, so do not have a go when you have no experience of the type of place I work at.

[fishtank]

I bet you have the basics like chairs!!! How can you rest standing up then out walking for 6 hours. I would happily have full breaks. I used to run racing yards with many employees, did not expect them to have their meal break on top of a horse, so do not have a go when you have no experience of the type of place I work at.

So what has your office done to get facilities for the taking of the breaks?
If you have a manager's office i'm sure they have chairs.
That's where i would be taking my break until the situation was addressed.
I can be a messy eater.

[keithposty]

why do you not have chairs

you must have a seperate area for taking breaks, even if it is an old canteen

their is no legal requirement for the employer to supply a canteen but a rest area is needed on the amount of employees. though it does go on the amount of staff in the building.

they have to supply chairs with back rest , table and seating areas. its most important now due the the regualtions on pregnant women and people who are disabled

i think it comes under the factories act or the management of health and safety at work regulations

ill hit the books and get back to you

[justdeno]

No manager, so no chair we only have a room no old canteen, just larger than a shed. Wish the posties from around the country understood what the poor relations have

[keithposty]

if the employer has more than 12 staff then there must be a rest area away from the shop floor

[fishtank]

No manager, so no chair we only have a room no old canteen, just larger than a shed. Wish the posties from around the country understood what the poor relations have

It's not us you need to get to understand the situation,what can we do?
It's management you need to do your complaining to....through your rep or area rep if you don't have one.
I wouldn't worry about it though...these little pretend offices won't last much longer then you'll see that the grass isn't greener...it's just a larger field with more bullshit to avoid.

[Stormproof]

Alot of us take our breaks at our frames, or we go and sit and have our breaks at other frames and have a chat. I can't believe you've no seating at all, no seat or stool at your frame? You really should be bringing this up with the manager who covers your office! I worked at an SPDO for a while, only 7 of us but we had stools under our frames, tea making facilities, microwave, toaster etc. So there is no excuse to be working in those conditions no matter the size of your office.

[justdeno]

We do sit on our frames, as no stools, not enough room, I have asked for toaster etc, but management say they have no budget for these. As for the union, I pay my subs, not seen a single rep( area rep lives down the road )for at least 3 years, try to ask them to see us, falls on deaf ears. I don't care if they shut down SPDO's at least we all get the same in the company. I was on light duties last year, worked in local DO, took all MB's as we had facilities. I fully agree we are paid to have them, just its not easy in a rural, when you have nowt. I did ask for a plastic patio set but to no avail. I do sometimes go to a friends house for a coffee, on my route, but only when she is in, so I try my best.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

theres no minium number of staff required for a rest area, so even in a spdo with a couple of staff RM are duty bound to provide you with a rest area, the size of the rest area is governed by the number of staff who ma use it at the same time

heres some info for you:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg244.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Facilities for rest and to eat meals

Suitable and sufficient, readily accessible rest facilities should be provided.
Seats should be provided for workers to use during breaks. These should be in a
place where personal protective equipment need not be worn. Rest areas or rooms
should be large enough and have sufficient seats with backrests and tables for the
number of workers likely to use them at any one time, including suitable access
and seating which is adequate for the number of disabled people at work.
Where workers regularly eat meals at work, suitable and sufficient facilities should
be provided for the purpose. Such facilities should also be provided where food
would otherwise be likely to be contaminated.
Work areas can be counted as rest areas and
as eating facilities, provided they are adequately
clean and there is a suitable surface on which to place food.
Where provided, eating facilities should include a facility for preparing or obtaining a
hot drink. Where hot food cannot be obtained in or reasonably near to the
workplace, workers may need to be provided
with a means for heating their own food (eg microwave oven).
Canteens or restaurants may be used as rest facilities provided there is no
obligation to purchase food.
Suitable rest facilities should be provided for pregnant women and nursing
mothers. They should be near to sanitary facilities and, where necessary, include
the facility to lie down.

[Throgg]

if any staff wanted to take 40 minute break in one go before they left the office then that was fine, if the partner objected then tough.

Tough for who, the one who wants the 40 min break or the one who doesn't?

The situation we have in our office is only four of us take a break before going on delivery. My partner and I agreed with each other to take our full break and we have an argument every day with management who say we have to take 20-20. They also claim that if the posties together in a van can't agree between themselves about their break then management can and will dictate when the break will be and for how long. Being the only four in an office of nearly eighty staff we get no backing from our colleagues.

Just looking for advive on the situation.