Clocking in and out entry system

[rambo1]

Scan In/Out data will not be used for the automatic reduction of contractual pay or
allowances based on data captured, or to reduce overtime pay where a (verbal)
contract has been agreed with the manager prior to commencement.

I can’t believe RM have gone to the efforts of having these talks (when they could’ve attempted to bring in the changes without any consultation) and yet put in such a big loophole. It’s just inviting ghost OT. When will we see a stop to it and people being made to work the hours they are paid for.

Surely the difficulty is that postie A is capable of doing 2 frames (doubling up) in 7 hours but then postie B would take 7 hours to do 1 and a half frame. . . so should they both receive the same amount of overtime when one of them has done quite a bit more?

That's where standards come into play. People who take the pxss won't be able to and people that rush around will maybe slow down a bit. As long as the standards are attainable by the 'average' postie it's okay. What they constitute as 'average' is a matter for the union to agree.

[rambo1]

That "loophole" works in both Royal Mail's and our favour though, so why would they put a stop to it? It wouldn't make sense to disadvantage themselves. I charge time and a half or double time for most of my overtime because I'm usually the difference between failure and not. My office knows this and knows I'm happy to do a few hours extra most of the time, so when they ring me they know what price has to be paid. I usually end up with tracked/specials/LATs/broken down vans and lately Covid kits and loops that just can't be shifted by people who already deliver near them.

The other option to them is hire agency, which would be very costly, or more part timers, which means some days they might not have enough work, what then? Failure means potential fines. It's cheaper for RM just to make these deals isn't it? And I get a nice little reward from it. I call it my bonus lol.

Obviously, I believe overtime should be time and a half by default, but realistically is that going to happen? I don't think so, so I get to make the rules because it's my free time, they can agree or disagree at the end of the day. If the clocking in and out system was linked to pay, I imagine people in the same boat as me might not be so willing to help out as much. The incentive just wouldn't be good enough.

I get it's not necessarily fair for everyone, but it's up to each person what overtime they do and what they charge, it's none of my business. I don't get why so many people are up in arms about ghost O/T. Everyone that's moaned at me about it are those people that refuse to go a minute over. That's your choice! I won't moan at you for working to time. Let people go about their own business. Too many unfortunately concerned with what others do.

So you would be happy to work to time too? You don't need the extra money. So if the boss says normal overtime rate ( which everyone else gets) you would really say, fine, get someone else to do it? Why should you 'negotiate' twice the money for doing the same work as one of your colleagues? Your office must be an exception as 99% of other offices have actually been failing walks most of the year so the argument you have of 'its either pay me double or the office fails' doesn't really stand in most of royal mail ATM.