30 mins flex

ROSSCO · Post by **ROSSCO** » 10 Jul 2016, 17:10

Due to a suspect package at our mail centre Thurs we received only some of our mail for that day.i finished an hour before my time and the dom told everyone here was using30 min flex.Friday was my day off and yesterday I said I wasn't taking my lapsing to which his response was you owe me 30mins.I took it but was he right?

Bahia Feliz · Post by **Bahia Feliz** » 10 Jul 2016, 18:23

They can ask you to 'flex' if you go over one day and finish early another day that week but,not the other way round.

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 10 Jul 2016, 19:52

If your lapsing causes you to be over your time then there should be no lapsing in first place

Post by **eastie** » 11 Jul 2016, 14:10

Acca Dacca wrote:If your lapsing causes you to be over your time then there should be no lapsing in first place

Is the correct answer

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 11 Jul 2016, 16:29

ROSSCO wrote:Due to a suspect package at our mail centre Thurs we received only some of our mail for that day.i finished an hour before my time and the dom told everyone here was using30 min flex.Friday was my day off and yesterday I said I wasn't taking my lapsing to which his response was you owe me 30mins.I took it but was he right?

When did he tell you he was going to ask you to flex?
If he told you on the Thursday and you went home early then tacitly you have agreed to give that 30 minutes back as requested.
If you didn't want to make up that time then you should have said you were prepared to stay until your finish time on Thursday, even if there was nothing to do.

Surreypostie · Post by **Surreypostie** » 11 Jul 2016, 17:21

ROSSCO wrote:Due to a suspect package at our mail centre Thurs we received only some of our mail for that day.i finished an hour before my time and the dom told everyone here was using30 min flex.Friday was my day off and yesterday I said I wasn't taking my lapsing to which his response was you owe me 30mins.I took it but was he right?

I don't know if he is right or wrong, flexing was brought in for these unforeseen circumstances. I personally think, if he was straight with you and said, sorry but we have an issue, you can go home early today but can you help me out tomorrow then he is being fair and reasonable. The fact that you wasn't there the next day, I'd still be inclined to be a little flexible the next time I was in work especially when he only said, you can go home early today and just give me 30 mins in return.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 12 Jul 2016, 17:57

Royal mail is like any other business. It's main objective being profit, whilst I would strongly argue that customer service and health and safety in the company are 2nd and 3rd. In that order.

So why is health & safety put last?

Well, we had a fire drill last week and it was a complete shambles as the DOM was trying to get us back in to the office to work as soon as we stepped outside!! Also, the fire door exits have been blocked by York's and have been reported several times but nothing has ever been done about it. Are there any union health & safety reps anywhere??

Also, if the mountain of returned tracked items are anything to go by then I don't think we will be hitting our targets for 1st time delivery this week. Parcels in general also seem to be doing a vanishing act when customers come in to collect them, only for them to reappear as if by magic a week later once irate customers have had the chance to vent their spleen in person that is...

But let's not forget the most important thing...profits!! Everything is being done now to accommodate the lapsing. It has been the lapsing that has been responsible for most overtime last year, and it is still responsible now. The reasons are obvious: royal mail want bigger deliveries and they want to pay us diddley squat for doing the extra. Slower guys now get more indoor assistance from others as per the work plans and early risers benefit by getting more indoor work put on them when they arrive an hour before they start. It's not exactly fair but it is a plan that seems to work.. what hasn't changed is the reaction you get from managers when you tell them that you only want to work to your time and that the lapsing takes you past that time. I mean health & safety? How many of you out there are actually using your trolleys provided so that you are not carrying mail over the shoulder??

Honestly,if managers drove round and checked that staff were using them and forced staff to use the trolleys,as per health & safety say, then the lapsing would stop in a heartbeat!! But they wont because it ain't profitable for royal mail, they don't want their boss on their backs and of course, the pay offer they agreed to, with bonuses attached.