Saturdays Off

bardeh · Post by **bardeh** » 30 May 2019, 17:41

I've been working for RM coming up on 4 months now. In that time, I haven't had a single Saturday off. I checked the rota for next week, and yep, not a Saturday. Now, I don't expect every Saturday off. But not one in sixteen weeks? To me it seems unfair. Is there any sort of policy that dictates a minimum number of Saturdays off I'm entitled to? It would be nice to be able to actually spend a whole weekend with my family for once!

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 30 May 2019, 17:46

bardeh wrote:I've been working for RM coming up on 4 months now. In that time, I haven't had a single Saturday off. I checked the rota for next week, and yep, not a Saturday. Now, I don't expect every Saturday off. But not one in sixteen weeks? To me it seems unfair. Is there any sort of policy that dictates a minimum number of Saturdays off I'm entitled to? It would be nice to be able to actually spend a whole weekend with my family for once!

Are you a reserve, and what working patterns is the Unit on.

Personally apart from leave, I haven't had a Saturday off in 14 years, but that's because of the fixed day 5 day week we operate.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 30 May 2019, 17:47

allegedly 1 in 6 on average but its not an unusual situation your in, have a chat to you DOM.

bardeh · Post by **bardeh** » 30 May 2019, 17:48

Yes, I'm a reserve on a 28h contract. I'm not sure what you mean by 'Unit' here, but most fulltimers in my office seem to be on the 5 weeks on 1 week off pattern, and part timers like me are 5 days a week with a 'rotating' day off. The trouble is my day off rotates between Tues-Fri only. Never Monday or Saturday.

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 30 May 2019, 18:14

You are entitled to the same amount of Saturday's off as a duty holder does. So if it is 1 in 6, you are entitled to the equivalent.

Now that doesn't mean you will get 1 Saturday off every 6 weeks, but you should average that. So you might get 2 Saturday's off in a row, then no Saturday's off for next 18 weeks. If that isn't the case, then you ha e legitimate cause to file a grievance as you are being discriminated against.

hero22 · Post by **hero22** » 30 May 2019, 18:23

seems to be the case in most offices mate. lucky if u get 2 Saturdays off in a year in our office.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 30 May 2019, 20:00

If you are a cover or reserve you are entitled to some Saturdays off but not necessarily the long weekends eg Sat/Sun/Mon. I have 'donated' one of my long weekends to enable a cover postie to have three days off in a row. If you get your union rep on the case it should get sorted.

gary1975 · Post by **gary1975** » 30 May 2019, 20:18

I didn't have a sat off in two years when I first started if that helps you out

LittleEmm · Post by **LittleEmm** » 30 May 2019, 21:54

I’ve been with RM 14 weeks and on a 26hr contract.
Only ever been allocated a Tuesday off since I started and can’t see it changing.

Sir Henry · Post by **Sir Henry** » 30 May 2019, 22:33

Shy bairns get nowt! Get onto your rep and kick up a fuss. You should get the equivalent of one in six but no long weekends.
If you're on a walk for a few weeks you should have the same day off as the walk holder would have,if the walk holder was due a Saturday and you didn't get one then your boss is giving your Saturday to one of their lickspittles. The screws piss covers/spares about just to make their lives easier and fairness is anything that goes in their favour. The walk I am on was due a Saturday and I got a Wednesday. Oddly enough one of the one Saturday in four guys got an extra one to go on a charity piss up. The c***. The union SHOULD be all over this as you're being treated unfairly but the rep probably gets their one in six so f**k everyone else.

bardeh · Post by **bardeh** » 30 May 2019, 23:05

gary1975 wrote:I didn't have a sat off in two years when I first started if that helps you out

Well, not really!

It's not as if Saturdays are a particularly busy day in terms of volume of mail, so someone is getting more than their fair share of Saturdays off, while newbies like me get shafted. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

The more time I spend at RM, the easier it is for me to see why their new hire retention rates are (apparently) so low. Being a reserve, I can experience from one day to the next the sheer disparity between some of the walks. Of course, I think it's right that someone who has worked for RM for 20+ years should be able to have their pick of walk. BUT I think it's pretty insane how easy some of the walks are compared to others. Add to this getting messed around with cruddy days off, not knowing your schedule from one week to the next, getting moved from frame to frame multiple times per morning while you watch the full-timers bag up and head out the door...it's quite demoralizing.

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 31 May 2019, 05:35

You can bet your bottom euro that if the rep was a reserve then all reserves would be getting their fair share of Saturday's off.
But most couldn't care less.
I think they should all be reserves so they can see the world from the bottom up.
Let them embrace the option of the poor.

Post by **Trail** » 31 May 2019, 07:28

I worked for Royal Mail for two years and got one Saturday off.

I guess I should have protested, but I worked my day off every week anyway. I was an idiot.

Cme12 · Post by **Cme12** » 31 May 2019, 20:48

Ive worked for them for 6 weeks and got my second sat off next week but i think its because i am covering a duty. Other new staff haven't had any sats off but if its bothering you i would mention it.

Post by **HTPostman** » 01 Jun 2019, 07:30

bardeh wrote:
gary1975 wrote:I didn't have a sat off in two years when I first started if that helps you out
Well, not really!

It's not as if Saturdays are a particularly busy day in terms of volume of mail, so someone is getting more than their fair share of Saturdays off, while newbies like me get shafted. That's the only explanation I can come up with.

The more time I spend at RM, the easier it is for me to see why their new hire retention rates are (apparently) so low. Being a reserve, I can experience from one day to the next the sheer disparity between some of the walks. Of course, I think it's right that someone who has worked for RM for 20+ years should be able to have their pick of walk. BUT I think it's pretty insane how easy some of the walks are compared to others. Add to this getting messed around with cruddy days off, not knowing your schedule from one week to the next, getting moved from frame to frame multiple times per morning while you watch the full-timers bag up and head out the door...it's quite demoralizing.

That's what does my head in. Walking in the door to a round that at best might have the mech thrown in. Meanwhile the FT staff are loading their yorks ready to go out. So after putting in the flats, getting to your packets you then find parcels for their rounds but they left a good 45mins ago.

This job is fk'd. Annual leave requests yet to be dealt with 8 months later, request for compassion due to ill health in family declined, some duties can be done in 3 hours, others in 6 hours. CWU Holiday pay forms put on everyone's frame, 2 hours later a manager has gone round and binned them. I lasted about 2 and a half years when I did the job before, doubt I'll last that long this time.

The sad thing is I actually enjoy the job, do it to the best of my ability, just wish management would do it to the best of theirs.