I have children to collect and a previous manager adjusted my start times to compensate. I'm now being told that my start times will be moved back and that I'll have to have my meal relief at the end of my duty if I want to finish in time to collect my children.
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Meal Relief
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WOBBLY
- Posts: 362
- Joined: 27 Apr 2012, 13:19
- Gender: Male
Meal Relief
Can my manager force me to take my meal relief at the end of my duty instead of during it?
I have children to collect and a previous manager adjusted my start times to compensate. I'm now being told that my start times will be moved back and that I'll have to have my meal relief at the end of my duty if I want to finish in time to collect my children.
I have children to collect and a previous manager adjusted my start times to compensate. I'm now being told that my start times will be moved back and that I'll have to have my meal relief at the end of my duty if I want to finish in time to collect my children.
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Sidley
- Posts: 653
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Re: Meal Relief
This is the exact opposite of everything I've heard or read about taking your break.
It's normally Doms being upset about us taking our breaks at the end of our duty as a way of getting a flyer.
It's normally Doms being upset about us taking our breaks at the end of our duty as a way of getting a flyer.
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Re: Meal Relief
No thats illegal - however looking at the next part of your post, they are not telling you to take it at the end, because of circumstances you are choosing to - there is a difference.WOBBLY wrote:Can my manager force me to take my meal relief at the end of my duty instead of during it?
Get rep and ADR involved - I know its the standard answer from me recently but you can't tackle this on your own. My own advice beyond that would be to put in a grievance against the change in hours, at least get the manager to explain in writing why they have changed a previously authorised arrangement. You should also emphasise that Royal Mail promotes itself as Family friendly in any correspondence and this plainly isn't.WOBBLY wrote:I have children to collect and a previous manager adjusted my start times to compensate. I'm now being told that my start times will be moved back and that I'll have to have my meal relief at the end of my duty if I want to finish in time to collect my children.
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mpl1111
- Posts: 62
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Re: Meal Relief
they cant force you to take all of your break at the end of your duty. as that is illegal they can only force you to take part of your break ie half of it at the end you must have at least half of break during your duty
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martin the green
- Posts: 157
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Re: Meal Relief
thats the funniest thing i have heard on here "family friendly"

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WOBBLY
- Posts: 362
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- Gender: Male
Re: Meal Relief
TrueBlueTerrier wrote:No thats illegal - however looking at the next part of your post, they are not telling you to take it at the end, because of circumstances you are choosing to - there is a difference.
Our revision was implemented and my start time was changed to half an hour later than it was originally, despite being assured my start time would remain the same. I informed the manager (in charge of setting up the revision) about this issue and the duty time was altered to accommodate my child care. Now I'm being told that this is unacceptable by my regular manager (despite it being ok for quite some time) and that my start time will be moved to the the original later time and I must take my meal relief at the end of my duty. There was no real explination as to why!
Hope that made sense!
I found this on the Gov website
Rules for taking breaks
Employers can say when workers take their rest break during work time as long as:
the break is taken in one go somewhere in the middle of the day (not at the beginning or end)
the worker is allowed to spend it away from their desk or workstation (ie away from where they actually work)
If an employer says a worker should go back to work before their break is finished, it doesn’t count as a rest break.
Last edited by WOBBLY on 13 Mar 2013, 21:14, edited 1 time in total.
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IcanthelpthewayIam
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Re: Meal Relief
basically they can change your start time but they cant insist you take break at end
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WOBBLY
- Posts: 362
- Joined: 27 Apr 2012, 13:19
- Gender: Male
Re: Meal Relief
Even if it affects your childcare??zx135 wrote:basically they can change your start time
My new finish time would be 15.12
My children finish school at 15.00 and my office is 15 mins away from their school!
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fishtank
- Posts: 19732
- Joined: 28 Sep 2007, 17:22
- Gender: Male
Re: Meal Relief
You need to do this... https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/mak ... pplication" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You should really have done it pre-revision and it would have given you some protection.
It can still be refused but they will have to give you genuine business reasons for refusal.
You should really have done it pre-revision and it would have given you some protection.
It can still be refused but they will have to give you genuine business reasons for refusal.
good times, bad times you know I've had my share
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IcanthelpthewayIam
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Re: Meal Relief
yes even if it affects your childcare, as long as they can prove there is a business case for it then they do not need to allow family friendly hoursWOBBLY wrote:Even if it affects your childcare??zx135 wrote:basically they can change your start time![]()
My new finish time would be 15.12
My children finish school at 15.00 and my office is 15 mins away from their school!
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Glenno
- Posts: 1491
- Joined: 05 Jun 2007, 13:12
Re: Meal Relief
WOBBLY

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WOBBLY
- Posts: 362
- Joined: 27 Apr 2012, 13:19
- Gender: Male
Re: Meal Relief
I'm asking for just half an hour, to keep my start time where it has been for over 10 years! There is no point at which I have no work (i.e. waiting for mail to arrive etc) so there is, imho, no business reason not to allow it. 50% of the office start at the earlier time anyway! My manager is simply doing this to be awkwardzx135 wrote:yes even if it affects your childcare, as long as they can prove there is a business case for it then they do not need to allow family friendly hoursWOBBLY wrote:Even if it affects your childcare??zx135 wrote:basically they can change your start time![]()
My new finish time would be 15.12
My children finish school at 15.00 and my office is 15 mins away from their school!
CheersGlenno wrote:WOBBLY![]()
I got told my start time would remain the same instead of being moved so I thought I'd be ok (I should have known betterfishtank wrote:You need to do this... https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/mak ... pplication" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
You should really have done it pre-revision and it would have given you some protection.
It can still be refused but they will have to give you genuine business reasons for refusal.