Lapsing my duty

[jen12128]

I dropped hours last year as a duty I wanted came up and I got it. I dropped from 39hrs to 32hrs but last summer the duty was lapsed and its going to be the same again this summer. I have worked for royal mail for 13 years and when this happens I go back to being a reserve and not know what im doing from 1 week to the next, sometimes I am even put on full time duties. I would never of dropped hours if I'd have known this was going to happen. I have spoken to my manager about it who said everybody was told that if we were going to do lapsing this was the duty that was going to be lapsed, but everyone was told when I was off sick. It was never put on the notice when the duty was advertised so I had no idea this would be happening until it happened. Has anybody got any advice on if this is right, thanks

[rhino49]

Can't understand why they lapse a manned duty unless it is because they are too lazy to re-plan the section allocation each week - however many get lapsed in my office - they are only ones where staff are on leave, day off (with no cover) or sick, and are different all the time.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

in our office it is alway the duty closest to the office that is lapsed, this was agreed before it went up for resign, the duty holder took the duty with full knowledge he would get shifted about, but it gave a medium termer a duty instead of being a reserve so he is happy, the benifits to lapsing the duty closer to the office is that everyone is going to know there section, it doesnt change every duty allocated a set bit, also cuts down on travel time, if it was a duty at the end of our area being lapsed, then you would be spending a total of 30 minutes travelling time before you even deliver a letter compared to 5 minutes traveling time, 20 minutes deliverying and 5 minutes back to where you would have been if you were not lapsing, saves time, so having set duties to lapse can make sense but only if done properly

[maisymoo04]

Ours is the nearest as well its not like

[woofwoof]

Get the rep involved lapse around sickness and leave only

[bogstandard]

I dropped hours last year as a duty I wanted came up and I got it. I dropped from 39hrs to 32hrs but last summer the duty was lapsed and its going to be the same again this summer. I have worked for royal mail for 13 years and when this happens I go back to being a reserve and not know what im doing from 1 week to the next, sometimes I am even put on full time duties. I would never of dropped hours if I'd have known this was going to happen. I have spoken to my manager about it who said everybody was told that if we were going to do lapsing this was the duty that was going to be lapsed, but everyone was told when I was off sick. It was never put on the notice when the duty was advertised so I had no idea this would be happening until it happened. Has anybody got any advice on if this is right, thanks

i would be surprised if anyone will tell you what you want to hear/read.
your own post says the office was informed regardless of your presence.
when you take a reduction in hours your "duty" no longer exists. work is found for you to do for your hours, we work as directed.

[plymouth3]

My duty was summer lapsing only, BUT now its everytime someone goes sick. rep not interested.

[hampshireman]

My duty was summer lapsing only, BUT now its everytime someone goes sick. rep not interested.

I always wonder about this . The Rep is not interested. But you , as an individual , cannot do anything?

I am not being critical at all.

But surely you can take some form of action?

Put your case forward?

BTW: The Rep should be interested.

I am not in the Union (the Rep was not interested in signing me up) but I do represent myself and I know the rules and regs (mainly thanks to this site).