Conduct Code for missing box collection query

Mezza · Post by **Mezza** » 14 Mar 2016, 17:46

A colleague has been told he will be conduct coded for missing a post box collection on his round last week.

According to him he did empty and scan the box, but it was about 14.10.
Our DOm has told him that as it was flagged up on his system he has to conduct code him for being late to the collection.

Firstly, i wasn't aware of a time limit on emptying a box when it's on your delivery round.

We've only been doing the box collections for a couple of months.

Secondly, as he does a shared duty - should his partner not also be coded if he is?

Add to that, last week i informed the DOM of 2 collection pouches sitting in the RLE for duties that had been lapsed and asked would they be covered.
Neither of them were actually covered at all.
Should the DOM then not be coded for not even attempting the collections?

I thought our DOm was supposed to have a contingency plan in place for any late/missed collections - but he quite clearly hasn't.

Is there anything my colleague can do about this or does he just have to accept it?
He is already talking of lodging a grievance.
I should also add that his finish time that day was 14.30 and he hadn't taken his meal relief (our office allows this ridiculous practice with delivery staff - whilst indoor staff are mandatory), so he was in effect past his duty finish time by the time he had emptied the box and returned to the office.

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 14 Mar 2016, 18:05

Well that's your defence. You wasn't aware of a time limit on one a day am collection scan. And to be honest it's the first I've heard of it also.

UnhappyGremlin · Post by **UnhappyGremlin** » 14 Mar 2016, 18:17

If they have scanned the box, they cannot be conduct coded for it.

If he has failed to scan, it may be a different story.
Though, anything other than counselling or written warning would be unduly harsh.

If they did scan, ask for a copy of his route on the day.
The actual scan time(s) are shown. It's called Collection Performance Reporting, and will prove whether or not the box was scanned.
If he did scan, there is nothing to worry about.
If he did, and the DOM says he will conduct him for being late, file a grievance.
The Collection on Delivery boxes are scheduled to be emptied between 09:00 and 16:00, so it is in this window.
If he was late, i.e. more than 30 minutes after the scheduled time, it doesn't matter.
There are too many variables on deliveries to guarantee scanning a box close to the scheduled time.

As an example, you have a Special for the end of your delivery, and you have to cut off to make it or do your delivery in reverse, this is way more important than scanning a box on time.

The only real requirement is to empty & scan the box and make sure the mail collected makes whatever connection is in place for it, i.e. it gets back to office for transport to MC as scheduled.

Mezza · Post by **Mezza** » 14 Mar 2016, 18:58

UnhappyGremlin wrote:
The only real requirement is to empty & scan the box and make sure the mail collected makes whatever connection is in place for it, i.e. it gets back to office for transport to MC as scheduled.

There in may lie the issue - our collection for the MC is due at our office between 14.30 and 15.00.

I will defo ask if he remembers scanning the box and if need be to get a copy as mentioned.

Many thank's for the info.

mr hil. · Post by **mr hil.** » 14 Mar 2016, 20:07

I think that boxes have to be scanned within 4 hours of their scheduled collection time, if they are any later they are flagged up as being late. The Dom will have to explain why they are late and if it happens regularly the box times can be altered so they are emptied within the correct time window.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 14 Mar 2016, 20:09

Surely this is bonkers. Almost every Collection On Delivery I do says 9am on the gun (and even earlier than that on a Saturday - fat chance nowadays!) Some of them I get to by 10 am, some of them are regularly after 2pm. So long as the box isn't emptied too early and the mail in it will meet the collection to the MC then how can it matter what precise time it was cleared?

Post by **POSTMAN** » 14 Mar 2016, 21:30

You really do work in a dump Mezza.

UnhappyGremlin · Post by **UnhappyGremlin** » 14 Mar 2016, 22:45

mr hil. wrote:I think that boxes have to be scanned within 4 hours of their scheduled collection time, if they are any later they are flagged up as being late. The Dom will have to explain why they are late and if it happens regularly the box times can be altered so they are emptied within the correct time window.

Think this is correct, 4 hours.
ONLY on deliveries though.

UnhappyGremlin · Post by **UnhappyGremlin** » 14 Mar 2016, 22:51

Mezza wrote:
UnhappyGremlin wrote:
The only real requirement is to empty & scan the box and make sure the mail collected makes whatever connection is in place for it, i.e. it gets back to office for transport to MC as scheduled.
There in may lie the issue - our collection for the MC is due at our office between 14.30 and 15.00.

I will defo ask if he remembers scanning the box and if need be to get a copy as mentioned.

Many thank's for the info.

There are still issues though.
WHY did the box get emptied at this 'late' time.

Is it the posties fault?
If it is busy, or similar to the SD example I gave earlier, then how can he be held responsible?

It is down to the DOM/Manager/Planner(s) CWU Rep to ensure the duty can be completed in time during the revision.

If it is so busy that a postie can't finish on time, then they should have been instructed on how to proceed.

PLUS EVERY DO that are doing Collection on Delivery boxes should have been made aware of the contingency plan (and yes there should be one) if they fail to meet connectivity.

Post by **rambo1** » 15 Mar 2016, 11:23

How are the posties on delivery getting back with their collection mail by 3pm if it's a busy day and they take their breaks? Surely some duties aren't even schedule to finish barley by 3pm so if it's busy and they go over what do they do? We weren't really given much instructions, just empty, scan, close box, there were no time frames other than not before 9am(lol,as if).

Mezza · Post by **Mezza** » 15 Mar 2016, 12:03

All duties in my office finish Mon & Tues 14.00 and Weds, Thurs, Fri 14.30.
We don't do the box collections on a Saturday.

steve1873 · Post by **steve1873** » 15 Mar 2016, 17:25

They are to be done from 9am with a 4 hour window, so anytime between 09:00-13:00

Of course they never actually told us this or actually trained us, and this only came to light when I changed my delivery round 1 day to meet SD item's in latter part of my duty and thus scanned last box at around 14:30. I certainly wasn't conduct coded, or even threatened with it though.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 15 Mar 2016, 20:12

Wow. This is weird. Some rounds I do I always scan the boxes on the way back to the office, regularly 5 to 6 hours after the 9am on the gun. Never heard of anybody in the office being reprimanded for it and I have never been. So long as it isn't an early scan and it's cleared at a time so that the same items end up on the same lorry, how can it possibly matter what time the scan is?

Jonnydelta · Post by **Jonnydelta** » 15 Mar 2016, 21:21

I have come across this issue recently, if the collection route number is downloaded on to your PDA you have anytime that day to clear the box and scan. If you ad hoc the collection then the box must be scanned within a 4 hour window of the planned collection time or it will flag up as late.

Not many people known this, I only do as I had an issue with this a few weeks back. If you explain you weren't aware of this and thought it just had to be done after the planned time It shouldn't be a problem. I wouldn't worry about it.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 15 Mar 2016, 21:45

That's very useful info, thanks for sharing that. It would explain why none of us have been pulled for doing a late scan many hours after the set time.