Franchise vs post office

[silkspectre]

Hello I'm new to the forum!
I came here looking for some basic answers regarding post office policy that I can't seem to find anywhere so I apologise if they've been discussed before and I've missed them.

I work at a franchised office run by an awful company who took over after our postmaster was suspended. Under our old employer we were allowed 15 minutes break in the morning and afternoon plus an unpaid lunch break of 30 minutes. And we also didn't have to pay back any more than half of our losses as he said he was covered for losses on his insurance.

We are the main post office in our town. We have four counters and a bureau. Since the new company came in we have had to pay back all of our losses out of our own pocket and they have also stopped my 15 minutes tea breaks but not my colleague's . We are very short staffed and now only ever have a maximum of two counters open.
I was just wondering how this differs to a regular post office. Are there any minimum standards they should be meeting in regards to staffing? I looked up the cosa but didn't understand the section on losses and gains. So if anyone could explain the procedure at their post office I would be really interested. Or if anyone else who works at a franchised office just wants to have a good moan about the lack of benefits : ) aka no sick pay, pensions, being on minimum wage etc..
Thanks in advance for any responses!

[capitalbiker]

Welcome to the world of the sub office network where there is little standardisation of anything apart from on Horizon and even there....

one thing for sure COSA and anything you read about Crown Office staff rules/beenfits etc wont apply to you. it's down to whatever is in your contarct between you and your employer. (subject to any relevant legislation)

[silkspectre]

Welcome to the world of the sub office network where there is little standardisation of anything apart from on Horizon and even there....

one thing for sure COSA and anything you read about Crown Office staff rules/beenfits etc wont apply to you. it's down to whatever is in your contarct between you and your employer. (subject to any relevant legislation)

I figured so!
But I want to move to working for Post Office but I still can't decipher what their procedure is for losses? Any idea?

[capitalbiker]

some might say the counter losses of POL come out of the pockets of subpostmasters but I couldn't possibly comment!

[silkspectre]

some might say the counter losses of POL come out of the pockets of subpostmasters but I couldn't possibly comment!

Thank you =P

[cdpete2004]

silkspectre, under employment law, you are entitled to xx minute breaks for every xx hour working period. A minimum 30 minutes lunch break (paid or unpaid) is required by law. Mention, no, don't mention, put this in writing to your employer, if they then take any action against you, note eveything that goes on from this point on, in case you need to take them to an employment tribunal in the future. I've never made anyone pay for losses incurred, UNLIKE POL's attitude toward us subpostmasters, I accept that mistakes happen, and as long as there's no pattern of recurring loss, or obvious negligence (ie turning up for work pissed, or just throwing money by the handful at customers), then it's part of the joy (and cost) of working for POL.

[silkspectre]

silkspectre, under employment law, you are entitled to xx minute breaks for every xx hour working period. A minimum 30 minutes lunch break (paid or unpaid) is required by law. Mention, no, don't mention, put this in writing to your employer, if they then take any action against you, note eveything that goes on from this point on, in case you need to take them to an employment tribunal in the future. I've never made anyone pay for losses incurred, UNLIKE POL's attitude toward us subpostmasters, I accept that mistakes happen, and as long as there's no pattern of recurring loss, or obvious negligence (ie turning up for work pissed, or just throwing money by the handful at customers), then it's part of the joy (and cost) of working for POL.

Thanks a lot for your advice : )

[cdpete2004]

Sorry, silkspctre, I was working on old, inferred employemnt rules. Apparently they changed in 2008.

'Friday, November 14th, 2008
On the 22nd October, the UK Employment Appeals Tribunal passed a judgement which changed the established understanding of workers’ entitlement to rest breaks.

The judgement states that workers are entitled to a 20-minute unpaid break when they work over 6 hours, rather than being entitled to a 20-minute break for every 6 hours that they work.

In practice this means a worker who works 12 hours is not entitled to two breaks totalling 40 minutes; they are only entitled to one 20-minute break.

This will be of specific interest to companies who are responsible for assessing compliance with UK law, such as retailers and audit companies'.

I always thought a 30 minute 'lunch' break was mandatory for anyone working over 7 hours a day. I've always implemented the lunch break, but admit it's unpaid. I assumed though that those 20 minute breaks were 'paid', but I was obviously wrong about that too, sorry. Still, you are entitled to a break, by law. Good luck.

[nfsp.r.useless]

Hi silkspectre -

Your employer is getting paid really, really badly by Post Office Ltd. Truthfully, he isn't making much of a profit (if any!) from the Post Office, so he can't afford much in the way of staff wages.

Most sub-Post Offices don't ask their staff to cover losses, but most large (i.e. franchise) Post Offices do.

The Post Office, in general, is in decline, so if I was you, I'd be looking for a career elsewhere!

[silkspectre]

Hi silkspectre -

Your employer is getting paid really, really badly by Post Office Ltd. Truthfully, he isn't making much of a profit (if any!) from the Post Office, so he can't afford much in the way of staff wages.

Most sub-Post Offices don't ask their staff to cover losses, but most large (i.e. franchise) Post Offices do.

The Post Office, in general, is in decline, so if I was you, I'd be looking for a career elsewhere!

I don't work for a sub post master. I work for a company who take over franchised post offices when they no longer have a subposmaster (ours was suspended). I appreciate that POL isn't making a great profit atm blabla but our company also refuses to hire new staff who they would only pay minimum wage but instead pay for freelancers to come and work because we don't have enough staff. The freelancers are being paid around 70-75 pounds a day (that's about 9 pounds something an hour!)
Anyway though. Thank you for your info regarding losses. And I intend to look for a career elsewhere! =]

[nfsp.r.useless]

....our company.....refuses to hire new staff who they would only pay minimum wage but instead pay for freelancers to come and work because we don't have enough staf....

I share your feelings about using freelancers. It makes no sense.

[silkspectre]

....our company.....refuses to hire new staff who they would only pay minimum wage but instead pay for freelancers to come and work because we don't have enough staf....

I share your feelings about using freelancers. It makes no sense.

I've long given up on trying to understand their 'logic' behind it ^ ^

[TFL001]

I work in a sub post office as a sub office assistant ... My postmaster wouldn't expect me to put any money in for losses. However we are on a shared SU and if I could see I was responsible for a loss then I am more than willing to put the money in! That's the way we work it