RM pay ‘disaster’ could lead to tribunals and raises

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Royal Mail pay ‘disaster’ could lead to tribunals and raises questions over in-house management of temp workers

http://www.payrollworld.com/article/133 ... mp-workers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A number of Royal Mail temporary staff claim they are owed money and are disputing wage calculations from the Christmas period – raising both payroll and temp-worker issues.

The Guardian has reported that a growing number of workers whose pay disputes have not been resolved are now considering employment tribunal claims.

Royal Mail moved the management of temp staff to an in-house recruitment agency last year, Angard Staffing Solutions, which has already had problems coping with 110,000 applications for 18,000 temporary jobs over Christmas.

And unions have been fiercely critical of the agency branding the recent pay debacle a “disaster”.

“It has been a terrible failure of the payments system and it has been a disaster for everyone affected,” said Dave Ward, the Communication Workers Union deputy general secretary for postal.

Royal Mail says it remains confident in the agency but has acknowledged there were issues with the payment of some temporary staff that it had aimed to resolve by 11 January.

A spokesman said: “To the best of our knowledge, any outstanding pay – and the vast majority had already been paid before last week – has now been paid. But if anyone has any queries, they should contact the helpline number (0845 460 7318) as we are determined to resolve any queries as quickly as possible.”

Payroll issues

Employment consultant John Pinder from Wolters Kluwer, says the case raises two important points for payroll managers.

“It is important that businesses ensure advertised pay rates are adhered to once the employee starts work. Arguably the rates advertised [by Royal Mail] were contractually binding and so the ‘amount properly payable’ under legislation,” he said.

“It should also be remembered that claims for unauthorised deductions of wages at an employment tribunal can now include an additional award to compensate for ‘any financial loss sustained…which is attributable to the matter complained of’ (the deduction of wages).

“Claimants can ask the tribunal to award further compensation for any losses/expenses/financial hardship incurred as a result of the employer’s failure to make the correct payment.

“It would be in the employer’s best interest therefore, to ensure that all non payments are rectified as soon as possible to avoid having to pay out any additional amounts.”

In-house failing

And Tom Hadley, the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s director of policy and professional services, says the case is an example of how moving the management of temp staff in-house can be problematic.

“A lot of organisations have looked to create more of an in-house mechanism, but we have seen that running a temp bank can be more complicated than it seems,” he said.

“There are a lot of things that go into managing an in-house offering that sometimes can be underestimated. We have also seen over recent years that often once you factor in all the costs of running an in-house offering, especially when you start looking at all the regulations that cover temp workers, it may not actually work out cheaper than using an outside provider.”

[TrueBlueTerrier]

and one from AOL News - mentions us

Royal Mail underfire over Xmas workers pay dispute

http://money.aol.co.uk/2012/01/24/royal ... y-dispute/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Royal Mail could face an onslaught of legal claims from disgruntled Christmas casual workers over miscalculated pay packets.

Sorting office workers have blamed the problems on the UK postal service's dedicated temporary staff recruiter, Angard Staffing Solutions, accusing the agency of mishandling payments for work over the holiday period.

Many workers, who complained to the Guardian newspaper, claim their hours were logged incorrectly and in some cases the amounts paid per hour were not the agreed terms that workers had initially signed up to when taking the work. Angard had advertised the Christmas rate at £5.95 per hour.

An independent online chat forum, Royal Mail Chat, set up for postal employees to vent their frustrations, has received dozens of comments from irate workers waiting to receive their money.

One post said: "Been sent a letter saying I actually owe Angard money, when actually they owe me over twice as much. Except...they got confused about who they really are and asked me to send a cheque payable to Royal Mail. Of course, my hours are quoted entirely wrongly on the letter."

Others on the site say they are preparing to submit ET1 applications, the form to make a claim to an employment tribunal, after being angered by the inadequate handling of complaints by Angard's customer services helpline.

Another post said: "I am giving them until the end of the week, then filling in ET1 form. Had enough."

A Communication Workers Union (CWU) spokeswoman said: "This has been a complete mess and very distressing for many of the workers. We have examples of people working in the same office and one was paid, while the other wasn't.

"We are aware some people may be seeking a legal route but we are trying to resolve this dispute with Royal Mail as quickly as possible."

Angard was overwhelmed by applications before Christmas, the company said, when it received over 100,000 applications for the 20,000 jobs advertised.

Royal Mail's managing director for operations and modernisation Mark Higson wrote to temporary recruits earlier this month thanking staff but admitting there had been issues surrounding payments.

A Royal Mail spokesman said: "It was acknowledged in Mr Higson's letter that while the large majority of temporary employees were paid correctly on time, Royal Mail was keenly aware that for some people, there were delays and difficulties with their pay. Royal Mail has apologised for this and worked very hard to resolve any outstanding problems."

The spokesman added that three additional letters had been sent to casual workers explaining the hours worked and pay earned. "To the best of our knowledge, any outstanding pay has now been paid," he said.

[Badsworth]

I worked as a casual for 3 weeks before Xmas. All I've had was the £350 (part) payment and two pay statements, both works of fiction. I've not had any letters, nor will the Angard call centre reply to my queries, even though I've given them full details. e-mails have beenn totally ignoredAny suggestions anyone?

[fionar]

Go down the ET1 route. I submitted an ET1 on Saturday and had an email today with a hearing date set for 26th March in Exeter. Perhaps that'll prompt them to pay me what I'm owed as so far phone calls and emails have resulted in diddly squat.