Read your contract.

[menditsa]

This is just an example of my case so people are aware of what can happen.

The job advertised was a DPR driver working 9am - 3.30pm Monday to Saturday.
I'd been working under agency for 2 years and as an ex-postie from the 90's my brilliant line manager wanted to keep me on
30 hour per week New Contract. ( Yeah I know )

When my contract was mailed to me NO definition was made to the job advertised.

"Post Person With Driving"
Core hours " 6am to 10pm"
"Monday to Sunday"

So from accepting this contract I have ZERO say when they change my hours to 2pm start 8.30pm finish.

So just beware all you are told is not the truth.

[Valentina@1]

That’s so bad….CWU just letting this lot do as they please

[postslippete]

I've found this a lot with many of the new starts. Many of them thought that they were applying for a job just delivering parcels and they ended up working as posties instead. RM work around this because unlike an employment contract a job description isn't legally binding. It would be good practice for RM to give a more lengthy detailed job description but obviously they don't do this so that they receive more applicants. Once employed, RM can then dictate your working hours - some days you might be working as a postie starting in the mornings and other days working as an LAT driver in the evenings delivering parcels.

[Checkerfinch]

I've found this a lot with many of the new starts. Many of them thought that they were applying for a job just delivering parcels and they ended up working as posties instead

So that's why they leave so quickly

[TopperGas]

This is just an example of my case so people are aware of what can happen.

The job advertised was a DPR driver working 9am - 3.30pm Monday to Saturday.
I'd been working under agency for 2 years and as an ex-postie from the 90's my brilliant line manager wanted to keep me on
30 hour per week New Contract. ( Yeah I know )

When my contract was mailed to me NO definition was made to the job advertised.

"Post Person With Driving"
Core hours " 6am to 10pm"
"Monday to Sunday"

So from accepting this contract I have ZERO say when they change my hours to 2pm start 8.30pm finish.

So just beware all you are told is not the truth.

You do have some say just tell them the hours you want to work or you'll leave, that seems to work for most posties in our DO.

[Jonathan Alsatian]

And just underneath that there is a clause that says it is a condition of your employment that you accept additional hours offered to you. This sounds like bad news for anyone who applied for a part time role and doesn't want to be forced to work additional hours. I'd be interested to know what the union thinks of this and also whether anyone on these new contracts has faced disciplinary action for refusing additional hours. Flexibility is one thing but using part timers as full time staff without giving them full time holiday pay, sick pay and pensionable pay is another.

If they are having difficulty retaining new starters surely they are not going to sack hard working people just because they don't want to work extra hours

[Valentina@1]

Union nonexistent these days I’m afraid,company just does what they want.

[Woody84]

I’m on a 28 hr contract and in my first week I worked 41 hours. No worries at all, but my question is if I work my hours for the week am I allowed to refuse more? Don’t get me wrong I’m looking for at least around 40 every week anyway, I just wanted to know where I stood.

Also will there be a pay rise for new contract staff on the horizon, or possibly contracts amended once the takeover is complete? I’ve been offered a role as a trainee bus driver and although the hours/shifts will be longer the pay is much better and my body won’t feel so beaten up. I loved my first week; it was very stressful in the DO but on the whole I enjoyed the delivering/posting part- but for 12.54 an hour and no overtime pay (until I’m passed 40 hrs) for the hammering the body takes (does it ever get easier?) im questioning is it worth it in the long term.

Something I’ve come to realise is that posties are way underpaid for the stress and physical toll you’re under daily.

Sorry for hijacking a thread.

[postslippete]

Overtime is NOT compulsory. Your contract will say something like a measure of overtime is necessary, but it is on a voluntary basis. It is unlawful for your manager to say that overtime is compulsory. If they are being difficult then you could offer to work an additional 30 minutes for the day but then say that you will need that time back during the week.

Employees are also not legally expected to work over 48 hours and if you do then you must sign an opt-out form.

No one knows whether there will be a pay rise for those on the new contract. The CWU are currently campaigning to "harmonise" the new entrants contracts by reducing their hours worked from 40 to 37, with no loss in pay. This should bring them closer to parity with those on the legacy contracts but it has yet to be agreed.

As for the job getting easier it all depends on the individual.

[Smoothbackground]

The CWU are currently campaigning to "harmonise" the new entrants contracts by reducing their hours worked from 40 to 37, with no loss in pay. This should bring them closer to parity with those on the legacy contracts but it has yet to be agreed.

Is that the route they are going down? Bringing new-entrant 40-hr employees down to 37 hours actually seems easily achievable, though it could hardly be described as harmonisation - just a minor/slight enhancement. All it would mean is the employees would, in theory, be on site for 40hrs 20mins in all, work and break time, rather than the current 43hrs 20mins. I say “in theory” because I know some of us have differing arrangements, eg, taking some (or even all) of the meal relief at the end of the shift, thereby clocking out early.

[Jonathan Alsatian]

Overtime is NOT compulsory. Your contract will say something like a measure of overtime is necessary, but it is on a voluntary basis. It is unlawful for your manager to say that overtime is compulsory. If they are being difficult then you could offer to work an additional 30 minutes for the day but then say that you will need that time back during the week.

Thanks for clarifying that. Here is the actual wording below. You can see how it could be taken the other way. My definition of "a measure" will differ from than theirs I think :

"The nature of the service makes a measure of additional hours and overtime working necessary. For this reason, it is a condition of your employment that you are liable to work additional hours and overtime and to attend at varying times on any day"

[postslippete]

Thanks for clarifying that. Here is the actual wording below. You can see how it could be taken the other way. My definition of "a measure" will differ from than theirs I think :

"The nature of the service makes a measure of additional hours and overtime working necessary. For this reason, it is a condition of your employment that you are liable to work additional hours and overtime and to attend at varying times on any day"

Ironically, this was written into our contracts when RM strictly adhered to the USO. Now we are being told to prioritise parcels instead which only has the regulations 5 days a week from Monday to Friday.

[Jefferson Starfish]

You only have to work overtime if your contract says so.

Even if it does, by law, you cannot usually be forced to work more than an average of 48 hours per week. You can agree to work longer - but this agreement must be in writing and signed by you.

Unless your contract guarantees you overtime, your employer can stop you from working it.

However, your employer cannot discriminate against anyone, for example by stopping some employees from working overtime while letting others do so.

https://www.gov.uk/overtime-your-rights ... y-overtime