Approaching DOM about extended OT or finishing on time.

madelin4 · Post by **madelin4** » 26 Apr 2008, 11:08

discoinferno wrote:A year ago my mate , an ex postie, was having the same problems so he went into his office and spoke to his domand asked questions and got the wrong answers it transpires , however what he did was took his mobile phone in with him and set it to video record and recorded the whole thing without the dom knowing , a bit underhand i know but one year later he has just effectively won an employment tribunal against the RM and video was used as evidence of harrassment , bullying and trying to get my mate to work for nothing and to unattainable targets....the dom could not reply has the vid spoke for itself....i suggest you do the same and save it on your phone/computer...

Good that your pal won. I always thought there was a law by recording someone if they are unaware of it? i have one of those dictaphone things that use a cassette, im sure that would be handy also.

brunswick · Post by **brunswick** » 27 Apr 2008, 10:16

after having o/t payment stopped over the last two weeks i approached my dom and asked the reason why this had happened, he stated that this is now a policy of R/M that when traffic is below a certain level then o/t payments would not be paid on those days.I asked how it is determined exactly how much mail each individual frame got, the answer is that the overall amount of mail that comes in each morning,is divided into the number of deliveries, an assumed percentage is then used as a divisor to determine your share. I think each office dom should each day, before posties go out ,notify people as to what that days traffic is and inform them if o/t will or not be paid, you can then make your own mind up if you are going to work to your contracted hours and be in a position to inform your dom of your deciscion,you must be wary of the wilful delay factor that they will try and use against you

madelin4 · Post by **madelin4** » 27 Apr 2008, 10:29

So they will say if you dont complete your round that is wilful delay? Well thats the threat they will use to those that dont know any better. I do not think that not working past your finish time for that day can be classed as wilful delay, so long as you inform your dom b4 you leave the office and take what will take you to your time.

Sometimes what they would say to us is streamline it out, as in leaving mailsort, but my point is, in doing that you will not save time as you may still be going to that same house only just with no mailsort!!

brunswick · Post by **brunswick** » 27 Apr 2008, 10:49

and still have that mailsort to deliver the next day

smarterdarter · Post by **smarterdarter** » 27 Apr 2008, 15:15

madelin4 wrote:So they will say if you dont complete your round that is wilful delay? Well thats the threat they will use to those that dont know any better. I do not think that not working past your finish time for that day can be classed as wilful delay, so long as you inform your dom b4 you leave the office and take what will take you to your time.

Sometimes what they would say to us is streamline it out, as in leaving mailsort, but my point is, in doing that you will not save time as you may still be going to that same house only just with no mailsort!!

Plus the 10 - 15 mins you need to pull the frecking stuff out of the frame

And thats supposed to save me time

jemima · Post by **jemima** » 27 Apr 2008, 19:57

So that's why RM want everything walksorted. The vast capital expenditure on sorting machinery is being made so that they can calculate how long each walk should take each day. Can they really believe that every postie is out to defraud them by claiming unnecessary overtime whenever possible? That kind of paranoid thinking isn't based on fact; someone who thinks that such measures are necessary must either have a problem with their own personal honesty, or a distrust of workers amounting to severe class prejudice.

Posties generally value their jobs and will do their utmost to get them done on time. A vigilant manager should easily identify anyone who isn't up to standard. Harassing people who work hard will increase workplace stress levels and sickness; it won't create revenue for RM.

There's a moral issue here as well. Public subsidies shouldn't be used to undermine trust within society.

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 27 Apr 2008, 20:11

What gets me is it is so easy to check to see if anyone is claiming un-worked docket - all the managers have to do is adopt one of the following tactics.

1. Got to the last delivery point of the duty in question and work back till they meet the duty holder. Before the posties goes out the Manager should check to see if the Duty Holder is doing the round as per frame.

2. Instruct the duty holder to report back to the DO on completion of the duty or at the scheduled finishing time.

AFAIK these are accepted practices by both the Union and Royal Mail and if handled with sensitivity, care and fairness should not cause any problems, especially if the Union and Local Management could work on it together locally.

------------------------------------- Ah I see the flaws already

"handled with sensitivity, care and fairness" and that they would:

1. Have to leave their coffee behind.
2. Means they have to stay longer at work than perhaps they planned

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However, with a good DOM and a good Union rep working together and with the Posties on side and aware there should be no problems. Now where did I leave that mythical perfect DO.