Wilful Delay of Mail

[Lounge Lizard]

In the "welcome" booklet I was given on starting with Royal Mail it states that "Intentional delay is a deliberate action taken by an employee that causes mail to be delayed. This is a criminal offence and can result in prosecution, even for a first offence. Intentional delay can lead to dismissal under Royal Mail's code of conduct".
Just a hypothetical question this, but what realistically would be the likely consequence of a manager finding that on a busy day a postman had gone on delivery without speaking to a manager and leaving behind dozens of unsorted letters intending to sort and deliver them the following day ?

[rockytony67]

In the "welcome" booklet I was given on starting with Royal Mail it states that "Intentional delay is a deliberate action taken by an employee that causes mail to be delayed. This is a criminal offence and can result in prosecution, even for a first offence. Intentional delay can lead to dismissal under Royal Mail's code of conduct".
Just a hypothetical question this, but what realistically would be the likely consequence of a manager finding that on a busy day a postman had gone on delivery without speaking to a manager and leaving behind dozens of unsorted letters intending to sort and deliver them the following day ?

The postman could find himself in a lot of trouble

[DGP1]

If the postie was sent out by the manager early so that the round could be completed then it's not wilful delay but if the postie just left early before all the sorting had been finished then he/she could find themselves on a charge of wilful delay.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

The definite outcome will be a "fact finding" meeting - whoever finds themselves in this position get hold of your rep as soon as you cant in the morning and tell him exactly what happened.

1. As some one said if you were sent out early and instructed to do this is not wilful delay.

2. If you left without permission then you will be on very dodgy ground as this is definitely wilful delay.

in either situation you will need the advice of the local or area rep and you should tell them the whole truth good or bad, and then follow his guidance as far as possible. But take him into the meeting.

You may be suspended until the official outcome of the "fact Finding" processes though this may be on full contracted pay.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

some extracts from the cwu web site dealing with this:

http://www.cwu.org.uk/default.asp?step=4&pid=125

SAFEGUARDING CUSTOMERS' MAIL
UNEXCUSED DELAY TO MAIL
The responsibility for safeguarding the mail and giving it prompt and accurate treatment is one of the most important duties of all employees.

Various actions can cause mail to be delayed, e.g. carelessness, negligence, breach or disregard of a rule or guideline. Such instances are to be distinguished from wilful delay although they may also be treated as misconduct, and in more serious instances could also result in dismissal.

Furthermore, Royal Mail does recognise that genuine mistakes and misunderstandings do occur and it is not the intention of the Business that such cases should be dealt with under the Conduct Code beyond counselling for the isolated instance. The key is that employees should do their job to the best of their ability and, if in doubt, ask for their manager's advice and guidance.
WILFUL DELAY
Wilful delay of mail is classed as gross misconduct, which if proven could lead to dismissal. The test to determine whether actions may be considered as wilful delay is as follows:

Deliberate action taken by an employee that causes mail to be delayed is called wilful delay. Where proven, such breaches of conduct can lead to dismissal, even for a first offence; indeed Wilful Delay is a criminal offence and can result in prosecution.

http://www.cwu.org.uk/default.asp?step=4&pid=125

DELAY OF CUSTOMERS' MAIL - DECISION MAKING MODEL
Alleged Delay Judgement

Incident Does it need First Line Manager to approach employee or not?
-
Fact-finding Interview Does it end here, i.e. no action, individual advice or ticking off?
-
Formal Action Is it appropriate for First Line Manager to deal with? Decide on Serious Warning or Reprimand. Is it potential dismissal or action short of dismissal? Pass on to second line manager.
-
Precautionary Suspension Where it is potential dismissal, are mail or employees at risk? See para 11 precautionary suspension not automatic.
-
Formal Interview Was mail delayed?
-
Mail Delayed - Any mitigating circumstances? Was it wilful or unauthorised/unexcused delay?
-
Penalty Proportionate to the circumstances

7 PRECAUTIONARY SUSPENSION FOR WILFUL DELAY OF MAIL
Precautionary suspension is not automatic. The decision to suspend should only be taken after careful consideration and investigation of the explanation for delay has been carried out.
The decision must be made only on available evidence relevant to the incident/s and only if it is considered that by allowing the individual to continue on duty, the mail and its due delivery, the individual, or other employees or Royal Mail's good image could be at risk.

[Lounge Lizard]

Thanks for the replies.
In this hypothetical situation the postman would NOT have been 'sent out by the manager early'.

The guidelines quoted are useful, but ;
- "breach or disregard of a rule or guideline ... are to be distinguished from wilful delay" - so how are these different ?
- in the Decision Making Model, "was it wilful or unauthorised / unexcused delay" - again, what is the difference ?

[Sandyman]

I'm still unable to comprehend that it's NOT "wilful delay" when managers deliberately hold mail back for reasons of cost or expediency. Cages of due for delivery mailsort left hanging around for days because management won't pay to get it sorted and delivered is surely wilfully delaying customers mail? This is an horrendous inconsistency in the regulations and I have yet to see a manager suspended or punished for wilfully authorising mail being delayed.

[Lounge Lizard]

I'm still unable to comprehend that it's NOT "wilful delay" when managers deliberately hold mail back for reasons of cost or expediency. Cages of due for delivery mailsort left hanging around for days because management won't pay to get it sorted and delivered is surely wilfully delaying customers mail? This is an horrendous inconsistency in the regulations and I have yet to see a manager suspended or punished for wilfully authorising mail being delayed.

I totally agree, but managers can often get away with something that you or I might get punished, perhaps quite severely, for.

I am still unsure though what the difference is between "wilful delay" and "unauthorised/unexcused delay, a disregard of a rule or guideline".

[Tman]

I totally agree, but managers can often get away with something that you or I might get punished, perhaps quite severely, for.

There are probably many reasons a manager could give to explain why mail hasn't gone out, but a delivery postie doesn't make those decisions or give those excuses. It's why managers are paid more..

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I'm still unable to comprehend that it's NOT "wilful delay" when managers deliberately hold mail back for reasons of cost or expediency. Cages of due for delivery mailsort left hanging around for days because management won't pay to get it sorted and delivered is surely wilfully delaying customers mail? This is an horrendous inconsistency in the regulations and I have yet to see a manager suspended or punished for wilfully authorising mail being delayed.

I totally agree, but managers can often get away with something that you or I might get punished, perhaps quite severely, for.

I am still unsure though what the difference is between "wilful delay" and "unauthorised/unexcused delay, a disregard of a rule or guideline".

I think its to do with intent - if you knew there were missorts but left them - that would be intentional wilful delay.
If you had checked before you went out for missorts, and there wasn't any, then went for a comfort break and went out on delivery, but in the mean time some missorts were put on your frame without you being aware - that would be unexcused delay or disregard of a rule (failure to check missorts as last task before leaving the building) - I think.

I may be wrong but that's how I would defend it in a hypothetical situation.

[Lounge Lizard]

I'm still unable to comprehend that it's NOT "wilful delay" when managers deliberately hold mail back for reasons of cost or expediency. Cages of due for delivery mailsort left hanging around for days because management won't pay to get it sorted and delivered is surely wilfully delaying customers mail? This is an horrendous inconsistency in the regulations and I have yet to see a manager suspended or punished for wilfully authorising mail being delayed.

I totally agree, but managers can often get away with something that you or I might get punished, perhaps quite severely, for.

I am still unsure though what the difference is between "wilful delay" and "unauthorised/unexcused delay, a disregard of a rule or guideline".

I think its to do with intent - if you knew there were missorts but left them - that would be intentional wilful delay.
If you had checked before you went out for missorts, and there wasn't any, then went for a comfort break and went out on delivery, but in the mean time some missorts were put on your frame without you being aware - that would be unexcused delay or disregard of a rule (failure to check missorts as last task before leaving the building) - I think.

I may be wrong but that's how I would defend it in a hypothetical situation.

Thanks.
So, if the delay was accidental due to carelessness it would be unautorised or unexcused delay, but if the delay was intentional for whatever reason and in whatever circumstance without the manager being informed before delivery then it would be wilful delay with potentially serious consequences.
That would fit in with my dictionary definition of WILFUL as "( Of action or state ) for which compulsion or ignorance or accident cannot be pleaded as excuse, due to perversity or self-will".

[k979aaa]

Remember managers willfuly delay mail every day by keeping in posties in till 10 am?!. And also leave whole days of packets in just to cover duty's for thier pi*s poor planning!. ONE RULE FOR ONE AND ANOTHER FOR A MANAGER!.

[axeman]

Yes 'teaman' no doubt the managers could give many excuses for there ineptitude but the squirming sly bas**rds have no guts to tell the next level of jumped up upstarts you can't do the job without the staff

[Tman]

Don't know why you pour such scorn on your managers, after all probably 99% of them started as posties themselves.
Is it that they earn more money than you, or come to work in a collar and tie, or give instructions, or what?

[bigchris8882]

None of ours have been postmen before which is why they do a piss poor job. They dont have a clue about anything which happens on a round.