Hybred rounds

[bedfordrl]

Can someone answer this question please.

In our office we have two hybred duties one of which is a rural and is not working.
My wife is supposed to cover this round next week and it means that i will be working from 6:30 until 14:30 and she will be expected to work from 09:15 until 17:15.
Now this causes a problem as we have one car and travel 10 miles to work.

Now what i want to know is can she be made to start so late, she is a reserve and did not sign up to the duty.

[dvbuk55]

Can someone answer this question please.

In our office we have two hybred duties one of which is a rural and is not working.
My wife is supposed to cover this round next week and it means that i will be working from 6:30 until 14:30 and she will be expected to work from 09:15 until 17:15.
Now this causes a problem as we have one car and travel 10 miles to work.

Now what i want to know is can she be made to start so late, she is a reserve and did not sign up to the duty.

Well I suppose the short answer is Yes she has to do the duty scheduled unless there is an over-riding reason not to - you could try the family friendly approach which RM is supposed to subscribe to in which because you are working different shifts it causes a problem with transport and you will not have time together - if you've been married for donkeys of course that won't apply - if you have children and they need picking up from school then you obviously need the car available - just flannel a bit and try to get a change of duty - of course one of you may be taken ill at the weekend and unable to attend

[bedfordrl]

When we moved from 05:00 start to 06:00 start there was murmurings about what i our contracts say.
What do they say, i certainly cannot remember , do they say that we are to start at whatever time they see fit?.
What if they decide that they want us to start delivering post at midnight?, this hybred round is already breaking the rules by still being out delivering mail beyond 15:00.

[Fluke]

Sorry to hijack the thread, but. Have Hybrid duties actually been agreed nationally? It looks like they are trying to role them out everywhere. Some of the duties require a drivers licence and a change over. If you are a none driving leave reserve with seniority or even somebody who does not wish to drive for RM where would allowing these duties leave you? I think there are a lot of unanswered questions that need to be addressed nationally.

I appreciate headquarters have a lot on at the moment but they seem be suffering with target fixation, and have lost track of everything else that going on around them. Obviously keeping RM publicly owned and fighting for full time jobs are a priority, but the rate things are sliding the jobs wont be worth doing if we don't keep a broad grip on everything that happening.

[AndyK]

If your wifes' normal hours are 6.30 until 14.30 then she could not be expected to alter her hours by almost three hours at a weeks notice this is an unreasonble request, she must put in a grivance about the matter and see her rep. you cannot be messed around like this.

[bedfordrl]

Ermm, i am her rep.

I have not had a reply from my area rep about the issue and was getting annoyed.

[AndyK]

Ok, well you need to see the manager and have a discussion about why the dutie as no suitable leave reserves, also point out your wifes' unable to carry out the duty because of family commitments etc, keep trying area rep, (he/she may have been over stretched/forgot to get back in touch). If manager insist shes doing duty put in grivance, you simply cannot be expected to change your normal hours willy nilly.

[bedfordrl]

The other thing is that next weeks duty lists are not up yet so officially she has not been notified yet .
That is supposing the notice has to be official and not verbal.

[AndyK]

I would of thought (but not certain) if the manager as asked/told someone that their on a duty next week then that would be considered good enough, until the duty list confirms it. However, the important thing here is that the manager has been informed that your wife won't be able to work the hours, if no one’s' said anything how's the manager to know and change things accordingly, if you have told him/her and he still won't help grievance and keep contacting area rep.

[bedfordrl]

Right, thanks for that.