Getting screwed on a daily basis since the changes

[Splappy_McSplap]

Hi all,

I am on a 24 hour contract. Before the 4-day week was abolished I would float between 2 jobs, a city centre with 90 minutes delivery time and a residential that took about 2 and a half hours.

SInce the job change, they have got rid of most of the 24 hour jobs. Now there is only one, and someone else is on it. I am "spare".

At the moment they have stuck me on a 30 hour job which is a 4 hour delivery. I am only due them 4 hrs 48 per day (24h over 5 days). I am over my finishing time every day, so far this week, I have done 90 minutes overtime in 2 days. The job is meant to run from 7-13:00. I had made an arrangement that I would come in at the designated start time, and leave a bag of the delivery which still took me a bit over my time, but I didn't mind. Now the line manager is saying he wants me to come in and take the whole 4 hour job out. This is just logistically not possible in 4 hr 48 minutes:

4 hour delivery time
20 minutes meal relief
10 minutes to get to job
10 minutes pouching time/going to post office

Which gives me a total of a whopping 8 minutes prep time, to basically sort parcels, do redirections and rlb items, and tie the job up. It's actually more like 30 minutes to do this on an average day, and that doesn't even take into account D2Ds or election junk. So basically he is telling me I have to work over my time. I was happy with the old arrangement, because at least the overtime was indoors, but they were moaning that someone else had to take that bag (not my problem). This also relies on someone else sorting the whole round indoors for me, which is frequently not done by the time I come in (which means more overtime) and also leads to 10-20 missorts a day and going back to the same door over and over.

Half the time I go to put down my overtime the OT sheet has mysteriously gone missing or "it's not ready" which looks like a stalling tactic in the hope that I'll forget to put the extra hours down. Everyone in our MC gets this act.

Then, to make it worse, I learn that the 30-hour part time floater was allowed to leave a bag today when I (24 hours) am being pressurised to take the whole round.

I basically want to know if my time calculations are accurate and what my rights are in this situation, what I should do etc or if I'm just being a whiny arse. If this goes on I am going to tell him that I'm working to my time and taking everything that's left over back to the MC for them to sort out. I don't mind pulling a couple of hours overtime but I hate the round as it's in a total slum beside a sewage plant, half of it's stairs and everyone has a dog. Are there any other frustrated part timers like me out there?

[piranha]

You are not being a whiny arse! It must be in the DOM training book to try and screw us over on OT, don't give in you are not obliged to work over your time. Speak to your union rep if you have one?

[Pegman]

After reading that I have to say I'm astonished, I'm on a 28hr contract but do a 30hr walk, my manager is quite happy for me to book excess up to 2hrs per week to cover the walk. On light days I can finish early no questions, then on heavier days Thurs, Fri, Sat I can book that excess.
I've never had to cut off early ....yet !!

[concerneduk]

....yet !!

[LouBarlow]

If the round is too big to complete on a busy day, then you should be cutting off.

[kay_thebigbird]

I am also on a 28 hr contract & my walk is a monster 4 hrs on a good day if you can't complete & lets face it 24 hr contract not enough time, I struggle big time on 28 hr ,if it can't be done in the time you have i,e physically impossible don't bother getting into an argument with them waste of energy, just tell them, I AIN'T DOING IT, END OF CONVERSATION & walk away.

[Pegman]

....yet !!

The walk I am doing is a bit of mix, bits left over from reorganisation, bit of town bit of rural.

[Decky Boy]

Great Post Slappy. You are not a whiny arse. I too regularly go over my part-time contracted hours and require to claim "overtime" (It's not overtime - It's the time the job takes !!!) and guess what no overtime sheet !

That's right it has conveniently vanished I used to come in up to 40 minutes early every day (unpaid) in order to "try" and finnish at my stated finishing time but now don't.

Although it's never quite said I always get the impression "they" think I am too slow on the job and pulling a fast one ?
Perhaps Royal Mail should headhunt Usain Bolt for a Delivery job - but even then I doubt if some of their unrealistic delivery times would be met ?

Stick in Brother

[pickaname]

If you keep doing more work for 'em they will keep giving you more work to do .

I suggest you stop doing more work for free.

[Splappy_McSplap]

If you keep doing more work for 'em they will keep giving you more work to do .

I suggest you stop doing more work for free.

Believe me, I am claiming for every single minute I do, I have looked at what I am entitled to in terms of break times and concessions and I am accounting for every minute.

Today I agreed to take out the whole delivery if they basically sorted the whole round for me.

Result: Delivery time 4h 20 minutes, and more missorts than you can shake a stick at. Plus another hour overtime to claim for, and today, guess what, still no sign of this week's overtime sheet (this is Friday). I told the manager basically if I get my way I'll do a bit of overtime (i.e leaving a bag) but if this treatment keeps up I am working to my time and dumping the rest. That one made him squirm a bit. There's just no way I can take out a 4h 20 job in 4h 48 minutes.

[Splappy_McSplap]

What's the correct procedure for cutting off? Tell the line manager before I go out, stop at time, come back, dump mail? What do I endorse it as?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

What's the correct procedure for cutting off? Tell the line manager before I go out, stop at time, come back, dump mail? What do I endorse it as?

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... 36&t=18563" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; OVER RUNNING DELIVERIES OPG NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE

[Splappy_McSplap]

Cheers.

Reading through that it seems to be more directed at managers. Humour me here, I am a bit thick.

Do I -

1) Tell the manager during prep I'm cutting off at my time?
2) Upon reaching time, phone the manager's office and tell them I'm cutting off?
3) Return all the remaining mail to the MC?

There was a time a few months ago I was halfway through a 4 hour round for the first time, more than an hour past my time, it was chucking down with rain, I had just had a bundle fall apart on me and I had no idea how to put it back together. I ended up phoning them and telling them I'd had enough and I was coming back, manager I spoke to said that's fine (graduate) but I got an earful the next day for doing it.

I'd really like to know how you guys do it, in simple terms without baffling flow charts and whatnot.

[kay_thebigbird]

Cheers.

Reading through that it seems to be more directed at managers. Humour me here, I am a bit thick.

Do I -

1) Tell the manager during prep I'm cutting off at my time?
2) Upon reaching time, phone the manager's office and tell them I'm cutting off?
3) Return all the remaining mail to the MC?

There was a time a few months ago I was halfway through a 4 hour round for the first time, more than an hour past my time, it was chucking down with rain, I had just had a bundle fall apart on me and I had no idea how to put it back together. I ended up phoning them and telling them I'd had enough and I was coming back, manager I spoke to said that's fine (graduate) but I got an earful the next day for doing it.

I'd really like to know how you guys do it, in simple terms without baffling flow charts and whatnot.

They will try & bully you into doing, I often cut off, you see how much work there is & you know if you will go over time & by roughly how much time & you tell them asap before you leave the office, & then you put the ball in there court, most will say how much will you be leaving,eg, a row or 45 mins -1 hour,they tell you what to do they are the managers that is what they get paid for to sort out any problems,don't let them bully you, I have a young son & I have to finish on time,christmas time is always fun.Any arguments I have, I just say I can't do it which I honestly can't, no job or company can make you work over your time,o/t is voluntary,all you have to do is work to your time ,I always say if the walks are to heavy & to long it's not my problem it's your's,I don't get paid enough to worry .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Cheers.

Reading through that it seems to be more directed at managers. Humour me here, I am a bit thick.

Do I -

1) Tell the manager during prep I'm cutting off at my time?

As soon as you feel you will not be able to complete in your Duty time, even if you are willing to work it on OT tell the manager - Oh don't use the words "Cut Off" as the proper wording is "Unable to complete" - "Cutting off" is a slang term and not a recognised term, also some mangers see it as confrontational

2) Upon reaching time, phone the manager's office and tell them I'm cutting off?

Yes if thats what they have directed you to do - Always do as the managers says as this means you have covered your own back.

3) Return all the remaining mail to the MC?

Again if this is what the manager has said you should do.

Whatever you do if you can't complete within normal hours and have advised them as such, do not finish early even by 1 minute as they will leap on this as a "Delay of Mail"

There was a time a few months ago I was halfway through a 4 hour round for the first time, more than an hour past my time, it was chucking down with rain, I had just had a bundle fall apart on me and I had no idea how to put it back together. I ended up phoning them and telling them I'd had enough and I was coming back, manager I spoke to said that's fine (graduate) but I got an earful the next day for doing it.

I'd really like to know how you guys do it, in simple terms without baffling flow charts and whatnot.

I have copied the bit in the document that most interests you and as long as you follow this and stay strong there is not much they can do to you officially.

DELIVERY

3.1 PRIOR TO COMMENCEMENT

a) Where an employee feels that on completion of preparation he/she may experience difficulty in completing his/her delivery within the authorised time allotted, he/she should approach his/her manager as soon as possible before setting out on delivery. It will be for the manager to discuss any problem and advise the employee what particular action should be taken.

b) When an individual has requested assistance on delivery, but the manager feels that assistance is not required, this decision along with the advice given to the employee will be recorded and associated with the daily traffic volume records. The employee can have access to this record and may ask to see it prior to commencement of his/her delivery. In addition to recording the employee’s request, the employee will be instructed to ring his/her local manager prior to a specified time or as soon as possible if full completion of delivery workload within the time allotted proves not to be possible.

3.2 AFTER COMMENCEMENT OF DELIVERY

a) If an individual is prevented from completing their delivery for any reason, it is essential that this is reported immediately either by returning to the office or by telephone (telephone costs will be refunded). A written record will be kept.

b) All employees should be informed of the local authorised arrangements, in writing, preferably in plastic card form if available.

4. GENERAL

a) Employees must be made aware that mail must NEVER be taken home at the end of a delivery. Correct endorsement procedures and correct use of the pouching off wallet, if appropriate, will avoid this.

b) Although the main aim will be to avoid the circumstances that may pose operational difficulties to an employee and to find ways of overcoming any potential problem at a very early stage, it is also important that all employees are made fully aware of the implications of delaying mail and possible consequences.

c) Measures shall be put in place to advise staff on the course of action to be taken when difficulties arise when managers are unavailable.