Advise for part timer please re overtime etc

[beastman]

This week has been a particular mare for me and I could do with some decent advice. I'm not in the union but I will try and get that sorted asap. I pretty much always go over as the walks aren't usually prepped (usual story no packets sorted/turned - often boxes of mech mail not thrown in, redirections & kill-offs not done etc) often meaning I'm not getting to the start of the walk until around 10.30 or 11.00 - I'm meant to finish at 1.40 (assuming I have my 20 minute break at the wend of my shift). Most of not all walks are meant to be 3.5 hours max and I need to be starting the walk near 10.00 for me to finish on time and I never get out there that early!

The other day I finished my walk at 15.15 - yep it took 4.15 hrs to complete (680 houses on the walk & I didn't start it until 11.15) and as I don't have a car it was 16.30 before I got home as I had to walk back to the office to drop off the dibbed packets and then of course walk home - this meant over 7.5 hours on my feet without a break! Clearly the usual full timer will be quicker than me as he will know all the short cuts etc and most of them have cars so they aren't doing all the dead walking like me as I'm having to go back to the drop points. My situation this week isn't great as I was told this walk only takes 3 hours by the person that normally does it ( I seriously cannot see how that could be feasible without running) I've actually got blisters on my feet this week for the first time. Suffice to say when I get home I'm knackered on most days but this week especially. On top of this when I do ask for overtime its like getting blood out of a stone and Its not reliably paid as well.

So here's the questions:

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it?
2. Can I refuse to do the lapse?
3. Is it true that all walks should only be 3.5 hours max even on a busy day? (the one I am on this week is more like 4.5hrs on a busy day and 3.5 on a quiet).
4. Does overtime always have to be booked (ie verbally agreed) with a manager on the day? (obviously this is often guesswork especially if on a new walk)
5. Does you door to door have to be prepped in your own time? (that's what I have been told)
6. I have been told that overtime cant be booked on Tuesdays (presumably as its a quieter day) - I take it that's BS?
7. I have beeb told that bringing back dibbed packets to the office isn't part of your shift - surely that's BS as well?
8. As I am part time isn't is right for me to expect for my walk to be mostly propped so I can pretty much just tie up and have enough time to get myself to my walk for around 10.00 so can actually finish on time?
9. Should I actually sign each day for agreed overtime or just at the end of the week? (Ive only been asked to sign an OT form once before!)
10. Should a part timer be expected to thrown in polling cards/election leaflets or should that be done for them?

[holmsey]

bloody hell your'e thorough what you doing on the post!!

[not me]

This week has been a particular mare for me and I could do with some decent advice. I'm not in the union but I will try and get that sorted asap. I pretty much always go over as the walks aren't usually prepped (usual story no packets sorted/turned - often boxes of mech mail not thrown in, redirections & kill-offs not done etc) often meaning I'm not getting to the start of the walk until around 10.30 or 11.00 - I'm meant to finish at 1.40 (assuming I have my 20 minute break at the wend of my shift). Most of not all walks are meant to be 3.5 hours max and I need to be starting the walk near 10.00 for me to finish on time and I never get out there that early!

The other day I finished my walk at 15.15 - yep it took 4.15 hrs to complete (680 houses on the walk & I didn't start it until 11.15) and as I don't have a car it was 16.30 before I got home as I had to walk back to the office to drop off the dibbed packets and then of course walk home - this meant over 7.5 hours on my feet without a break! Clearly the usual full timer will be quicker than me as he will know all the short cuts etc and most of them have cars so they aren't doing all the dead walking like me as I'm having to go back to the drop points. My situation this week isn't great as I was told this walk only takes 3 hours by the person that normally does it ( I seriously cannot see how that could be feasible without running) I've actually got blisters on my feet this week for the first time. Suffice to say when I get home I'm knackered on most days but this week especially. On top of this when I do ask for overtime its like getting blood out of a stone and Its not reliably paid as well.

So here's the questions:

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it? any,you have your hours and dont have to work over
2. Can I refuse to do the lapse? no,you work your hours,lapse or whatever but inform them you wont complete and what do they want you to do.eg cut,leave a part of the duty,not lapse etc
3. Is it true that all walks should only be 3.5 hours max even on a busy day? (the one I am on this week is more like 4.5hrs on a busy day and 3.5 on a quiet). yes,however see above and it doesnt really matter if you work to your time
4. Does overtime always have to be booked (ie verbally agreed) with a manager on the day? (obviously this is often guesswork especially if on a new walk) offices vary but see above and finish on time
5. Does you door to door have to be prepped in your own time? (that's what I have been told) no
6. I have been told that overtime cant be booked on Tuesdays (presumably as its a quieter day) - I take it that's BS? BS
7. I have beeb told that bringing back dibbed packets to the office isn't part of your shift - surely that's BS as well? pouching off is part of your duty.how is it done in your office? do you not use post offices?
8. As I am part time isn't is right for me to expect for my walk to be mostly propped so I can pretty much just tie up and have enough time to get myself to my walk for around 10.00 so can actually finish on time? yes,see above about working to your time.if you always work over then theres no incentive to have your duty ready for you
9. Should I actually sign each day for agreed overtime or just at the end of the week? (Ive only been asked to sign an OT form once before!) sign every day and keep a written record of all dates and hours worked
10. Should a part timer be expected to thrown in polling cards/election leaflets or should that be done for them? its all about time as above

.........................................................

[el_cartero]

the problem here is that people have these serious questions and ROYAL MAIL does not havea facitily for them to be answered.

ITS A JOKE

[Broxi51]

So here's the questions:

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it?
OT is voluntary. They cannot make you work beyond your time. Just tell your manager when you go in that you want to finish on your time and then ask him what you should do? Another poster on RMC gave out good advice. He said that you should always ask the manager what you should do. Put the onus on your boss to come up with a plan. If you feel you still cannot manage within your time then say so and ask again what you should do. If he tries to tell you that you should finish within your time then ask him what you should do with any mail you have left at the end of your shift. Dont be aggressive, just keep questioning. They do give up

2. Can I refuse to do the lapse?
If it will take you over your time then you should mention to your boss and ask what you should do. He may want you to take the lapsed bit and leave a bit of your own walk.

3. Is it true that all walks should only be 3.5 hours max even on a busy day? (the one I am on this week is more like 4.5hrs on a busy day and 3.5 on a quiet).
YES!!! At the moment.

4. Does overtime always have to be booked (ie verbally agreed) with a manager on the day? (obviously this is often guesswork especially if on a new walk)
It depends on the office. In our office we are supposed to say that we will be over our time but sometimes our guesswork is wrong and we book it the next day. If they try to tell you that you cannot book then obviously you dont do OT and you just cut off.

5. Does you door to door have to be prepped in your own time? (that's what I have been told)
NO. If they want you to prep it outwith your contracted hours then that is illegal unless the delivery of D2D's are voluntary. Ask your boss to put it in writing that he expects you to work outside your contracted hours

6. I have been told that overtime cant be booked on Tuesdays (presumably as its a quieter day) - I take it that's BS?
YES

7. I have beeb told that bringing back dibbed packets to the office isn't part of your shift - surely that's BS as well?
YES. Ask him what you should do with them at the end of your shift if you are still away from the office since bringing them back isnt part of your shift and therefore cant be OT either

8. As I am part time isn't is right for me to expect for my walk to be mostly propped so I can pretty much just tie up and have enough time to get myself to my walk for around 10.00 so can actually finish on time?
That is what should happen but rarely does. If you want that then you need to say NO to OT and cut off.

9. Should I actually sign each day for agreed overtime or just at the end of the week? (Ive only been asked to sign an OT form once before!)
We fill in a sheet after agreeing our OT on a daily basis. They took away the sheets and we just used to tell him how long we would be but usually the OT payments were wrong and after a while there was a strong hint that OT in our office would be shelved. The sheets returned
Manager is meant to come round each day and get you to sign a sheet for the previous days OT but never happens here.

10. Should a part timer be expected to thrown in polling cards/election leaflets or should that be done for them?

If the guy who preps your round has time then he should prep them BUT never will be as it is a different payment system and you get paid extra for them and should normally be done without claiming OT although if you take only 20% out and you are over then you can claim. However going by your posts I would think you would be fighting a major war with your boss for any OT when delivering election leaflets. If it is a busy day in our office then we might leave our election stuff and claim OT and then if it was quieter the next day then take some. I see no reason to kill myself for RM by taking more cr*p out with me on a busy day and then have to battle for OT because they said I was doing election sh*t.

Hope this helps and I am sure others on here will give valuable advice. Good luck mate

[beastman]

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it? any,you have your hours and dont have to work over

thanks for the advice but its easier said than done - if i try and play that game I get get threatened with the sack and I know if I went for it big time the manager(s) would go mental.

[not me]

the problem here is that people have these serious questions and ROYAL MAIL does not havea facitily for them to be answered.

ITS A JOKE

no your post is a joke,if you cant give input or help then go fanny about somewhere else

[el_cartero]

the problem here is that people have these serious questions and ROYAL MAIL does not havea facitily for them to be answered.

ITS A JOKE

no your post is a joke,if you cant give input or help then go fanny about somewhere else

then tell me where people like this can go to get the information they need within royal mail?

[postghost]

the problem here is that people have these serious questions and ROYAL MAIL does not havea facitily for them to be answered.

ITS A JOKE

no your post is a joke,if you cant give input or help then go fanny about somewhere else

then tell me where people like this can go to get the information they need within royal mail?

Nowhere.

That is why we are all here.

[proper postie]

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it? any,you have your hours and dont have to work over

thanks for the advice but its easier said than done - if i try and play that game I get get threatened with the sack and I know if I went for it big time the manager(s) would go mental.

You have to stand your ground mate,I know it's easy in theory/hard in practice but you need to do it or you will get walked over.

Tell your lino you need to book,if he/she refuses tell them you cannot complete and will be leaving mail/bringing mail back.If they hit you with threats it's harassment,they can't actually do anything to you if you're genuinely working to your time.

It's hard and you may need to make a scene over it,but stick to your guns and eventually they'll get the message that you're not a soft touch.

[Broxi51]

1. Under what circumstances can I refuse overtime and not finish my walk and whats the best way to go about it? any,you have your hours and dont have to work over

thanks for the advice but its easier said than done - if i try and play that game I get get threatened with the sack and I know if I went for it big time the manager(s) would go mental.

You have to stand your ground mate,I know it's easy in theory/hard in practice but you need to do it or you will get walked over.

Tell your lino you need to book,if he/she refuses tell them you cannot complete and will be leaving mail/bringing mail back.If they hit you with threats it's harassment,they can't actually do anything to you if you're genuinely working to your time.

It's hard and you may need to make a scene over it,but stick to your guns and eventually they'll get the message that you're not a soft touch.

As above but also take a witness when talking to managers. They are like chameleons when others are able to listen in.

[el_cartero]

bullying and horrasment in a nut shell