meal relief before we go out

[TrueBlueTerrier]

TBT as regards my previous post, can they refuse us taking our full M/R (40 mins) before we leave the office???
any H/S Reps know?

Nope not as far as I know - in fact they prefer that in our office.

[smarterdarter]

Thanks TBT wish they prefered that at ours.

[Straight4ward]

Pasted from the Delivery Duty Design Principles posted on here;


Full-time meal break entitlements

All full-time employees working in delivery offices on a 40-hour gross week over five or six days will generally have a standard entitlement to 40 minutes meal break per day and 30 minutes on the shorter day (normally Saturday) of a six day attendance.

Where there are unusual duty patterns (e.g. long or short attendance patterns, or jobs with fewer than five attendances per week) the meal break entitlement will be determined on a daily basis for each attendance from the table of entitlements below.

Meal breaks for non-standard, part-time and extended attendances

Part-time jobs, and full-time jobs with non-standard attendance patterns, will attract meal breaks for each daily attendance as follows, reflecting a generally pro-rata entitlement to the national weekly standard:

Attendance length total breaks probable pattern

less than 2 hours 30 minutes none (a 10 min grace break should be provided if work permits)
2 hours 30 to 3 hours 10 mins 10
3 hours 1 to 3 hours 30 15 mins 15
3 hours 31 to 4 hours 59 20 mins 20
5 hours to 7 hours 30 mins 30
7 hours 1 to 8 hours 59 40 mins 40 or 20 + 20
9 hours to 10 hours 59 50 mins 30 + 20
11 hours to 12 hours 59 60 mins 40 + 20 or 30 + 30
13 hours or longer 70 mins 40 + 30

The actual pattern of breaks within these rules will be agreed locally

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

We also have been told today during a "training session" that we must take half our break before we start delivery...

When I start at 0800 (Mon + Weds-Fri), I normally do well to be ready to go by 0945 if I do not clear my deads. I've had breakfast at home at ~0700 and I've been happy to eat around 1115-1300 window, getting back to depot 1400-1500.
On Tuesdays, when I start at 0930, why would I want to take half my break at ~1015? I've only been in 45 minutes and taking this break will quite possibly mean I cannot make my final "special" (often have max 8 on Tues, I cover high street).
On Saturdays, when I start at 0630, I do well as it was to make "right of way" at ~0800. Why would I want to take half my break and leave around 0830?

No idea why this has suddenly been implemented. I've been with RM ~7 months, other part-timers longer and this is the first time this issue has been raised by managers.

In addition, the DOM also claimed that regardless of how long our working day may be, our meal relief is based solely on our contracted hours, ABSOLUTE BALLONI! Meal relief entitlement is based on how long a working day is:-
20 mins for 4 hours
30 mins for 5 hours
40 mins for 6 hours
...
10 mins for every additional hour?

Our union rep was informed of this claim pretty sharpish and they went to the managers office quite promptly (our rep was already unhappy with managers this morning, due to way they were told about what was to be said at the full-timers "group hug" in the middle of the depot)!

[guvenor]

if forced to take break before we go on delivery when can we have other 20 mins
can we return to office as i am not prepared to take 20 min of end of shift wtf is 20 mins at end of shift going to achieve
bollocks i would even prefer to take full break before del

[dubdaz]

No idea why this has suddenly been implemented. I've been with RM ~7 months, other part-timers longer and this is the first time this issue has been raised by managers.

Probably the union pushing RM into making us have the meal relief when we're supposed to,cos they know leaving all your meal relief till the end encorages people to rush when they should'nt be rushing to make sure they can finish the 40 mins before their time, they're owed.
Its this and comming in early thats got us where we are today.

[dazzlin72]

If you don't take your meal relief, prep through your break time, fly out the door and finish early, the RM don't care any longer. Job and finish is no longer. If they see you finish early irrespective of whether you go in early, and don't take your break, they will assume your walk isn't big enough and add to it. This is also the reason why they think that you are able to absorb.
Use your head, do the job by the book, and don't dart around like a blue arse fly, and there should be no reason to have to do any extra work bar your duty.

[pony]

Although ideally people would have a break before they go out,i can see why some wouldn't want to.
They keep pushing start times back and now if we have to take 40 mins(which is possible in our office) then we would be getting home about hour and half to 2 hours later than we were this time last year.
They keep changing stuff but its not always convenient.Most signed up in the days when it was 5 till 12.30 but now we are looking at getting home after school kids.Which is a major hassle for some .
I don't mind having my break but i dont really want it after 2 hours.Its lethal to sit down at work,it makes me nod off and feel more tired.I like to keep on the move till i come round(which is usually about 11 :P )

[Jenny Manchester]

Union should make it compulsory like the car delivery. instead of idiots choking on sandwiches at their frames. take it or lose it. RM is laughing at the ones that work through breaks....

[not me]

I cant believe folks are still having to be told to take breaks.....

[fishtank]

I cant believe folks are still having to be told to take breaks.....

I know custard.
In most jobs people can't wait for their breaks and get bollocked by the boss for taking too long.

[bedfordrl]

If you don't take your meal relief, prep through your break time, fly out the door and finish early, the RM don't care any longer. Job and finish is no longer. If they see you finish early irrespective of whether you go in early, and don't take your break, they will assume your walk isn't big enough and add to it. This is also the reason why they think that you are able to absorb.
Use your head, do the job by the book, and don't dart around like a blue arse fly, and there should be no reason to have to do any extra work bar your duty.

Bang on.

If we ,as an office, were made to take our forty minute break before we all went out there would be rounds and specials failling everywhere.

The whole office is set up that no one takes their breaks ,I know because i "did my job properly" for a week , came in bang on time,to others sat on their frames as they had thrown everything already in ,in already,carried on throwing in whilst the others were off out the door and took my break before I went out and had to cut off most days.

It was soul destroying.

With the rurals, well they could not take their breaks or else their one o clock specials would fail, madness as in our office there would still be an hour and a half until the end of their duty.

[feduppostie]

I can't understand it either?

I watch people come in before their time rush around have no break then sit on the frame at the bottom for half an hour waiting to get out??????


I start on my time and take my breaks and if they moan at waiting for my bags ( at 9 am when we are not due out till 10!) I simply say ' take your break and start on time then maybe you won't be moaning at me all the time'

I won't be moaned at cos they are stupid!

one guy comes in at 5 and his start time is 7.30 FGS!