work to rule already

[gb93]

Most if not all people are out off the office for 9am after the hub run is back,
so its an extra 40 mins wait.

Well on the surface there does seem some spare capacity if you are leaving office at 9 and say at 1st del point at 9.20,3.30 delivery takes you to 12.50 add 20 min break and that delivery finished by 13.10.
You have stated your finishing time is 14.20 so even with a genourous 20 min pouch off or a return to office you are left with a 50 min shortfall.
So from the outside some opportunity for lapsing does look possible and that is why the DOM is going for it.
I can see why your office would find it unpopular and not like the idea of lapsing and good on them for "doing the job properly' but I feel it may be a losing battle.
Only thing is don't know size of your office and no of duties to know what sort of impact lapsing 2 duties would have.
The only thing maybe worth trying but I think it unlikely to hold is sticking to a 3.30 del span and once you have done that return to office to work till time.
But I found once staff get faced with that option lapsing doesn't seem that bad and a better option.

[royalwud]

Thanks , very usefull info, will up date next week

[Lincox]

Teebs you say that break should be taken sometime in the middle of the day. We arrived for start and were told that our walksort had been taken to another sub delivery office 30 miles away and it would be at least an hour before we would receive it. The manager then rang and said that if we were standing around this time should be taken as meal break. Can this be right that they can order a meal break on us virtually as we start, taking into account that we would then have to do nearly a complete shift without a break just to cover their bungling.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Teebs you say that break should be taken sometime in the middle of the day. We arrived for start and were told that our walksort had been taken to another sub delivery office 30 miles away and it would be at least an hour before we would receive it. The manager then rang and said that if we were standing around this time should be taken as meal break. Can this be right that they can order a meal break on us virtually as we start, taking into account that we would then have to do nearly a complete shift without a break just to cover their bungling.

Your manager got it totally wrong - he was winging it and hoped no one would notice - looks like he succeeded. Next time use this.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10029451" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The requirements are:
the break must be in one block
it cannot be taken off one end of the working day - it must be somewhere in the middle
you are allowed to spend it away from the place on your employer's premises where you work
your employer can say when the break must be taken, as long as it meets these conditions

[baldrick]

Breaks at the beginning or end of attendance

Where an attendance is provided with more than one break, the second break may be scheduled at the
beginning or end, in which case attendance is not required solely for booking on or off. A single break
should not be scheduled at the beginning or end of the attendance.

Way Forward Agreement 2000.
Section 5. Meal Breaks

[POSTMAN]

Or in other words,tell your manager to do one.

[elverly]

ok folks
have I got this right a manager can't tell you to take a break at the begining of your shift only around the middle of your shift?

[gb93]

ok folks
have I got this right a manager can't tell you to take a break at the begining of your shift only around the middle of your shift?

Here we go again.YES HE CAN,split break into two 20 min bits.
And bravo 1 before you go out on delivery(cause that's what your getting at) and 1 in middle of delivery.
Them evil RM bosses forcing us to take breaks

[elverly]

er i have no problem taking my breaks but not after half an hour after gettig through the door

[elverly]

and also it seems he can tell the ones doing docket dont matter lads get yer arses out there yer doing a grand job you've no need to take yer break as he sips his tea with the rep

[POSTMAN]

er i have no problem taking my breaks but not after half an hour after gettig through the door

As we said,your manager is wrong.Refuse point blank to have it then.

[elverly]

so let me get this clear if all dont have to take their break you can refuse?

[elverly]

and another thing our so called rep has said if we dont take it before we go out we lose it is that correct?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

so let me get this clear if all dont have to take their break you can refuse?

On this specific point I would say no you cant refuse it based simply on that they have not told anyone else to take it. However, it does not stop you using the "custom and practice" defence that my rep successfully did over a year ago when they tried to force him to take a break.

They can tell you when to take a break but not where. The when should be somewhere in the middle.

Another option for them only telling certain people and not the whole office is to use the "fairness and equality" which should be shown to all.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

and another thing our so called rep has said if we dont take it before we go out we lose it is that correct?

This is a grey area as they can tell you when to take a break. If you go out on deliveries before your break, despite an instruction no to do so, then I suppose it could be said you had given it up voluntarily.

This is a hard one to call. But of course if you have a cafe on your duty you could take the break there before starting deliveries.