What must I bring on my first shift?

[Rafiki]

Hello,

I passed the security checks and hired and start date was agreed on the 11th October. Way ahead of 19th November.

I was given a pre contract letter at the registration confirming I would be starting at the Manchester Mail Centre on the 19/11/2012 on the night shift. I also received the welcome pack. What must I bring on the day of my shift? Last year if I can remember rightly I brought in my passport and National Insurance Card. Do I bring these letters in too? Or anything else? I have sent the P46 by letter to Sheffield, as my last P45 was given in April. I just don't want to turn up for my shift after signing off Job Seekers and be turned away, as that is exactly what happened last year with Angard. People turned up and was either turned away because they didn't have photographic ID or because they weren't on the register. I don't want that to happen to me as it's getting close to Christmas. I know it's the Royal Mail this year but I don't want to be taking any chances.

I don't need to know about clothing, shoes etc. As I know they are usually provided once you arrive at the centre. Just what I must bring on the first shift.

My other question is about Angard. At the start of the year I got a letter saying I owed them some money. The thing is I was taxed £150, and never got that back, if that tax came back to my bank account I would have owed them £51, but because I never received this £150 tax, I was the one out of pocket, probably why they never tried to contact me even further. I was going to wait for the tax to be paid, before I decided to ignore it or send them the cash. The Job Centre said I must wait and the HMRC said to claim the money back at the Job Centre this was ages ago. The Job Centre told me to wait until September and if I haven't been repaid contact them again. It seems Angard really did fool me.

[Verging]

Does it not say in the welcome pack what you need to take? Have you got your ID badge in the welcome pack?

If they havent requested anything I would still take the confirmation letter of employment and your photographic id.

How earlier in the year did you last work for Angard. If it was before the end of the last tax year (i.e. before 5th April) you will need to claim the tax back probably from HMRC - if it was after 5th April your tax should sort itself out whe you start working - assumming you have P45 for this tax year.

Also, as Angard is part of Royal Mail Group they may decide to have Royal Mail take the money back they claim you "owe" Angard when you work for Royal Mail. They should not as they are supposed to be seperate companies within the Royal Mail Group but you ever know.

[Rafiki]

I was never given my badge in the welcome pack :O?

In the welcome pack it says nothing about what you should bring apart from that letter. What are The Royal Mail playing at? I suppose you have a different kind of welcome pack letter? I got like 8 pages of "Thank you for joining", "Student Employees", "P46", "During Employment", "After Employment" and the rest seems unimportant. It includes nothing about what I need to take or the badge.

I worked with Angard last Christmas. I think I need to try and get a 12 months bank statement just to double check. Angard messed up so much last Christmas. Every payslip was just completely wrong, even the final one that was supposed to amend all the previous errors. If I am charged once I start and never get this tax back I'm the one who has lost out. Who knows if this tax was even paid? As soon as I finished my temporary position I never bothered to ring them, as they were clueless over the phone.

[Verging]

I have not got a welcome pack - I am an Angard all year round casual - not a Chrstmas casual. Just trying to help by finding out what they have sent you.

When I was a Christmas casual for Royal Mail a few years ago all they gave was a letter saying I had the job and when to start and where to go. I took the letter and was given my pass at the "induction" on my first day.

Have no idea if they are doing this when you first turn up or if you have a specific induction time (outside normal start time) or whether you get passes through the post (this is what Angard did/do for regular casuals).

I would have thought the welcome pack should say what you need to do,

[Rafiki]

Not a problem.

I will just phone the Customer Service Christmas Team to make sure, be on hold for an hour lol, listening to the great background song selections they have.

I have the letter confirming the start date and the time. I will just take whatever I think they need, but will give the Christmas Team a call just to make sure. I don't want to be turning up and being turned away for a stupid reason.

By the way how do you get extended work? Do you just have to keep hassling them? I enjoyed the work last year, and so far it's the only employment I've had. I was told by the line manager just to keep applying for vacancies, but I guess instead of applying for vacancies you just have to keep phoning Angard for work?

Edit

Phoned the Christmas Team. "Bring in something with your name and address, and something with your picture on it" So that letter confirming my start date would be suitable and my passport. I will probably just take my bank card and national insurance card too, I have these with me on a daily basis anyway. So I guess I have all I need. I enquired about the badge, he said you will get that on the first day of work.

[Verging]

Not sure about extended work - you probably have to become an Angard casual again. Angard supply all year round casuals but again with Royal Mail/Angard who knows what will happen next.