Taking a year out

[freig]

Is it possible to do this & keep your job should you wish to return, or is it basically at your Dom's discretion?
Also can you do any paid work during this period?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Yes its called a career break and some info and downloads in this thread http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... er#p489349" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[marlboroman]

I wonder why this question keeps coming up. Then again I can see why!

[bensonhedge]

Is it possible to do this & keep your job should you wish to return, or is it basically at your Dom's discretion?
Also can you do any paid work during this period?

You lose your seniority though i believe.

[chrisj]

I'll love a 'Year Out' as well but I cannot come up with a convincing reason. Will travelling and/or voyage of discovery and enlightenment or finding myself, midlife crisis or recharging my batteries suffice (am serious)?

I am not going on a course/training or charity work but can do with the break away from it all...

[UnhappyGremlin]

Is it possible to do this & keep your job should you wish to return, or is it basically at your Dom's discretion?
Also can you do any paid work during this period?

You lose your seniority though i believe.

Don't think so. They guarantee you a job but not necessarily in the same office/department.
If people who work here and leave for another job, then come back and can combine the 2 periods of service, then surely this is also the case with a career break.
A lad at my office kept his seniority after a career break, though it may have been unofficial.

[chrisj]

Is it possible to do this & keep your job should you wish to return, or is it basically at your Dom's discretion?
Also can you do any paid work during this period?

freig, if i may ask, what is your plan for the year out?

The other consideration is what happens if RM gets privatised whilst on a year out?

[barrowc]

If people who work here and leave for another job, then come back and can combine the 2 periods of service, then surely this is also the case with a career break.
A lad at my office kept his seniority after a career break, though it may have been unofficial.

It's in the Way Forward agreement:

13.6 All service within an appropriate grade, whether on permanent or temporary basis, will count for seniority purposes, with the exception of any periods worked on a casual contract, or during a career break or sabbatical. Unpaid leave will count provided there is no break in contract. Service after age 60 will continue to count. However service must be continuous for seniority purposes, with periods prior to any break in
contract (due to re-employment, for example) not generally included, unless there are exceptional circumstances applying to particular cases that are agreed at local level.

The "combining two periods of service" part is for annual leave:

All periods of service on a temporary or permanent contract (with periods of casual service included only if they run continuously into a temporary or permanent contract), except for those on unpaid leave, SPPR, or with HM Forces exceeding 15 days, will count towards calculating leave due. Previous periods of PO service may be counted for this purpose.

[Darren Bent]

I would hang on for another year so if you get a EVR due to privatisation then you got more money to do things on a year break or more. But I don't see any evidence of some company trying to buy Royal Mail.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

But I don't see any evidence of some company trying to buy Royal Mail.

Apparently CVC Capital Partners who have an interest already in BPost are sniffing around in case the Government bin the IPO route.

Former Royal Mail suitor CVC, the buyout house which owns Formula One, is understood to have been approached and is said to be interested.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mark ... z2S6uyAJ8F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

[flaminmoses]

But I don't see any evidence of some company trying to buy Royal Mail.

Apparently CVC Capital Partners who have an interest already in BPost are sniffing around in case the Government bin the IPO route.

Former Royal Mail suitor CVC, the buyout house which owns Formula One, is understood to have been approached and is said to be interested.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mark ... z2S6uyAJ8F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

least we may get souped up vans to drive about then.

[fishtank]

Is it possible to do this & keep your job should you wish to return, or is it basically at your Dom's discretion?
Also can you do any paid work during this period?

You lose your seniority though i believe.

Your service is frozen during an official career break.
It's treated like a period of unpaid leave.
You don't lose it.
If you've done 10 years and then take a career break for 2 years when you come back you've done 10 years.