Overtime not wanted on a Saturday!!

[Victheyoungbuck]

Hi

Not sure what to do about an issue I have at work, I hope I can explain it enough on here and equally hope someone can assist.

I am on a 25 hour weekly contract with Royal Mail as a postman with driving. I very rarely work just five hours a day and last week, due to the starting of 'new loop' working, I worked almost 15 hours overtime with three days of working almost 4 hours a day overtime. I do not mind working the odd day over my allotted hours but as I have been told I will never have a Saturday off work when the new loops are implemented I do not see why I should work over five hours on a Saturday, or any other day when it does not suit me. Unfortunately, when I mention this to my manager he tells me that I will have to start at 10am and finish at 3pm and he will arrange for someone to prep the round and bag up for me. If I do not say I am only working five hours, I am expected to start work at approx 7am not 10am, am I within my rights to go in at 7am and tell them I am finishing as soon as my five hours are up (taking into account a 20 minute break plus time to travel back to the depot plus admin time)?

I do not feel able to discuss this with my union rep as he appears to be very close to the manager and has forced through the option where all full time staff can look forward to a one in four Saturday off yet myself and other part time staff will never get a Saturday off.

Hope someone can advise asap and I am not being unreasonable in only wanting to work my contracted hours!

[Thehair]

I suspect on a 25hr contract, your contracted hours are 5 * 5hrs days, 10am - 3pm to cover delivery (or a variation of). The fact you are going in at 7 is doing both yourself and the DOM a favour, you increasing your earnings via OT and the DOM by getting a delivery prepped. If you don't want the OT then I'd hazzard a guess that your DOM is quite within his rights to have you in at 10am just to do the delivery, Check your contract, I may be wrong.

You shouldn't be workig every Saturday though so I'd have a chat with you rep about that

[TrueBlueTerrier]

am I within my rights to go in at 7am and tell them I am finishing as soon as my five hours are up

No

These timings will be part of your "contracted hours" and anything outside of them is voluntary

[Bahia Feliz]

Should he have specific contracted hours i.e 7a.m till 12p.m or 10a.m till 3p.m?

[aposter]

As a 25hr contract your are employed to deliver the mail, not sort or prep. You can't choose what hours or part of the job you want to do and if you go down the route of work to rule and stop all your OT then your hours will go to 10am ~ 3pm.

As for working every Saturday, some offices in the revision are implementing (voting in) duty structures (with the blessing of the union) which require some duties to work every Saturday whilst having set days off through the week rather than 1 in 3/ 1 in 4 / 1 in 5.

If you have picked (by choice or through (lack of) seniority one of these duties then if you want to keep your job you are stuck with it, sorry

[hampshireman]

Hi

Not sure what to do about an issue I have at work, I hope I can explain it enough on here and equally hope someone can assist.

I am on a 25 hour weekly contract with Royal Mail as a postman with driving. I very rarely work just five hours a day and last week, due to the starting of 'new loop' working, I worked almost 15 hours overtime with three days of working almost 4 hours a day overtime. I do not mind working the odd day over my allotted hours but as I have been told I will never have a Saturday off work when the new loops are implemented I do not see why I should work over five hours on a Saturday, or any other day when it does not suit me. Unfortunately, when I mention this to my manager he tells me that I will have to start at 10am and finish at 3pm and he will arrange for someone to prep the round and bag up for me. If I do not say I am only working five hours, I am expected to start work at approx 7am not 10am, am I within my rights to go in at 7am and tell them I am finishing as soon as my five hours are up (taking into account a 20 minute break plus time to travel back to the depot plus admin time)?

I do not feel able to discuss this with my union rep as he appears to be very close to the manager and has forced through the option where all full time staff can look forward to a one in four Saturday off yet myself and other part time staff will never get a Saturday off.

appalling from your office . Basically, lets just shaft the PT



Hope someone can advise asap and I am not being unreasonable in only wanting to work my contracted hours!

Appaling from your office. Just shaft the PT.

There are instances where the new duty patterns will mean that all (or at least some) PT will have to work every Sat. Makes the FT happy ; but in no way is it fair.

Any office (and OPG's) that vote for that sort of arrangement should be ashamed.

They wont be ; because the job is selfish. There is no helping your fellow worker...

[kilrenny]

you are entitled to at least 1 in 6 sats off. see your rep . if not happy with rep then go to area rep. but talk to your own first.

[Rudolph_Hucker]

As a 25hr contract your are employed to deliver the mail, not sort or prep. You can't choose what hours or part of the job you want to do and if you go down the route of work to rule and stop all your OT then your hours will go to 10am ~ 3pm.

As for working every Saturday, some offices in the revision are implementing (voting in) duty structures (with the blessing of the union) which require some duties to work every Saturday whilst having set days off through the week rather than 1 in 3/ 1 in 4 / 1 in 5.

If you have picked (by choice or through (lack of) seniority one of these duties then if you want to keep your job you are stuck with it, sorry

I don't think that is strictly true.

I am on a 24 hour contract and do 3 days at 8 hours and have been since joining earlier this year.

[steven100]

Firstly your entitled to a Saturday off.

Like most contracts it will probably just be 25 hours a week.

Yes they can make you work 10 - 3. Isn't this a national agreement or maybe agreement with the regulator, delivering to 3pm (unless its overtime).

[hampshireman]

you are entitled to at least 1 in 6 sats off. see your rep . if not happy with rep then go to area rep. but talk to your own first.

You are in fact correct. But if the idiots in your office vote for a fixed day off ; yet again... and then of course it is a local agreement and the Rep has done his / her best.. Then what do you do.

Am so effing fed up with this situation that have asked for a transfer. Not a chance of that

[Victheyoungbuck]

Thanks for all your replies, I find the whole thing extremely depressing and I'm actively seeking employment elsewhere as they have made it clear that I won't get a Saturday off ever but two days off in the week!! In theory, anytime I want a Saturday off I have to hope that someone would rather have my Wednesday or Thursday off....!!

[NewPostieUK]

Unfortunately, when I mention this to my manager he tells me that I will have to start at 10am and finish at 3pm and he will arrange for someone to prep the round and bag up for me.

I wish my manager was as helpful as that!

You have two issues here, unwanted overtime and your start time. Unwanted overtime is simple, you don't have to do it. Tell your manager you can't work any overtime and it's up to him what he does.

Your start time isn't likely to be as early as 7 am (or 7:30 or whatever). If full timers start at that time, how will they prep your duty unless you start later? Full timers in my office don't start til 9:30 and finish at 3:30. We'd all love to start early and finish early, but there is a good reason we don't start til 9:30... someone is prepping out duties.

[Victheyoungbuck]

Your start time isn't likely to be as early as 7 am (or 7:30 or whatever).

With respect, my point is that my manager is quite happy for me to cover a full time round and I often start at 7 or 0730 (or earlier!) and unless he has a purge on overtime he is also happy for me to work between 3 & 4 hours overtime a day when it suits him. However, my point was that I don't mind going in early to help with prep etc but sometimes I don't want to work an eight or nine hour day but if I even dare to suggest that he suddenly doesn't want me in at 7 he wants me in at 10 and will arrange for someone else to prep etc.

As I stated previously, thanks for the replies but I think I have my answers now and the area rep is on the case so thanks again and stay safe out there...

[aposter]

As a 25hr contract your are employed to deliver the mail, not sort or prep. You can't choose what hours or part of the job you want to do and if you go down the route of work to rule and stop all your OT then your hours will go to 10am ~ 3pm.

As for working every Saturday, some offices in the revision are implementing (voting in) duty structures (with the blessing of the union) which require some duties to work every Saturday whilst having set days off through the week rather than 1 in 3/ 1 in 4 / 1 in 5.

If you have picked (by choice or through (lack of) seniority one of these duties then if you want to keep your job you are stuck with it, sorry

I don't think that is strictly true.

I am on a 24 hour contract and do 3 days at 8 hours and have been since joining earlier this year.

OK I'll add, in your instance

[aposter]

Thanks for all your replies, I find the whole thing extremely depressing and I'm actively seeking employment elsewhere as they have made it clear that I won't get a Saturday off ever but two days off in the week!! In theory, anytime I want a Saturday off I have to hope that someone would rather have my Wednesday or Thursday off....!!

From past experience I am surprised no one in your office as chosen to work every Sat in order to get a wed and thurs off. Before our revision two p/t ladies opted out of our 1 in 6 in favour of a single fixed day mid week to save money on child care. Personally Saturday is just another day to me, in fact working saves me having to troll the supermarket with swmbo, I can understand your reticence if you follow football or feel a need to get rat arsed on a Friday, but a couple of days off mid week on the heaviest days of the week doesn't sound too bad a compromise. If there really is a Saturday you need just book a days holiday.

All the best