30 Minute breaks on a shorter working day

[southernjessy]

Just putting this out for feed back on the length of meal breaks on a shorter working day (long and shorts)

It has come to my attention that some DOMS are applying the 30 minute break rule on a 7 hour day. This day is usually a Tuesday when traffic volume's are normally low.

The standard rest period for an employee has always been a 40 minute break per day, be it a short day or not.

Looking at the Way Forward Agreement (2006). This stipulates

Attendance length total breaks probable pattern

5 hours to 7 hours 30 mins 30
7 hours 1 to 8 hours 59 40 mins 40 or 20 + 20

What then if you have two days a week with an 8.5 hour day. You will still only get 40 Minute meal relief for those days, yet for a 7 hour day the break will be only thirty minutes.

So if you only have a 30 minute break on a Tuesday, how are you supposed to get the 10 minutes back over the week as a 40 minute brake stipulates 7 hours 1 to 8 hours 59

Sorry if this is confusing, but you get the idea

[post_bitch]

is a 25 hour a week contract 30 mins? or do you take off the break from that so its not based on 25 hours.

[southernjessy]

I am talking of a full time contract. 39 hours

[clashcityrocker]

If you have a 7 hour day, you get a 30 minute break.
You don't get those 10 minutes back anywhere else.

The solution is simple:
Don't have a 7 hour Tuesday.

Has the WTL been properly scheduled for the week?

[southernjessy]

From what i understand, longs and shorts have been agreed post revision, and that a Tuesday will be a shorter day of 7 hours in total. Two more days in that week are now 8.5 hour days to make up the hour

I believe the WTL has been included in the IWT, but no WTL sessions are held

[feduppostie]

then the breaks stand and you cannot 'claw' any back as you are not entitled to more breaks than the hours you work accrue on any given day

[southernjessy]

That i agree on, it is just the accumulated hours over a working week is still 39, be it longs and shorts. This policy again works in favour of Royal Mail.

This came to my attention when a DOM was redacting peoples overtime on a Tuesday by 10 minutes inferring the 30 minute break rule. I know that is bovine excrement by the Dom as overtime is overtime, irrelevant of breaks.

I do not do assumptions if i go into a meeting. I apply objectivity and quote from agreements in front of me. I will always seek clarification. Thanks for the debate people, some more research is needed i think, but please do continue to comment, it all helps

[Brainache]

It would have been better to agree a 7hr 5minute Tuesday for instance. Keep the 40minute break then.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

is a 25 hour a week contract 30 mins? or do you take off the break from that so its not based on 25 hours.

No. Breaks are based on daily attendance not contracted hours.

Any breaks form part of the working day - so if you are in for 5 hours you work 4:30.

[post_bitch]

is a 25 hour a week contract 30 mins? or do you take off the break from that so its not based on 25 hours.

No. Breaks are based on daily attendance not contracted hours.

Any breaks form part of the working day - so if you are in for 5 hours you work 4:30.

so just to confirm a 25 hour week gets 30 minute break under rm/cwu work procedures and regulations?

[clashcityrocker]

is a 25 hour a week contract 30 mins? or do you take off the break from that so its not based on 25 hours.

No. Breaks are based on daily attendance not contracted hours.

Any breaks form part of the working day - so if you are in for 5 hours you work 4:30.

so just to confirm a 25 hour week gets 30 minute break under rm/cwu work procedures and regulations?

A 25 hr contract working 5 x 5hr days is entitled to a 30 minute break each day.
A 25 hr contract working 3 x 8h 20 days would get a 40 minute break each day.

[fishtank]

7 hrs appears to be very tight even for a tuesday if all tasks are accounted for in the IWT.

This came to my attention when a DOM was redacting peoples overtime on a Tuesday by 10 minutes inferring the 30 minute break rule.

If they are working overtime then surely they have passed the 7 hour threshold?

Conditioned attendances extended by overtime (or by SA on Sunday) consecutive with the beginning or end will attract additional breaks if the entitlement for the total attendance (overtime plus conditioned hours), in the table above, is greater than the breaks already scheduled during the conditioned attendance.

[post_bitch]

gracias