Break time and finishing times.

[postiewhite]

Ive been a postie for a few months. All my collegues take their 20 mins break at the alloted time and we are usually back at the office after duty by 2.15 pending one or two stragglers.
My friend is in his first week at RM in a different town and he has been getting back between 4.30 and 5.30 each day, hes in post revision(park and loop) with an experienced partner.! He also says no one takes a morning break as the DOM won't pay you for it.
I asked my friend if he had got this wrong about the breaks and he said no, no one takes their break. At our D.O we have to take them,we are told to take them.

He seems to be already getting a bad impression of how it's run and I feel sorry for him because in all fairness we are run better than that. I dont know of anyone that's ever worked past 3pm on any day at anytime and we all take our breaks.

[wabbithunta]

Ive been a postie for a few months. All my collegues take their 20 mins break at the alloted time and we are usually back at the office after duty by 2.15 pending one or two stragglers.
My friend is in his first week at RM in a different town and he has been getting back between 4.30 and 5.30 each day, hes in post revision(park and loop) with an experienced partner.! He also says no one takes a morning break as the DOM won't pay you for it.
I asked my friend if he had got this wrong about the breaks and he said no, no one takes their break. At our D.O we have to take them,we are told to take them.

He seems to be already getting a bad impression of how it's run and I feel sorry for him because in all fairness we are run better than that. I dont know of anyone that's ever worked past 3pm on any day at anytime and we all take our breaks.

Tell this to your Union Rep and see what's said... and done!
This is total bollox, and as for that DOM....!
You are required by law to have a break and not taking it leaves you open to abuse, one way or the other. Either working for RM "for free", ie they are getting an extra 40 mins per day out of the people concerned, and they're also going over their time.

[Pokermon]

managers at mine encourage no break and make snide comments etc at those that take them

[halfull]

managers at mine encourage no break and make snide comments etc at those that take them

its like that i most delivery offices! people are literally afraid to take a break at the thought of being seen as the are against the system & will become marked men.

[Chelseablue]

Our office the same no breaks it comes at end of delivery , so that's 9 Even 10 hours without a break

[Chelseablue]

Our office the same no breaks it comes at end of delivery , so that's 9 Even 10 hours without a break. What if I want to take my 40 mins in office and partner doesn't?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Our office the same no breaks it comes at end of delivery , so that's 9 Even 10 hours without a break. What if I want to take my 40 mins in office and partner doesn't?

if he is the driver it will mean he will need to come back for you, if you are the driver he will either have to wait or walk

[Postie45]

Our office the same no breaks it comes at end of delivery , so that's 9 Even 10 hours without a break. What if I want to take my 40 mins in office and partner doesn't?

youre within your rights to take your break at a reasonable time in the day if a set time isnt already allocated for this. How it works is up to you / your partner / managers.

[Postie45]

most of the time it works out for me not to take a break during the day and finish 40 minutes earlier, i always inform the manager if im going to do this just in case they try and say im finishing too early. So long as im getting my break time im not too fussed when i have it, be it in the middle of the day or at the end.

[ganda]

By law you have to be allowed a 20 minute break and it can't be taken at the end of shift:

What breaks am I entitled to under the working time regulations?
The Working Time Regulations 1998 state the following provision for rest breaks at work and time off:

Rest breaks at work
A worker is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes when daily working time is more than six hours. It should be a break in working time and should not be taken either at the start, or at the end, of a working day.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtime.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[chooch]

By law you have to be allowed a 20 minute break and it can't be taken at the end of shift:

What breaks am I entitled to under the working time regulations?
The Working Time Regulations 1998 state the following provision for rest breaks at work and time off:

Rest breaks at work
A worker is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes when daily working time is more than six hours. It should be a break in working time and should not be taken either at the start, or at the end, of a working day.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/contact/faqs/workingtime.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ganda you could etch that into the frames, tattoo it on the back of their hands, stamp it on their foreheads! and they still wouldn't do it!
The fact that the 'worker is entitled' ie that someone has negotiated for and won this for them seems to mean nothing..!
I haven't looked at the proposed 'agreement' but you can bet your bottom dollar that it'll be the 'little' things that we take for granted (and therefore abuse/misuse) that'll go and it's a slippery slope from there..

( and at ours they'd say 'Oh, the 20 minutes is the driving-out time to the start of the round'!! )

[Thunderthighs]

"Cant take it at the start/end of the day..."

I have taken it at the end, as I was unaware it wasnt the done thing, but if Im on a 5hrs day, and I do the equivalent of a 8hr day/delivery which has been Cut Off for me to do - Ive done it often - I dont see why it cant be taken when I want to? There's NO TIME to take it during the working day, as this would mean going over or, bringing mail back, which they hate. Then you get the 20 Questions the next day, which I bloody hate, ( I can say "bloody", cant I?)
Additionally, Ive been asked to "Come in as late as possible" as there are no vans back to do my collections...and Id be standing round twiddling my thumbs, and claiming OT at the end, for doing absolutely nothing. Doesnt make any sense at all.
Finally, as a Prime Care for having a Disabled family Member means, Ive gotta get home asap, in case anything happens to them if they are left alone.

SOOO...It seems that the ACTUAL everyday requirements outweigh the Official/Written/Documented ones..and we all live in the Real World, dont we?

Like they say about the "Pirate Code" in Johnny Depps films, "They are more like, guidelines..."

[OnAFlyer]

"Cant take it at the start/end of the day..."

I have taken it at the end, as I was unaware it wasnt the done thing, but if Im on a 5hrs day, and I do the equivalent of a 8hr day/delivery which has been Cut Off for me to do - Ive done it often - I dont see why it cant be taken when I want to? There's NO TIME to take it during the working day, as this would mean going over or, bringing mail back, which they hate. Then you get the 20 Questions the next day, which I bloody hate, ( I can say "bloody", cant I?)
Additionally, Ive been asked to "Come in as late as possible" as there are no vans back to do my collections...and Id be standing round twiddling my thumbs, and claiming OT at the end, for doing absolutely nothing. Doesnt make any sense at all.
Finally, as a Prime Care for having a Disabled family Member means, Ive gotta get home asap, in case anything happens to them if they are left alone.

SOOO...It seems that the ACTUAL everyday requirements outweigh the Official/Written/Documented ones..and we all live in the Real World, dont we?

Like they say about the "Pirate Code" in Johnny Depps films, "They are more like, guidelines..."

Why would taking a break during your duty rather than at the end mean going over your time or taking mail back?

[Thunderthighs]

5 HOURS, Minus a 20min break, equals 4hrs 40mins of work, no?

Why stop 1/2 way thro a delivery or route/loop for 20 mins on such a short working day?
Cant see the point, personally, tho some may disagree.
Just get on with it, head down, get it done.
Mrs works 12hrs..and she only gets a 30 min break..doesn't make sense for me to take 20 min in 5 hrs, does it?

If yer hot/sweaty, then stop, theres nothing worse than getting cold, or stinking up Morrisons/Tescos, then starting again.

There was a chance to Up my hours, but it was NEVER offered to me, EVER...so Ill stay as I am, thanks.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

5 HOURS, Minus a 20min break, equals 4hrs 40mins of work, no?

its actually a 30 minute break for a 5 hour shift....

also if you take your breaks at the end, your setting yourself up for trouble, a prang in the van driving back to the DO at the end of your duty, one of the first questions you will be asked in the accident review was have you taken your break? No, outcome partly culpable for the accident due to not taking correct breaks