Postman's partner: impact on family life & working practices

[Melpomene]

Hi, my partner is a postman of 25 years service and I am struggling to cope with the working practices at his delivery office. It seems to be one thing after another on a regular basis and I am posting this in the hope that one of you kind people out there might have some advice. I have three current issues, around holiday and days off.Despite the fact that he has been bringing up his son on his own, this year is the first time in 5 years that he has been given leave in the school holidays, other than two weeks in summer. This is despite the fact that the majority of staff in the office do not have children. This also impacts on us as I am a teacher and can only take leave in holidays. Does the Royal Mail have any kind of family friendly policies?
My second current issue is this: we were away on a rare long weekend together, and at 8 am in our hotel room we were woken up by his colleague phoning, demanding he pick his new duty there and then, which was pretty upsetting. Finally, he went in to work this morning to be told his days off had been changed, and he has the day off today. Plans we have made for his day off in 2 weeks' time have now had to be cancelled. It is very difficult to spend proper time together because of his work. The Union rep appears to be looking after himself only- I think there is some hope of his being voted out, and my partner is considering taking on the role, but in the meantime, how far is a Royal Mail employee supposed to accommodate his employer with nothing in return? And these issues are on top of five years' worth of poor practice & favouritism that seem to me like harrassment. Is there any hope? Thank you.

[newtimes]

"family friendly policies?" yes, get him to phone up HR, I have term time leave. We have no family support where we live, could not and would not pay to have my children cared for during the summer holidays. The manager and union rep and hard core fought to stop me getting this, took me over 6 months of conflict to get it, it was settled within hours once HR was brought in. Just contact HR direct.

[bogstandard]

My second current issue is this: we were away on a rare long weekend together, and at 8 am in our hotel room we were woken up by his colleague phoning, demanding he pick his new duty there and then, which was pretty upsetting. Finally, he went in to work this morning to be told his days off had been changed, and he has the day off today. Plans we have made for his day off in 2 weeks' time have now had to be cancelled. It is very difficult to spend proper time together because of his work. The Union rep appears to be looking after himself only- I think there is some hope of his being voted out, and my partner is considering taking on the role, but in the meantime, how far is a Royal Mail employee supposed to accommodate his employer with nothing in return? And these issues are on top of five years' worth of poor practice & favouritism that seem to me like harrassment. Is there any hope? Thank you.

not what you want to hear however (second issue),your partner must have been aware of the re sign and in my experience it is known within a day or two when they will be coming to each individual and i at least have been informed 2 days before hand, and (thirdly) for all the good its worth your partner signed for a duty that it seems has a fixed day off. We all know the contents can change so we sign for the times, the start time, the finish time, the time of the mr and the day we have off. Yes we work as directed but what's advertised to us is/are the times.
reverting back to the first point your partner should be at the top of the A/L once every 7 years at least, so must be well into the top half now.

[Bahia Feliz]

"family friendly policies?" yes, get him to phone up HR, I have term time leave. We have no family support where we live, could not and would not pay to have my children cared for during the summer holidays. The manager and union rep and hard core fought to stop me getting this, took me over 6 months of conflict to get it, it was settled within hours once HR was brought in. Just contact HR direct.

Hi there,I was just wondering,Do you now get all of your holidays in school holidays?
If yes,that could mean that a lot more people could go through HR to do the same as you.Which would mean less opportunities for a/l in the school hols for people with school age kids.

[newtimes]

"family friendly policies?" yes, get him to phone up HR, I have term time leave. We have no family support where we live, could not and would not pay to have my children cared for during the summer holidays. The manager and union rep and hard core fought to stop me getting this, took me over 6 months of conflict to get it, it was settled within hours once HR was brought in. Just contact HR direct.

Hi there,I was just wondering,Do you now get all of your holidays in school holidays?
If yes,that could mean that a lot more people could go through HR to do the same as you.Which would mean less opportunities for a/l in the school hols for people with school age kids.

Things change, basally "Term Time Leave" is up to 13 weeks a year, and children up to the age of 16. (When it comes to an end, you are NOT entitled to go back to original hours, is up to RM to allow you to have the hours back)
1. You get paid 52 weeks a year at a pro-rata rate.
2. On top of that you have the normal holiday entitlement.
3. Totally right about less opportunities for other people with school age kids. The reason why I was forced down this road was being kept at the bottom of the holiday list every year. There was another postie who came from an other office where they all worked together to let people with school kids have their holidays when schools were shut. Fantastic way of working, helping each other, as I said previously, I was being kept at the bottom of the holiday rota every year.

[Lounge Lizard]

"this year is the first time in 5 years that he has been given leave in the school holidays, other than two weeks in summer" - some years I can't even get one week off during the six week summer holiday so family goes away without me.
As for that phone call on a long weekend it was a mistake to have told others his number.
- but that's how things are in Royal Mail.

[Melpomene]

Thank you everyone for your replies! I think that contacting HR is good general advice if something serious crops up again- which seems to happen every few months. The childcare leave is becoming less of a problem as kiddie is growing up.... I think the duty picking was jarring because he had already done it, but the manager & union rep had changed their minds; and that they could phone up, but had no common courtesy to then phone and say that he didn't need to be in today and so save him a journey and let him sleep in! I I realise organisational needs mean everyone can't be kept happy all the time - it's the way things are done that drives my partner to distraction.

School holidays every seven years! I think this is then our lucky year! Lounge Lizard, I really feel for you and your family.
It's my partner struggling that I find hard. I find it shocking that so little is done to support staff in any way, and that the union is unable to do anything really that helps people, at our office anyway. The office where people help each other out to organise leave- sounds good. Thank you again for all your comments.

[Chelseablue]

Diff q soz for this but if you put in a grievance b and h bout a line manager ,is there a chance you might end up being the one moved? I keep putting it off but then sthing else happens regarding his behaviour towards myself.

[bogstandard]

Diff q soz for this but if you put in a grievance b and h bout a line manager ,is there a chance you might end up being the one moved? I keep putting it off but then sthing else happens regarding his behaviour towards myself.

does it really matter ??
if you are being bullied or harassed does it really matter who gets moved?
As long as you're not in the firing line.
however in a blue on blue situation it can be the one being complained about.
you are likely to be told by the gateway team that this is not BandH but more of a grievance, don't go it alone if you don't have to.
Best of luck
diarise everything go back as far as you can remember.

[dazzlin72]

The way of working at RM now means me & the wife are like passing ships in the night, either I'm going to work & she's coming home, or visa versa for sake of our kids.