Advice needed

[Willsuepat]

The planners sorted my duty to be a 4hr 15 walk, which I signed for. Now a new development has opened up and I am being told to take the extra mail out. When I complain to management I get told if you don't take it out and deliver it then don,t come in before your time or you'll get taking down the conduct road. So basically I feel I,m being blackmailed into doing this.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

The planners sorted my duty to be a 4hr 15 walk, which I signed for. Now a new development has opened up and I am being told to take the extra mail out. When I complain to management I get told if you don't take it out and deliver it then don,t come in before your time or you'll get taking down the conduct road. So basically I feel I,m being blackmailed into doing this.

when you come in before your time do you manage to get finished before your contracted finish time?

[chrisj]

Are you saying that you come in before your time and still not able to finish? I guess (might be wrong) that you are probably going on the principle that my duty/walk has more properties then automatically I do not have to deliver the extra?

• I suppose it depends on how much extra work is involved
  If you finish the duty before your contracted times (probably)
  Is there lapsing in your office
  And others - your relationship with management and attitude

I think the manager is basically calling your bluff. If the workload is too much, I will happily come in on my time everyday for weeks and cut off until something is done about the situation...

[Willsuepat]

Usually get back to my office bout 2 o'clock. If they added another 60 calls to my duty then I would be over my time which I cannot do because I pick my 8 year old daughter up from school. I worked my day off for Royal Mail for 18months so to get threatened with conduct if I don't do extra work which isn't part of my duty is wrong . If every other person finishes before their time then I feel I'm being victimized and will take the matter further. Just want some advice from other members to see where I stand on this matter.

[coxie]

They can make you take it but if your duty has been planned to take you to your time then there's nothing stopping you bringing it back most days and telling your manager you didn't get time as your duty alone takes you to your time. Inform your manager on a daily basis that you'll take it if he wants but you feel as though you won't have the time to actually do it. Get a witness when you tell him. You don't have to do any work that takes you past your time.

[chrisj]

I am not sure others finishing before their time will hold sway in a grievance... The issue here is whether the work you are doing takes you beyond your contracted time?

> If it does then cut off and use the correct procedure
> If it does not then you should be doing your job to your contracted time otherwise you will be breaching your contract and liable for dismissal - wilful delay will be a start and not performing reasonable request will follow and so on.

Now the issue of picking up your child: if that is something significant as in you have to absolutely pick your child around 2.30pm (not 3 or 3.15 or even 3.30pm as the time most school finishes) then you should try and get some sort of concession on such a ground: if that is possible.

RM is now a private company and people should know that the employer will not tolerate Spanish practices much longer...