Contract hours confusion. Im failing to keep up. Need advice

[postiewhite]

OK here goes, its a bumpy one.....!!! I started at the RM in Bradford last year on a 23hr contract which is over 3 days. I was soon put up to a 25hr Contract which is over 4 shorter days(although iam doing pretty much full time over 5 days as im a leave reserve). My last temp contract came through the post 6 weeks ago saying I was on a 23hr contract which is wrong as my wage slip pays a basic of 25hrs so I took the contract in to work and they sorted it so I was kept on 25hrs.
Now recently ive been made permanent,my new contract came through the post and guess what, it shows 23hrs,Grrrrr!!! So ive taken my new permanent contract into work and quieried it with a new manager as ive been getting paid for 25hrs (on my wage slip) He said he will ring and get it changed to 25. Since then ive heard on the grapevine the summer is going to be rubbish and we are going to be lapsing more duties and overtime will be pretty much completely cut, so if there is going to be NO overtime for me it would make sense me staying on 23hrs over 3 days rather than 25hrs over 4 shorter days( I mean id have to work a day more for the sake of 2 extra hrs). Ive been into work and the new permanent contract I gave my manager 10 days to sort out hasnt yet been sorted(typical) so I asked about overtime etc and he confirmed the overtime rumour so I asked for my contract back as id rather sign it as a 23hr contract over 3 days cos 4 days wouldnt be beneficial financially for me if i wasnt getting any overtime as its a 30 min journey to work and that extra 2hrs added to my contract would just be used in fuel and id have to be in an extra day for the same money. Anyway he agreed and gave it back to me, I signed it and posted it.
Now when do I officially start working 3 days? For months im supposed to work 4 but because im a leave reserve I always work 5 and book one day a week as a 'day out'. Like I say ive just signed my new permanent contract which is 23hrs and the contracts team should have that tomorrow. Its ok speaking to a manager but they dont sort things out, they leave it and forget about it so next week ill probably be rotared again for 5 days. Do I book 2 days out or 1 like before? Who do I go to that can give me these proper answers?

[gary1975]

OK here goes, its a bumpy one.....!!! I started at the RM in Bradford last year on a 23hr contract which is over 3 days. I was soon put up to a 25hr Contract which is over 4 shorter days(although iam doing pretty much full time over 5 days as im a leave reserve). My last temp contract came through the post 6 weeks ago saying I was on a 23hr contract which is wrong as my wage slip pays a basic of 25hrs so I took the contract in to work and they sorted it so I was kept on 25hrs.
Now recently ive been made permanent,my new contract came through the post and guess what, it shows 23hrs,Grrrrr!!! So ive taken my new permanent contract into work and quieried it with a new manager as ive been getting paid for 25hrs (on my wage slip) He said he will ring and get it changed to 25. Since then ive heard on the grapevine the summer is going to be rubbish and we are going to be lapsing more duties and overtime will be pretty much completely cut, so if there is going to be NO overtime for me it would make sense me staying on 23hrs over 3 days rather than 25hrs over 4 shorter days( I mean id have to work a day more for the sake of 2 extra hrs). Ive been into work and the new permanent contract I gave my manager 10 days to sort out hasnt yet been sorted(typical) so I asked about overtime etc and he confirmed the overtime rumour so I asked for my contract back as id rather sign it as a 23hr contract over 3 days cos 4 days wouldnt be beneficial financially for me if i wasnt getting any overtime as its a 30 min journey to work and that extra 2hrs added to my contract would just be used in fuel and id have to be in an extra day for the same money. Anyway he agreed and gave it back to
me, I signed it and posted it.

Now when do I officially start working 3 days? For months im supposed to work 4 but because im a leave reserve I always work 5 and book one day a week as a 'day out'. Like I say ive just signed my new permanent contract which is 23hrs and the contracts team should have that tomorrow. Its ok speaking to a manager but they dont sort things out, they leave it and forget about it so next week ill probably be rotared again for 5 days. Do I book 2 days out or 1 like before? Who do I go to that can give me these proper answers?

In my experience they can spread your 23 or 25 hours out over any format they like seeing as you are a reserve ie 3 4 or 5 days.

[postiewhite]

Yes but how are they going to spread a 23hr contract over more than 3 days? Id have to be coming in pretty much when everyone is loading up and that has never happened at our place ever. 23 over 4 days is less than 6 hrs a day!!!! We finish at 2.30pm. There is ALWAYS 2 people per 2 duties by the time we are on packets as their partner rejoins after IPS. Redirections,tying and bagging up there is always 2 people which normally starts about 8ish.

[rehabron]

Yes but how are they going to spread a 23hr contract over more than 3 days? Id have to be coming in pretty much when everyone is loading up and that has never happened at our place ever. 23 over 4 days is less than 6 hrs a day!!!! We finish at 2.30pm. There is ALWAYS 2 people per 2 duties by the time we are on packets as their partner rejoins after IPS. Redirections,tying and bagging up there is always 2 people which normally starts about 8ish.

The first thing you have to do is check with HR if they are in receipt of your contract showing 23 hours which as you stated your DOM has agreed and signed. There is no obligation on management that your 23 hours be restricted to 3 days and dependant on operational needs can fit your 23 hours into as many days the feel is necessary. If management decided to proportion your 23 hour contract of 4 working days which is 5 hours 45 minutes per day then this is within a delivery span and you could accompany a driver on P&L round. You would not have to prep your frame or bag off as there would be insufficient time even allowing for a reduced break due to your working hours. You would have to make it known to management if you are to accompany a colleague on increased hours than yours that you need to be returned to your office on your finishing time.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Personal advice - see your rep and if possible get in contact with Midge (The ADR) hopefully he can sort something out with management for you. He is my ADR as well and a good one IMHO.

[postiewhite]

I know what your saying but I dont know of anyone in my office that starts later than 8.15am and certainly I dont know of anyone in our office that starts when they are practically ready to walk out of the door which effectively is what id be doing if 23hrs was spread MORE than 3 days without any overtime added on. Although i do now understand what u are saying and have become clearer on that bit however my manager told me last year when i went onto 25hrs that this is over 4 days a week. Next to the rota board there is a list of all the contracted hours and their start and finish times next to them so our offices has a plan of set hours for the contract you are on, that is our office system, thats why I know our office states 23hrs is over 3 days. Ok its not a RM rule but its our DO rule.
For the past 9 months ive worked 5 days and was told to put in a docket as 'a day out' because im supposed to be only 4 days (again it must be our DO rule for the hrs I work). Now,Im down to 23hrs so our office rule would suggest I now have to docket 2 days out a week if im rotared for 5. Our office seems to have a different rule to how its meant to be.

Oh yes and ill see the rep if I dont get anywhere or ADR.

[Lincox]

Where does it say that Royal Mail can arbitrarily spread your contracted hours over a range of days. Does it also say that a full timer can have his/hers spread over six or seven days or even over fewer days meaning longer working days. Does anyone have the answer.