Newbie, feel like I'm being pushed around

[Si9975]

Hi I'm still fairly new to the job, just need some advice.

I'm being asked nearly everyday to work overtime and work my day off, I usually do but just recently I've said no, and I now feel that if I don't do any overtime or work my days off my contract won't be extended. When I turned it down last week they brought up the fact that in my interview I said I'd work all overtime as have no comitments etc.

Surley I'm with In my right to turn it down ?

[Darren Bent]

Working to overtime is up to you.

On normal working day - you will get 1 hr overtime every day as long you work on suitable duty as part timer. On Day off/floating week (Week off every 6 weeks for people who work 6 days a week depending on your office or not) This overtime to turn down will make it more difficult for management to keep you if you are too inflexible.

On Day off you can get overtime if you want them, as long there is enough work. It is not mandatory.

Royal Mail managers offer people 28 hours contract and top it up for 1hr overtime everyday to make it 33/34 hours a week, so they can save money on holidays, sick pay and floating week pay (depend on your office). The money saved is to help to increase the boss's bonuses for saving they made.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Hi I'm still fairly new to the job, just need some advice.

I'm being asked nearly everyday to work overtime and work my day off, I usually do but just recently I've said no, and I now feel that if I don't do any overtime or work my days off my contract won't be extended. When I turned it down last week they brought up the fact that in my interview I said I'd work all overtime as have no comitments etc.

Surley I'm with In my right to turn it down ?

You are absolutely in the right to turn it down.

Though looking at it another angle, in your interview manager has asked you if you were willing to be flexible and do overtime, and that was the sort of person he was looking for, so it would not be unreasonable for him to ask you why after saying you would do it in your interview, him giving you the job on that basis that now you are not willing to do it, got to look at it from his angle as well

best thing i would suggest is speak to him about it, say you are willing to do OT, but agree an amount, ie couple of hours every wed thur fri, say you wont work your day off as you need some free time, now if you do that if he is any sort of reasonable manager that should be fine,

[Pat Ostman]

Or it could just be the usual bullshit everyone gets at RM.

[loverman shabba]

do overtime whenver you feel like it. if you dont want to just say you have got plans that day. not that you should have to make excuses for not wanting to work over

[redneck]

It's an unfortunate fact of life at RM that part timers who regularly turn down overtime will not be asked as much, which may suit you now, but when you want to do more don't expect to get it. Management tend, for obvious reasons of ease, to make those who say yes all the time their first port of call.

Turning down o/t should not necessarily meaan that your position won't be renewed though, if you are doing a reasonable job then they will almost certainly slot you in somewhere on something that suits them. Again, this is for reasons of ease, not renewing someones contract can be messy and drawn out for them.

[cuddyhung]

if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck its probably a duck ... so if you think you are being pushed around by management then you probably are

[paddytoon]

You are well within your rights to refuse to work overtime. However sad facts are, if you are not flexible regarding overtime, you'll quickly find that the DOM will no longer offer it to you and you'll stick on your basic hours and the extra hours and wages will be given to the willing part timers. Plenty of part timers wanting extra hours.

[hewittinspain]

Ive been in the job 10 months. You do feel as though ur pushed from pillar to post and my 5 day was becoming 6 days a week until I looked at my wage slip and realised that my tax was shooting up loads the more hrs I worked. Im on 25hrs and was doing over 40 regularly. My day out I was earning about a £6quid an hr just because of the extra tax. I soon started to.say no to doing a day out and now I never get asked. Dont be afraid,its upto u, the manager will just ask someone else or get someone from another DO. To keep on the good side I do sometimes go out with packets for an hour which people havent taken out and so it does offer I show some flexability and its noted but as for working a 6th day I wont do it. Even now Ive never just done my contracted hours,im always doing around 32-35 so thats the overtime there anyway and them hrs suit me.

[Darren Bent]

Doing overtime is not always great I men I done overtime everyday a week (6 days) and the increase is about 120 pounds after tax. It is not worth all the effort. I do work on floating week off occasionally but with double pay rise in last fews months means it is not necessary to do overtime. I also noticed since I come back on delivery full time and park and loop come, no one asked me to do overtime.

[datasaint]

How can people quote extra tax as a reason not to do OT? There isn't some magic clause from the inland revenue that says we'll tax OT hours more.

If you do OT to get your hours up to 39 you pay same tax as a FTer would.

[redneck]

How can people quote extra tax as a reason not to do OT? There isn't some magic clause from the inland revenue that says we'll tax OT hours more.

If you do OT to get your hours up to 39 you pay same tax as a FTer would.

Absolutely, what is meant is the hours extra are not worth the effort to them and they can manage on less. Sometimes also the tax credits can be an issue, and the cost of child care. I know people who refuse to work o/t because of child care costs that they have to pay because of personal circumstances, they pay £10 per hour for that and get less than that for an hour extra of RM work, so no brainer from one point of view.

[krussel]

if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck its probably a duck ... so if you think you are being pushed around by management then you probably are

So the answer is then

[arnold cheshire]

Hi I'm still fairly new to the job, just need some advice.

I'm being asked nearly everyday to work overtime and work my day off, I usually do but just recently I've said no, and I now feel that if I don't do any overtime or work my days off my contract won't be extended. When I turned it down last week they brought up the fact that in my interview I said I'd work all overtime as have no comitments etc.

Surley I'm with In my right to turn it down ?

doms change every six months in our office so dont worry