Advice needed

[ChrisH1985]

On Friday my manager asked me to go to another office for 1 week. I refused and said I was happy on my rotation. He tried to talk me i to it but I never budged. Its my long weekend off and i have just received a text from my manager saying "can you go this other office on Tuesday and Wednesday. To me this seems I am being forced to go. I have been with Royal mail for 2 year 7 month and still getting shafted like this. Am I within my rights to say I am not going? If I dont stand up for myself it will just keep happening.

[ihatedogs]

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[IcanthelpthewayIam]

On Friday my manager asked me to go to another office for 1 week. I refused and said I was happy on my rotation. He tried to talk me i to it but I never budged. Its my long weekend off and i have just received a text from my manager saying "can you go this other office on Tuesday and Wednesday. To me this seems I am being forced to go. I have been with Royal mail for 2 year 7 month and still getting shafted like this. Am I within my rights to say I am not going? If I dont stand up for myself it will just keep happening.

unfortunately you cant refuse as it is a "reasonable request" which he is alllowed to make as its in your contract, but there is some steps you can take to make him pick someone else, you turn up at your home delivery office at your start time and ask to be transported or given a van to drive to the other delivery office, you can refuse to use your own car even if he trys to insist, then you make sure you do the reverse so as you finish at your home delivery office at your correct finish time, this will reduce the time you actually have to work in the other do, your manager may not have a spare van so may cause him more issues, also dont forget to do the van checks correctly before you leave your office.

as for if it keeps happening, if you are unfairly getting sent more than other people in your office you may have grounds to lodge a grievance over it and i would advise asking your rep with help to file one, but if you do the above you will probably find he will try to get someone else to go

[ChrisH1985]

Thanks for the help.

I live 6 mile from my DO and he is trying to send me to the DO which is less than 1 mile from my home so the van scenario wouldn't be worthwhile in my case.

He said we have bodies to cover you, so i posed the question send one of them then. But he diverts from that saying I have been before.

Its almost happening on a weekly basis over recent months now, so a grievance may be the way forward.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Thanks for the help.

I live 6 mile from my DO and he is trying to send me to the DO which is less than 1 mile from my home so the van scenario wouldn't be worthwhile in my case.

He said we have bodies to cover you, so i posed the question send one of them then. But he diverts from that saying I have been before.

Its almost happening on a weekly basis over recent months now, so a grievance may be the way forward.

the van scenario would be worthwhile in the long run as even though the other do is closer you would still travel to your normal do and take a van to the other one, and arrive back at your home do in time for your normal finish time, insisting on that which you have the right to do will waste time and take a van away from his office possibly leaving it short and thus make it less worthwhile to send you compared to someone else

[clashcityrocker]

..... and thus make it less worthwhile to send you compared to someone else

So it is all OK as long as someone else gets all the grief?
If it is in your contract to go and work at neighbouring offices, then go and work at neighbouring offices.
The job is just sticking letters through letter boxes, what does it really matter what street or postcode area it is in?

[bustedflush]

..... and thus make it less worthwhile to send you compared to someone else

So it is all OK as long as someone else gets all the grief?
If it is in your contract to go and work at neighbouring offices, then go and work at neighbouring offices.
The job is just sticking letters through letter boxes, what does it really matter what street or postcode area it is in?

Yes it does. The chances are it'll take longer if you aren't familiar with the walk(s) and you have a higher chance of injury/dog attack if you are unaware of hazards. It'll also likely be a sh!t round nobody at the visited DO wants and it'll be assumed you know the hazards. People don't like being removed from their 'comfort zone' for very good reason usually. I would guess from your response you have your own round, are not a reserve and seldom get shunted about.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

..... and thus make it less worthwhile to send you compared to someone else

So it is all OK as long as someone else gets all the grief?
If it is in your contract to go and work at neighbouring offices, then go and work at neighbouring offices.
The job is just sticking letters through letter boxes, what does it really matter what street or postcode area it is in?

the original poster is asking advice on how to get the situation stopped for himself so in that instance yes, if the office as a whole wants the situation stopped altogether then thats something different that the rep should be looking into rather than an indivdual in the office themself

[fishtank]

P&M 2007.

• Working in nearby offices – Areas will identify and agree with the CWU locally a approach (which could include the use of volunteers and reserves) to working in nearby offices within employees’ contracted hours which will include travel times and appropriate travel and
subsistence arrangements.


At the end of the day it should be an agreed plan and it should be fair so if it's the same guy getting picked out every time it plainly isn't fair.

[dvbuk55]

Clearly the fact that he is 5 miles closer to the other DO than his parent office means there's no overtime to pay or aggravation so he consistently picks him.

[iminavest]

Does seniority have any bearing on being sent to other offices?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Does seniority have any bearing on being sent to other offices?

it shouldn't

[wacko74]

If it's not a silly question why wouldn't you want to work at the other office if it's only 1 mile from home rather than traveling 6 miles to your present office? Especially as it sounds like they're short staffed so there could be a chance of a permanent transfer to it?

[bustedflush]

If it's not a silly question why wouldn't you want to work at the other office if it's only 1 mile from home rather than traveling 6 miles to your present office? Especially as it sounds like they're short staffed so there could be a chance of a permanent transfer to it?

Logistics probably. (the person in question could even be at my office when you read this!) I am 1.2 miles from my nearest DO. It is across town and would take 15-20 minutes to reach through endless traffic lights etc. I work at one 6 miles away down a single road for 5 miles, 2 turns and I'm there, 10-14 minutes, few gear changes. So my nearest one is a PITA to reach.

[postslippete]

I bet this other delivery office will just want to use you as a 'spare' so you will be doing different deliveries everyday as cover over the xmas period!!


As for a permanent transfer to that office, well, would you get a guaranteed delivery round??

Its your choice