Breaks at start of duty

[BarnsleyLackey]

Isn't, or wasn't there something that stated you must have at least 20 mins after 4 hours work?

Depends whther you mean statutory on contractural.

Statutory breaks are a minimum of 20 minutes if expected to work 6 hours or more and it can be unapid.

Royal Mail breaks are based on attendance length. The longer you work, the more PAID breaks (except Angard) you get.

So, as a simple example - If a manager says "I want you to take your full 40 minute break indoors, before you go out", even if he asks nicely, am I in the right to say "I'll give you half in and half out, for food and drink."?

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

Isn't, or wasn't there something that stated you must have at least 20 mins after 4 hours work?

Depends whther you mean statutory on contractural.

Statutory breaks are a minimum of 20 minutes if expected to work 6 hours or more and it can be unapid.

Royal Mail breaks are based on attendance length. The longer you work, the more PAID breaks (except Angard) you get.

So, as a simple example - If a manager says "I want you to take your full 40 minute break indoors, before you go out", even if he asks nicely, am I in the right to say "I'll give you half in and half out, for food and drink."?

simple answer is no you don't have that right. If manager says that then get rep to lodge a stage 1 disagreement over it, and follow the ir process but you have no right to actually stop it

[Newbie001]

I'm presuming the full-timers are also being asked to take their break in full at about same time. Otherwise people will have different finish times.

[motherhubbard]

Why does the DOM want this to happen? I mean, a 30 min break is 30 mins no matter when you take it

Not really.
If a second van was due to arrive at 9am and all other work is due to be finished at 8.30, then it would make sense to schedule a break for those 30 minutes.

The timing and the duration of the meal relief is supposed to be a result of collective bargaining. It isn't supposed to be a free for all.
The rep talks to his/her members. The rep talks to the DOM. You make a decision that everybody then adheres to.
That is called democracy.

[BarnsleyLackey]

Isn't, or wasn't there something that stated you must have at least 20 mins after 4 hours work?

Depends whther you mean statutory on contractural.

Statutory breaks are a minimum of 20 minutes if expected to work 6 hours or more and it can be unapid.

Royal Mail breaks are based on attendance length. The longer you work, the more PAID breaks (except Angard) you get.

So, as a simple example - If a manager says "I want you to take your full 40 minute break indoors, before you go out", even if he asks nicely, am I in the right to say "I'll give you half in and half out, for food and drink."?

simple answer is no you don't have that right. If manager says that then get rep to lodge a stage 1 disagreement over it, and follow the ir process but you have no right to actually stop it

So if that happens, and I lodge this disagreement, then what? Do I go take the breaks he tells me to, or do I continue working as is until this disagreement is resolved? Also, what is the point of it, if not to stop it? Is it a delay tactic?

[postslippete]

Hmmm

So much for flexible working these days


I mean some of us have to pick the kids up after school. We are not going to be able to do that if we sit in the canteen for 30 minutes before we actually start our delivery. I think childcare issues would be the main issue why we would all prefer to have the breaks at the end of the shift rather than before.

It sounds like a managerial tactic in the hope that you all forfeit your breaks just so you can get finished on time - and I am sure some idiots would do just that!

[motherhubbard]

If you have childcare issues, then you can request family friendly working.

[ganda]

Legally no one is entitled to a break if they work less then six hours. So it's then down to putting in a grievance as RM are not doing anything illegal. It can be argued it's not a break, its just a delay in starting. Royal mail have a duty of care to each individual to make sure they get the proper rest. Full timers have the option to take 20 minutes before they go out, the legal provision, and RM must make sure this is abided by. The break cannot be at the beginning or end of the shift. The next 20 minutes which isn't a legal requirement can be taken at the end of the shift.

[Ahebban]

We have a local agreement at our delivery office which allows for the whole meal relief to be taken at a convenient point near the middle of the duty whilst out on delivery; or split the meal break 50/50 - the first portion normally before leaving the office on delivery and the second portion where suitable for the postie whilst out on delivery.

I would always argue that with workloads as big as they are (and getting bigger!) that at least a portion of a meal break must be taken whilst out on duty as a health and safety concern.

The text below is copied directly from the Way Forward Agreement - there has been no agreement beyond this that has modified meal breaks nationally that I am aware of.

Where there are unusual duty patterns (e.g. long or short attendance patterns, or jobs with fewer than attendances per week) the meal break entitlement will be determined on a daily basis for each attendance from the table of entitlements below. (It could be argued that given we have long and short days now the table below is relevant to ALL employees and not just under 'unusual duty patterns')

Meal Brakes for non-standard, as part-time and extended attendances
Part-time jobs, and full-time jobs with non-standard attendance patterns, will attract meal breaks for each daily attendance as followed, reflecting a generally pro-rata entitlement to the national weekly standard:

(The table of entitlements is as shown in previous posts)

Pending completion of the discussions intended to conform with the requirements of the Working Time Regulations, any exceptional attendances of 15 hours or longer will attract an entitlement of 80 minutes.

The actual pattern of breaks within these rules will be agreed locally.

Breaks at the beginning or end of attendance
Where an attendance is provided with more than one break, the second break may be scheduled at the beginning or end, in which case attendance is not required solely for booking on or off. A single break should not be scheduled at the beginning or end of the attendance.