Overtime

[PostmanCat]

I start as a Postie next week, however with only a 20 hours per week contract I could really do with making up some extra hours, does much overtime go around? and is it at the same rate as your normal salary?

Thanks

[dave72]

At this time of year, probably hours and hours of it available to get rounds and packets done

[jimmynailsalive]

Plenty of overtime, getting paid for it is another matter

[camelelf]

I start as a Postie next week, however with only a 20 hours per week contract I could really do with making up some extra hours, does much overtime go around? and is it at the same rate as your normal salary?

Thanks

I'm on a 24 hour contract but my rota is 30:30. Not sure how common that is though. How many days will you be working?

I've been working for six weeks now and have been asked to work my day off in five of those, plus I've gotten overtime from going over my hours with all the packets and parcels at the minute. Last week I ended up doing 46 hours (Including a driving assessment that went on until 5:30PM), the first 24+14.58 hours were at my standard wage, and then the 7.56 hours I worked on my day off was at roughly £1.80 more an hour.

One thing I will say is that if you do do overtime, make sure you get it. I was never paid for working my days off in the first two weeks and had to keep pushing a manager to sort it. They'll try anything to take advantage, at least they do in my office.

[Creditshampoo]

I'm on 25 hour contract.
I've been put on a full time duty every day since I started 2 years ago. So I "book" 3 hours before I go out just in case I'm done quicker. That's on top of my daily 5 hours.
I'm often picking up Extra each day, you can barter with them for the amount of hours you'll be paid though it's prob best to wait until you get more confident in the day to day running of the office.
i get paid for typically 50-70 hours a week and I've recently started nights which is also a good money maker.
End of this tax year I would have earnt £29k, a lot more than the 25 hour contract I was expecting.
Offices vary, but mine is very understaffed so it's great for people like me who aren't shy of overtime.

[PostmanCat]

Thanks for the replies everyone, thats good to hear (except the bit about not getting paid for it!), I've previously kept a little chart with how many extra hours/days I've worked so it sounds like it'd be useful to do that again.

Its 20 hours over 5 days, but they said sometimes it may be condensed over 4 days instead.

Do many people do overtime at other Delivery Offices?

[Creditshampoo]

If they don't want you to work a day off you could always ring up an office nearby. Just make sure you book it at your office as they pay you, then claim the hours back

[PostmanCat]

If they don't want you to work a day off you could always ring up an office nearby. Just make sure you book it at your office as they pay you, then claim the hours back

Hopefully it won't be needed, I have a friend whos always saying there is loads of overtime at her office, but I kept thinking "what if this delivery office is different".

[camelelf]

Thanks for the replies everyone, thats good to hear (except the bit about not getting paid for it!), I've previously kept a little chart with how many extra hours/days I've worked so it sounds like it'd be useful to do that again.

Its 20 hours over 5 days, but they said sometimes it may be condensed over 4 days instead.

Do many people do overtime at other Delivery Offices?

It will probably happen, a guy who started with me came up to me today and said he'd not been paid some overtime, and the girl who started two weeks after me wasn't paid for working collections one afternoon.
Make sure you know how to claim overtime too, and if the sheets aren't out then keep adding it on the next day/day after that if necessary to make sure you get it.
I use an app called 'Work Log Key' which I input all my start and finish times and also my hourly rate so I know what's been missed if anything. I'm still owed my day off from three weeks ago which I've been told will be sorted for this week.

I don't see how that's possible. Hopefully you'll be put on a rota like mine then as you'll struggle to complete a delivery in four hours let alone bundle, load, unload and then have your break(s).

And also, stick with it. There'll be days when you'll wonder what the hell you've gotten yourself into, I know I had a couple like that but it gets better. I'm seven weeks in and I'm slowly starting to enjoy it.

[jimmynailsalive]

I'll see my union rep tomorrow as was my day off today but any advice on the following?

I was due to work in the mail centre for next 2 weeks and got a call today that they are no longer sending me and I'm getting papped on what I consider one of the worst slogs in the office. All fair enough up to there but lino mentions I had agreed full time hours for the mail centre so I will be on full time hours in the D.O. which doesn't suit as I have a few nights out organised and play football once a week so I work to my hours on the days that suits me and not negotiable and I would rather start at 9 than 7am if I've had a few beers the night before.

Can't be bothered with an argument on it and would rather just know I can tell them I will work my usual contract hour amount this and next week and I will decide which days I can start early and finish late if they require my services, they can whistle the next two Saturday's for a 7am start