Threatened by Lino because I can't do overtime

peshwaarinaan · Post by **peshwaarinaan** » 23 Mar 2016, 07:40

Stammerking wrote:so its ok to abuse the Tax credits system! Boils my piss this the credit system is to help people who cannot get enough hours to live on grrrrrr

The reason I can't do overtime has got nothing to do with tax credits. It's a totally separate issue.

3rd Class Stamp · Post by **3rd Class Stamp** » 23 Mar 2016, 11:36

Always work to your time, it is the individuals choice to work overtime.

Take me for instance, last Thursday I was asked if I could do extra work but I said I couldn't as had an appointment elsewhere after work hours...5 minutes later I was taken off the duty I was meant to be on and put on a full time duty for business needs as someone else was willing to work extra with my partner.

20 minutes before finish time I rang line manager to say I still had a loop and a half to do and that I was getting picked up in half hour to go to appointment....his response "nowt I can do about it as its a very busy day, everyone in same boat and just deliver mail and reminded me that I didn't take lapsing."

I got back to office after 4pm and missed appointment and not one manager to be seen anywhere.

This week I have been asked to go in early but have declined to do so on the principle of what happened last Thursday.

It isn't wrong to say NO, gaffers will need you more than you need them.

peshwaarinaan · Post by **peshwaarinaan** » 23 Mar 2016, 15:08

3rd Class Stamp wrote:Always work to your time, it is the individuals choice to work overtime.

Take me for instance, last Thursday I was asked if I could do extra work but I said I couldn't as had an appointment elsewhere after work hours...5 minutes later I was taken off the duty I was meant to be on and put on a full time duty for business needs as someone else was willing to work extra with my partner.

20 minutes before finish time I rang line manager to say I still had a loop and a half to do and that I was getting picked up in half hour to go to appointment....his response "nowt I can do about it as its a very busy day, everyone in same boat and just deliver mail and reminded me that I didn't take lapsing."

I got back to office after 4pm and missed appointment and not one manager to be seen anywhere.

This week I have been asked to go in early but have declined to do so on the principle of what happened last Thursday.

It isn't wrong to say NO, gaffers will need you more than you need them.

The place is a joke. I will just have to stand my ground. If I work over my contracted hours I will be doing the extra for nothing and I'm not doing voluntary work which is what it amounts to.

ThatsNotPlumb · Post by **ThatsNotPlumb** » 23 Mar 2016, 15:39

Don't worry about it at all if you are 'permanent', if you're on some sort of fixed term or trial 20 hour contract they'll probably not renew it if they think they can't pressure you into doing overtime as & when they want.

Overtime is voluntary & you are under absolutely no possible requirement to work a single minute past your time if you don't want to.

You could probably work it in your favour, if you want it that is, tell them if they want/need you to work more hours/days then bump your contract up to 28 hours.

westham000 · Post by **westham000** » 23 Mar 2016, 17:04

Not saying it's right , not saying its wrong. However, there is something seriously wrong with an economy when an employee is better off not working additional hours. When they are actively encouraged to work minimum hours because tax credits will make up the short full . We have two full time posties looking to buy down their hours, both have 3 or more children both live in rented accommodation. They will each receive a nice lump sum, with the full knowledge the short full within their wages will be made up by the tax payer. The employer also benefits by not paying as much national insurance, holiday pay, sick pay etc. to answer your question , nobody can make you work more then your contracted hours. They will no doubt try to make it awkward for you, but they cannot force you to do docket. However, this government is cutting back on tax credits and I can see in the not to distant future it will pay to work rather then only do a fixed number of hours. You can only hope that when that time comes, and it surely will as night follows day. That there will still be earning opportunities available .

Post by **IloveMYredTROLLEY!** » 23 Mar 2016, 17:52

westham000 wrote:Not saying it's right , not saying its wrong. However, there is something seriously wrong with an economy when an employee is better off not working additional hours. When they are actively encouraged to work minimum hours because tax credits will make up the short full . We have two full time posties looking to buy down their hours, both have 3 or more children both live in rented accommodation. They will each receive a nice lump sum, with the full knowledge the short full within their wages will be made up by the tax payer. The employer also benefits by not paying as much national insurance, holiday pay, sick pay etc. to answer your question , nobody can make you work more then your contracted hours. They will no doubt try to make it awkward for you, but they cannot force you to do docket. However, this government is cutting back on tax credits and I can see in the not to distant future it will pay to work rather then only do a fixed number of hours. You can only hope that when that time comes, and it surely will as night follows day. That there will still be earning opportunities available .

If you constantly want and get paid enough overtime so you are not entitled to Tax Credits, everything is simple, you know how your finances stand. However, it gets complicated when you do not want/get this overtime regularly, you can easily end up being paid too much Tax Credits and then end up having to repay significant amounts.

Post by **bustedflush** » 23 Mar 2016, 18:03

westham000 wrote:Not saying it's right , not saying its wrong. However, there is something seriously wrong with an economy when an employee is better off not working additional hours. When they are actively encouraged to work minimum hours because tax credits will make up the short full . We have two full time posties looking to buy down their hours, both have 3 or more children both live in rented accommodation. They will each receive a nice lump sum, with the full knowledge the short full within their wages will be made up by the tax payer. The employer also benefits by not paying as much national insurance, holiday pay, sick pay etc. to answer your question , nobody can make you work more then your contracted hours. They will no doubt try to make it awkward for you, but they cannot force you to do docket. However, this government is cutting back on tax credits and I can see in the not to distant future it will pay to work rather then only do a fixed number of hours. You can only hope that when that time comes, and it surely will as night follows day. That there will still be earning opportunities available .

You have a point there, but as you say 'hopefully' the government will sort it.

I must correct you on one point - a buy-down would mean they have too much cash to qualify for most credits. I think the savings limit is 8 or 16K? so they would have to burn some cash by having a luxury holiday first or getting all the kids 60" flatscreens in their rooms....

peshwaarinaan · Post by **peshwaarinaan** » 23 Mar 2016, 19:16

westham000 wrote:Not saying it's right , not saying its wrong. However, there is something seriously wrong with an economy when an employee is better off not working additional hours. When they are actively encouraged to work minimum hours because tax credits will make up the short full .

I see your point but the reason I can't do overtime has got nothing to do with Tax Credits.

madmax1 · Post by **madmax1** » 23 Mar 2016, 20:09

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 23 Mar 2016, 22:37

You're within your right to refuse overtime.
It's "voluntary overtime" the very reason they make it so is to steal holiday pay of us part timers. f**k him.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 24 Mar 2016, 17:53

Managers rely on staff to do overtime, but in Royal Mail these days it seems to be almost relentless.

In the past, staff used to fall over themselves to get any overtime from the lino when someone rang in sick; but now with bigger duties and increased workloads a lot of guys I work with are not that fussed about it anymore. What I see on a daily basis are guys regularly using the over-running procedure because they simply don't want to work past their time. Royal Mail managers might spout out about staff being flexible but overtime is not compulsory.

What I find very amusing is the whole smoke and mirrors act by management. Some managers make out that they desperately need you to do overtime because there is no one else to do the work - and then when you are ready to go out….Voila!! An ace up his sleeve - one of the office guys can do it, great, so why didn't they ask them in the first place?? Er, cause we would have been one short in the office. For some reason, managers go asking all the OPGs first before moving up the chain and then often end up doing it themselves!

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 24 Mar 2016, 18:08

postslippete wrote:Managers rely on staff to do overtime, but in Royal Mail these days it seems to be almost relentless.

In the past, staff used to fall over themselves to get any overtime from the lino when someone rang in sick; but now with bigger duties and increased workloads a lot of guys I work with are not that fussed about it anymore. What I see on a daily basis are guys regularly using the over-running procedure because they simply don't want to work past their time. Royal Mail managers might spout out about staff being flexible but overtime is not compulsory.

What I find very amusing is the whole smoke and mirrors act by management. Some managers make out that they desperately need you to do overtime because there is no one else to do the work - and then when you are ready to go out….Voila!! An ace up his sleeve - one of the office guys can do it, great, so why didn't they ask them in the first place?? Er, cause we would have been one short in the office. For some reason, managers go asking all the OPGs first before moving up the chain and then often end up doing it themselves!

I get that a lot. Today I was asked to go out on a packet duty after finishing my main walk. I got back and loaded up the van, to find another guy coming back from his walk telling me that he'd also been asked to do it! Many times I've been asked the same thing only to come back from my walk to find it done.

Postie45 · Post by **Postie45** » 25 Mar 2016, 17:42

if the managers actually managed people coming back from their duties early and send them out to walks which may fail that day a lot of problems would be solved.

Post by **IloveMYredTROLLEY!** » 25 Mar 2016, 18:38

Postie45 wrote:if the managers actually managed people coming back from their duties early and send them out to walks which may fail that day a lot of problems would be solved.

I agree, but many managers play the "divide and conquer" approach by rewarding the runners/ early finishers, letting them go home before their contract finish time (potentially less their 20mins outdoor meal relief).

fishtank · Post by **fishtank** » 25 Mar 2016, 19:36

How many times does the guy have to tell you guys it isn't about tax credits ffs?

Too many keyboard warriors on this site more interested in making cheap political points than actually debating the issues that affect us as postal workers, it's a shite state of affairs, the site is in danger of disappearing up its own arse with the general lack of help support and information given out (certain peeps excepted).

Anybody interested in what went on this week?