20 hour contracts

Dave19 · Post by **Dave19** » 31 Jul 2016, 19:32

I've been with the mail for around 10 months, was taken on with a 20 hour contract and was told there was always overtime. I left a full time job indoors for it as I thought if I get my head down do well and I'd soon get my hours up contracted. Boy was I wrong, very little chance for that as it's clear to see with so many on 20 or 25 hour contracts not shifting.
What are other offices like regarding 20 hour contracts? I would be so content if I could get 30 hours contracted. Spoke to boss's and it just isn't going to happen. Every single week without fail I'm asked to work overtime and from 2 weeks ago I'm saying no, I need the money but I will forever be working when suits them and I won't win that way. I feel like jacking it in but I do love the job itself. I'm interested as to other offices

hellpop · Post by **hellpop** » 01 Aug 2016, 13:51

We don't have any 20 hour contracts. All the new starters are on 24 hr contracts.they work permanent Wednesday to Saturday every week.recently one person was asked if he would like to go to a 30 hour contract . The only thing wrong was that he was told his day off would be Tuesday every week.when he asked how he would go on if he needed a Saturday off for a wedding , he was told he wouldn't go. He was then told if he didn't accept he was told his review was up in six months anyway.

pag1967 · Post by **pag1967** » 01 Aug 2016, 14:56

I was on 20 hour contract, asked to do overtime most days. Wasn't interested in loads of OT, did some when it suited me! Just resined as I have had enough, didn't get my transfer to other office, all because I couldn't work OT one day, quizzed as to why said I had an appointment. When asked what my appt was, said its my business in my time, didn't get my move because of of it. Been swore at twice by a manager, had enough.

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 01 Aug 2016, 17:08

pag1967 wrote:I was on 20 hour contract, asked to do overtime most days. Wasn't interested in loads of OT, did some when it suited me! Just resined as I have had enough, didn't get my transfer to other office, all because I couldn't work OT one day, quizzed as to why said I had an appointment. When asked what my appt was, said its my business in my time, didn't get my move because of of it. Been swore at twice by a manager, had enough.

Do us all a favour if you could and email Moya Greene detailing why you resigned. It probably won't do much but at least theres a chance it will help avoid the same thing happening to some other poor soul. Im lucky in that the management in our office aint the worst but have heard some horror stories. Sorry to hear you were mistreated. Best of luck in future.

pag1967 · Post by **pag1967** » 02 Aug 2016, 13:52

Acca Dacca wrote:
pag1967 wrote:I was on 20 hour contract, asked to do overtime most days. Wasn't interested in loads of OT, did some when it suited me! Just resined as I have had enough, didn't get my transfer to other office, all because I couldn't work OT one day, quizzed as to why said I had an appointment. When asked what my appt was, said its my business in my time, didn't get my move because of of it. Been swore at twice by a manager, had enough.
Do us all a favour if you could and email Moya Greene detailing why you resigned. It probably won't do much but at least theres a chance it will help avoid the same thing happening to some other poor soul. Im lucky in that the management in our office aint the worst but have heard some horror stories. Sorry to hear you were mistreated. Best of luck in future.

Yeh I will do, no problem.

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 02 Aug 2016, 17:58

There is NO logic to these manning decisions Dave19 ...from a Posties point of view. However from a Management point of view they do make sense. You are suffering from what ever other Part Timer has been through...... although some are worse off than others.

Royal Mail want a Part Time, "Work Hungry" work force. They Hate Full Timers because they can say, "I've done my 39 hours work, I'm not working any Overtime, I'm off home"! This doesn't help the DOM because there's little he can do to bully them into doing any more work (although they still try it on). Part Timers on the other hand are much more vulnerable to pressure to do more overtime, move duties, move offices etc.

There have been a lot of discussions about this problem over the years you may be able to search for more. My personal view is: Be prepared to be taken advantage of, it's going to be a case of "Famine or Feast", I'd take the money when it's on offer but be prepared for it to dry up at a moments notice when the DOMs budget needs to be cut. Ideally I'd look for another Part Time job starting prior to your RM contract (especially if you're on a late start). Also try and negotiate a rolling day off, or you'll never be able to book an appointment.

On the Bright Side: Overtime Bans usually only last for a few weeks (until Posties go Sick or go on Holiday) and Delivery Offices can often change very quickly.... suddenly they add a few duties or a few Posties Retire and the Office has a shuffle around. But be prepared to play the long game!

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 02 Aug 2016, 19:47

Plenty of 20 and 25 hour contracts in my office. Most of us working full time hours, a few of us doing a lot more. I'd love to make a stand and get my hours upped, but I cannot afford to do that. They are very very slowly upping contracts based on seniority, but it's very slow - I've seen one part timer become full time in the 20 odd months I've been here.

There also seems to be some changes coming that don't sit well with me. One of our long serving managers (one who gets stuff done and we all get along with) is being knocked from his position in favour of someone fresh out of uni. No doubt this new face will have been instructed to cut hours and up lapsing, so I'm not looking forward to the changes. Like Dave, I really really do love the job but I am considering packing it in due to a combination of the contract situation and these potentially horrid changes coming.

Xr4 · Post by **Xr4** » 03 Aug 2016, 00:06

I started last September on a 24 hour contract, I've only worked 1 week at 24hrs apart from holidays. Never under 30 hours and usually I'm working my day off too. Doesn't really bother me not having a full time contract. Only thing that winds me up is coming in to find I'm spare and being sent home early and having to make up hours, while someone working their day off gets a full shift.

toomuchcoke · Post by **toomuchcoke** » 03 Aug 2016, 15:56

Dorset Plodder wrote:Royal Mail want a Part Time, "Work Hungry" work force. They Hate Full Timers because they can say, "I've done my 39 hours work, I'm not working any Overtime, I'm off home"! This doesn't help the DOM because there's little he can do to bully them into doing any more work (although they still try it on). Part Timers on the other hand are much more vulnerable to pressure to do more overtime, move duties, move offices etc.

Whilst I'll certainly agree that part-timers are more likely to be "agreeable" to doing extra work, it's actually more expensive to give the part-timer more hours! Or at least potentially so, it depends upon what they're paying into their pension. Not including employer's national insurance, 1 hour of my 39 hour contract costs the Royal Mail £12.14 (i.e. pay + delivery supplement + the RM's pension contribution) whilst 1 hour of the "OT1 1st 10 Hrs" only costs them £10.94. If the extra OT pushes me into the greater than 10 hours rate, then I become even cheaper! Obviously there's a saving when OT isn't required or when they go on leave.

Dorset Plodder wrote:On the Bright Side: Overtime Bans usually only last for a few weeks (until Posties go Sick or go on Holiday) and Delivery Offices can often change very quickly.... suddenly they add a few duties or a few Posties Retire and the Office has a shuffle around. But be prepared to play the long game!

Office culture can change pretty rapidly if there's a change of management ... Having had something like 12 managers in the past 5 years, I've seen quite a bit of this!

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 03 Aug 2016, 20:38

toomuchcoke wrote:
Whilst I'll certainly agree that part-timers are more likely to be "agreeable" to doing extra work, it's actually more expensive to give the part-timer more hours! Or at least potentially so, it depends upon what they're paying into their pension. Not including employer's national insurance, 1 hour of my 39 hour contract costs the Royal Mail £12.14 (i.e. pay + delivery supplement + the RM's pension contribution) whilst 1 hour of the "OT1 1st 10 Hrs" only costs them £10.94. If the extra OT pushes me into the greater than 10 hours rate, then I become even cheaper! Obviously there's a saving when OT isn't required or when they go on leave.

Part Timers don't get paid the overtime rate until after they've done 39 hours. So it doesn't cost RM anymore than if they gave the overtime to a Full Timer. At least they get paid more towards their pension, the more hours they work. The main saving for RM is in holiday pay & sick pay (which would only be paid at the contracted rate)