Delivering in the dark.

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 31 Oct 2016, 22:33

woopesh wrote:
Dorset Plodder wrote:As well as asking for a Royal Mail torch (which I always lend my Grandson for camping...quite good) get yourself a head torch. They're fairly cheap nowadays. If your DOM says there's no Torches available anymore, just ask around the office. We've got loads stuck in cupboards and thrown on top of frames. Should be able to get some AA batteries from the storeman if he's still got a hoard!

If you want to deliver later on go for it. Your Office must start later as TBH if you took out another half a duty in mine you'd probably be finished by 1630.
My contract is 10 to 3. By the time I get in, everyone is out delivering. By the time I have finished bundling and get out with one and a half walks and start delivering proper (after all the specials etc.) its usually around 12. Finish the 1st walk by 3:30 or 4:00 the next half walk by 5:30 to 6:00. No chance of ever finishing ontime unless its a light day. Its a crazy system.

Tell the manager you need to come in at 8am so you can complete at a reasonable time if he/she says no work your contracted hours only. I am sure they will change their minds when the work is not getting done. This is why part time is a joke you get less money for o/t less d2d money and you do the same if not more work.

Post by **aiden01** » 31 Oct 2016, 23:16

cpsteve wrote:
woopesh wrote:
Dorset Plodder wrote:As well as asking for a Royal Mail torch (which I always lend my Grandson for camping...quite good) get yourself a head torch. They're fairly cheap nowadays. If your DOM says there's no Torches available anymore, just ask around the office. We've got loads stuck in cupboards and thrown on top of frames. Should be able to get some AA batteries from the storeman if he's still got a hoard!

If you want to deliver later on go for it. Your Office must start later as TBH if you took out another half a duty in mine you'd probably be finished by 1630.
My contract is 10 to 3. By the time I get in, everyone is out delivering. By the time I have finished bundling and get out with one and a half walks and start delivering proper (after all the specials etc.) its usually around 12. Finish the 1st walk by 3:30 or 4:00 the next half walk by 5:30 to 6:00. No chance of ever finishing ontime unless its a light day. Its a crazy system.
Tell the manager you need to come in at 8am so you can complete at a reasonable time if he/she says no work your contracted hours only. I am sure they will change their minds when the work is not getting done. This is why part time is a joke you get less money for o/t less d2d money and you do the same if not more work.

no-one gets paid d2d money

Post by **aiden01** » 31 Oct 2016, 23:19

should have added you get a del supp instead

salomon2 · Post by **salomon2** » 01 Nov 2016, 08:28

Ask to start earlier as nearer xmas we generally move to an hour earlier start time. Are you sure your contract actually states a time as all the new contracts only state 25hours the time is flexible.

Post by **woopesh** » 01 Nov 2016, 16:46

Thanks for the answers. I think I'll just have to cut off at 4pm, let the credit card take the slack until its light enough outside to do some proper overtime again. I will ask if I can start earlier. I tried it before but was told no, but seeing that Xmas is coming up, it wont hurt to try again.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 01 Nov 2016, 17:04

No amount of extra allowance per shift would get me to deliver in the dark

Some of the house numbers down some of the streets you can't even see in the daylight never mind the dark! Then again you could always deliver just a few large packets per hour rather than a van load. That would save loads of parcel delivery work ready for the next evening or Sunday shift (which attracts a higher hourly rate on top of the evening shift allowance).

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 02 Nov 2016, 19:12

UnhappyGremlin wrote:
daveyeff wrote:i bought a torch from the pound shop.......It was a pound
Why spend your money when RM provide them as equipment?

they are like gold dust in our office. but I originally bought mine for the shed. but it comes in handy doing packets on overtime during chrimbo pressure in the dark.

Post by **rambo1** » 02 Nov 2016, 21:21

brentford wrote:How times have changed you were always out of the office by 7-00 in the 80's up too the early part of 2000's now we have come too the stage when we are finishing in the dark nothing better than banging on someones door at seven

PM or AM? Lol.

DiamondSmiles · Post by **DiamondSmiles** » 03 Nov 2016, 14:56

With all this health and safety Royal Mail come up with nowadays they really shouldn't be allowing you to do deliveries in the dark. You would be far more likely to take a tumble not being able to see as clearly.

cpsteve · Post by **cpsteve** » 03 Nov 2016, 17:55

aiden01 wrote:
cpsteve wrote:
woopesh wrote:
Dorset Plodder wrote:As well as asking for a Royal Mail torch (which I always lend my Grandson for camping...quite good) get yourself a head torch. They're fairly cheap nowadays. If your DOM says there's no Torches available anymore, just ask around the office. We've got loads stuck in cupboards and thrown on top of frames. Should be able to get some AA batteries from the storeman if he's still got a hoard!

If you want to deliver later on go for it. Your Office must start later as TBH if you took out another half a duty in mine you'd probably be finished by 1630.
My contract is 10 to 3. By the time I get in, everyone is out delivering. By the time I have finished bundling and get out with one and a half walks and start delivering proper (after all the specials etc.) its usually around 12. Finish the 1st walk by 3:30 or 4:00 the next half walk by 5:30 to 6:00. No chance of ever finishing ontime unless its a light day. Its a crazy system.
Tell the manager you need to come in at 8am so you can complete at a reasonable time if he/she says no work your contracted hours only. I am sure they will change their minds when the work is not getting done. This is why part time is a joke you get less money for o/t less d2d money and you do the same if not more work.
no-one gets paid d2d money

OK delivery supplement same thing less money.

exphg1961 · Post by **exphg1961** » 03 Nov 2016, 17:58

If you are going to deliver in the dark then Royal Mail, under their "duty of care", are required to ensure you have adequate and suitable equipment and uniform to enable you to safely carry out your job.
THEY, not you are obliged to provide a working torch, if they don't then you can refuse to go/stay out in the dark.
It is covered in the H&S regulations

abzo · Post by **abzo** » 03 Nov 2016, 22:04

I was out delivering in the dark for the first time yesterday and its safe to say that will be the first and last time i ever deliver in the dark. It all started off when i completed my own duty and was just coming out of the office at 2pm, when a lino calls me up to ask if i was interested in doing some over time delivering a few bundles and a few parcels. He mentioned over the phone that he will load everything up into van for me so all i had to do was take it out and deliver, when i went in to check inside the van all i could say is what he gave me was nothing like what he mentioned over the phone as i had approximately 16 big bundles of mail and 20 odd parcels to deliver so pretty much one full walk. I told him its too much for me to deliver as i would most likely be delivering in the dark with all this amount of work hes given me. He just said you will be fine and sprinted off to his car to go home leaving me with all that work to deliver.

So by the time I got to my delivery point it was already getting dark, I only managed to deliver half the mail and parcels before deciding to call it a day and come back to the office as it was too dark to work outside especially in some residential blocks with no lighting. Had a good chuckle at a few people questioning me if this was something new being trialled by RM or whether all the posties were on strike. By the time i got back to the office it was around 6pm. A good lesson learnt from this is to trust no managers when they come up to you with "just a couple of bundles and packets need doing", they will be your best friend when you say yes but when you say no they will leave you alone until the following day when they will come to you with the same story. As for what happened with the stuff i brought back...... Well nothing really happened the following morning it was gone and as usual the same lino comes to me again asking me to do over time, you can all guess what my answer was to that

datasaint · Post by **datasaint** » 03 Nov 2016, 22:06

exphg1961 wrote:If you are going to deliver in the dark then Royal Mail, under their "duty of care", are required to ensure you have adequate and suitable equipment and uniform to enable you to safely carry out your job.
THEY, not you are obliged to provide a working torch, if they don't then you can refuse to go/stay out in the dark.
It is covered in the H&S regulations

Presumably the OPG gets blamed if they injure themselves in the dark ...

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 03 Nov 2016, 23:13

[/quote]
no-one gets paid d2d money

[/quote]

OK delivery supplement same thing less money.[/quote]

Incorrect. Part timers working 39 hours get paid the same as a full timer.

pinxtonpostie · Post by **pinxtonpostie** » 04 Nov 2016, 18:09

Creditshampoo wrote:

no-one gets paid d2d money

[/quote]

OK delivery supplement same thing less money.[/quote]

Incorrect. Part timers working 39 hours get paid the same as a full timer.[/quote]

Incorrect. Delivery supplement stays the same if I work my part time contracted hours or 39 hours.