MRM.COM : Breaching the working time limits can have serious ramifications

[POSTMAN]

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In the interests of health and safety, legal guidelines limit the amount of hours that employees can work in a week.

The guidelines exist to avert disasters such as the Croydon tram crash of November 2016, which tragically demonstrated that working long hours can have disastrous consequences.

Royal Mail has a legal requirement to ensure employees are not working above the collectively agreed working time limits. The limits are agreed with our trade unions and we have a duty of care as an employer to ensure they are adhered to. The working limits are:

For CWU represented grades:

• If you haven’t signed an opt-out form, you must not work more than an average of 48 hours net (52 hours gross including conditioned hours, scheduled attendance (SA), and paid meal breaks).
• If you have signed an opt-out form (available from your manager), you can work a maximum of 70 gross hours in any week. This includes conditioned (duty) hours, SA, and any other overtime, including paid meal breaks.
• Opting out is voluntary and you can change your mind at any time by giving one month’s written notice.
  If you have any questions or concerns about your working hours and the limits, you should talk to your manager.

For Unite represented grades:

• If you haven’t signed an opt-out form (available in last week’s WTLL on working time, or through PSP), you must not work more than an average of 48 hours net.
• If you have signed an opt-out form, you can work a maximum of 65 hours gross in any week.

Breaching the working time limits can have serious ramifications for all staff, both managerial and operational grades, not to mention the effect it could have on the general public and the business as a whole.


For more information, please speak to your line manager.

[Lounge Lizard]

I wasn't aware that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch had concluded that "working long hours" caused the Croydon tram crash of November 2016.
We must though be thankful that Royal Mail is concerned about our wellbeing.

[clashcityrocker]

Does this mean they are going to stop people starting before their contracted time as this time can not measured in their Working Time Limits?
And will they enforce the meal relief at the correct time to stop people working through it to get finished earlier?
They always seem very interested in their "duty of care" after you have had an accident but rarely before.

[eastie]

We have this nutter where we work who delivers 2 rounds a day at the moment due to staff illness and sickness.
regularly does 60 to 70 hours a week, bound to be crocked by Christmas

[rubberbond]

How noble, that the business is worried about people working hard and long hours,fair touched me it did. For the sake of convenience the policies and procedures are routinely ignored, like most things in this job. Except when it goes arse over tit (or base over apex for those offended ), of course,then watch the scramble and panic to cover backs

[TheTrolleyMan]

Except for the Xmas opt out

[Creditshampoo]

Does this mean they are going to stop people starting before their contracted time as this time can not measured in their Working Time Limits?
And will they enforce the meal relief at the correct time to stop people working through it to get finished earlier?
They always seem very interested in their "duty of care" after you have had an accident but rarely before.

This is a very good point

[datasaint]

There is no legal limit under law that states how many hours you can work though. The 70 hours thing is completely arbitrary.