Later starts alongside a 35 hour week.

gb93 · Post by **gb93** » 17 Sep 2017, 09:45

If later starts were introduced alongside a 35 hour week would that be acceptable.
E.g. 9am to 4pm or 8am to 3pm.
With these times being back to office & pouched off times not last letter.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 17 Sep 2017, 10:12

9am to 4pm might be acceptable to some but it's 7am to 2pm for me.

Whysoslowyehcfc · Post by **Whysoslowyehcfc** » 17 Sep 2017, 11:44

Not on a Saturday

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 17 Sep 2017, 11:50

It's not just the hours worked though - consider what you may be required to do during that time.

A 5 hr delivery currently is quite usual and exhausting. It means I already need to eat well in excess of 'normal' calories.

Just being out on delivery longer every day will obviously need more energy, cost me more food, yet the bosses want effectively to pay me less for doing so.

Idiotic RM logic. They must think we are utter idiots or be so vastly removed from the reality of the job.

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 17 Sep 2017, 11:55

I believe most Posties took the job because they are "Early Birds" and enjoy, or can't help, being up and about early in the day. I love waking up to see the Sunrise through my bedroom window. I've been doing it so long now that I only set the alarm as a precaution, and normally wake up in time to switch it off before it goes off.

When balancing the Pros & Cons of taking the job a lot of us probably thought, "Well the money's not Fantastic but at least I can get finished early".

If it moves to a later start it's just going to be another relatively poorly paid run of the mill 9-5 job.

I'm sure many of us can remember when we used to finish early enough to have a little part-time job in the afternoon, such as gardening or a bit of handyman work. You even used to be able to PLAY sport on a Saturday afternoon, bearing in mind you had to get home, get changed and pick your kit up AND get to club for kick off!

Nowadays most of us are hard pressed to get home in time to WATCH a game on TV with a 1400 kick off!

Spedley · Post by **Spedley** » 17 Sep 2017, 12:08

Unfortunately it is working both ways in our office. Start time is quite flexible where some part timers come in at 7am and help with prep and others come in at 9:30 and work to their time. That is all good, however on average the part timers do a lot more hours than they are contracted for so they lose out on pension contributions (which makes the plan unaffordable for everyone) and they lose out on breaks and they lose out on a guaranteed income.

I think the biggest problem with start/finish times is the school run. So long as RM are flexible with starting early or finishing late then I'm not too worried about later start times. Atm there is sufficient work to keep people busy at all times if it is managed properly.

twoloops · Post by **twoloops** » 17 Sep 2017, 12:22

On our induction day just 5 months ago, we where beening sold a 5 hour shift 9.45 to 14.45 no prep straight out on delivery.

wannabeek · Post by **wannabeek** » 17 Sep 2017, 13:06

Yes, that's quite standard now. Very different to a 7 hour delivery span.

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 17 Sep 2017, 13:12

mattycash wrote:On our induction day just 5 months ago, we where beening sold a 5 hour shift 9.45 to 14.45 no prep straight out on delivery.

Problem we have MC is that this type of contract is subject to "Mission Creep". Managers (DOMs) often see you as Extra Labour and often start asking you to come in earlier and perhaps get your duty ready , or do some other work like prepping another duty. If this suits you that's fine take the extra hours,but make sure you record them in your diary and make sure you get paid for them.

DOMs are notorious for abusing New Starters and not paying them for extra work they do. Make sure you join the Union and find out who your Unit Rep is. They will be your first point of call when you start having problems over, duties,pay holiday etc. Good Luck.

Stammerking · Post by **Stammerking** » 17 Sep 2017, 14:39

I am working 9.40am to 6pm Hybrid duty (finish) 5.30pm and work a shorter working day Saturday 8am till 1pm (12.30) if I take my break at the end, it works for me I see my daughter off to school and wife picks up at 5pm as she goes to home work club(free).So i start when everyone has gone out so I miss all the bitchin

with a couple of other lads its not the end of the world and the lie ins everyday are wonderfull :-)

Ozzvaldo · Post by **Ozzvaldo** » 17 Sep 2017, 14:49

I have suffered from Insomnia since my teenage years and am usually awake between 4 and 5am. The early starts of yesteryear were ideal for me and the further RM delay start times, the worse it is from my point of view.

Post by **Lounge Lizard** » 17 Sep 2017, 15:18

Stammerking wrote:I am working 9.40am to 6pm Hybrid duty (finish) 5.30pm and work a shorter working day Saturday 8am till 1pm (12.30) if I take my break at the end, it works for me I see my daughter off to school and wife picks up at 5pm as she goes to home work club(free).So i start when everyone has gone out so I miss all the bitchin with a couple of other lads its not the end of the world and the lie ins everyday are wonderfull :-)

But as DP so rightly comments "most Posties took the job because they are "Early Birds" and enjoy, or can't help, being up and about early in the day".

And it's always been about picking our sons and daughters up from school after work

NOT dropping them off there before work

.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 17 Sep 2017, 15:40

Depends on the argument the CWU and Royalmail have are we looking at the cheapest model or the best model or retaining a workforce or loosing your workforce or being the best or the worst we could have duties which would have packets delivered into the evening which would be good for some employees and customers! But this will not work for all employees or customers as a one in all approach in deliveries much better to have staff in a positions which will not conflict with their own lives interests but we do work for dictators so what chance of that!

Post by **saddlerposty** » 17 Sep 2017, 16:06

Dorset Plodder wrote:I believe most Posties took the job because they are "Early Birds" and enjoy, or can't help, being up and about early in the day. I love waking up to see the Sunrise through my bedroom window. I've been doing it so long now that I only set the alarm as a precaution, and normally wake up in time to switch it off before it goes off.

When balancing the Pros & Cons of taking the job a lot of us probably thought, "Well the money's not Fantastic but at least I can get finished early". If it moves to a later start it's just going to be another relatively poorly paid run of the mill 9-5 job.

I'm sure many of us can remember when we used to finish early enough to have a little part-time job in the afternoon, such as gardening or a bit of handyman work. You even used to be able to PLAY sport on a Saturday afternoon, bearing in mind you had to get home, get changed and pick your kit up AND get to club for kick off! Nowadays most of us are hard pressed to get home in time to WATCH a game on TV with a 1400 kick off!

I remember on Saturdays getting home to watch Ant & Dec on smtv (Saturday MORNING television show) with my two kids , now your lucky to be done a Saturday to see them on Saturday Night Takeaway

gb93 · Post by **gb93** » 17 Sep 2017, 16:10

A 35 hour week puts to an end any scope for 6 hour delivery spans on a 5 day week.
15 min travel out 15 min travel back plus 30 min meal relief gets you down to 6 hours.
The fairies are not doing all your indoor work no matter how wonderful these mythical new sorting machines will be.