30 min break per day

jd9442 · Post by **jd9442** » 12 Dec 2017, 08:31

Everyone in my office takes it at the end of the shift, thus leaving '30 mins early'
Start 9:30-3, leave at half 2.
I much prefer this but I read everyone saying take your break take your break. Do you all mean it in a different way like, make sure you definitely get your half an hour?
I mean, I know 'laws' or 'guidelines'? Say breaks should be took not at the start or end but...

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 12 Dec 2017, 08:34

Put it this way. If there’s a revision in your office and the planners see that everyone is going home half hour early every day they won’t care that’s your break, they’ll use the opportunity to give you more work.

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 12 Dec 2017, 14:18

There is no but......
The meal relief cannot be scheduled at the end of the duty.
If you have an accident and you haven't taken your meal relief at the proper scheduled time, then they will look to apportion blame on to you.

This obsession with finishing "early" is akin to mass hysteria among OPGs.

The Postman · Post by **The Postman** » 12 Dec 2017, 18:40

jd9442 wrote:Everyone in my office takes it at the end of the shift, thus leaving '30 mins early'
Start 9:30-3, leave at half 2.
I much prefer this but I read everyone saying take your break take your break. Do you all mean it in a different way like, make sure you definitely get your half an hour?
I mean, I know 'laws' or 'guidelines'? Say breaks should be took not at the start or end but...

Legally your not allowed to take the full break at the start or the end of a shift, statutory break has to be taken somewhere in the middle. Anything over Statutory break can be taken at the start or end if that is what the employer permits.

https://www.gov.uk/rest-breaks-work/taking-breaks" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

However Royal Mail have the upper hand on this as most part time employees in Royal Mail aren't entitled to a statutory break as they work less than 6 hours a day.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 12 Dec 2017, 19:46

I'm not sure about part-time staff but in terms of full time staff we usually work eight hours per day. By law you are entitled to a twenty minute break for every four hours you work hence a forty minutes break time per day for full-time staff. The break is meant to be taken away from the sorting frame/work area. By law you entitled to take the second twenty minute break at the end of your work time. How you use that final twenty minute break is entirely up to you. You can go home or you can stay on site and take it there. The forty minutes should and does form part of your paid time at work. If you are not having your break or there is not time to take it you should contact the relevant government department to claim back the money you are owed.

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 12 Dec 2017, 20:08

My fave is when management say “meal reliefs can’t be booked”

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 12 Dec 2017, 22:35

Creditshampoo wrote:My fave is when management say “meal reliefs can’t be booked”

I've heard that one too. My logical argument to that one is that we are legally entitled to amount of PAID break time based on the hours we work. This is basic UK employment law and from what have seen in our office and read here and heard from other RM personnel around the country RM is flouting the law. When or if it is ever sorted out I wouldn't like to say. I do know for a fact that the CWU are not doing anything about it.

Post by **97gaz** » 12 Dec 2017, 23:09

South_London_Postie · Post by **South_London_Postie** » 13 Dec 2017, 01:57

The main thing to take away from here is, either take the break or get paid for it. Just don’t god damn work through it!!

joewyan · Post by **joewyan** » 13 Dec 2017, 07:30

Celgar wrote:
Creditshampoo wrote:My fave is when management say “meal reliefs can’t be booked”
I've heard that one too. My logical argument to that one is that we are legally entitled to amount of PAID break time based on the hours we work. This is basic UK employment law and from what have seen in our office and read here and heard from other RM personnel around the country RM is flouting the law. When or if it is ever sorted out I wouldn't like to say. I do know for a fact that the CWU are not doing anything about it.

Legally there is no requirement for a PAID break, Royal Mail choose to do that currently. The law states you must have a 20 minute break for every 6 hours that you work so if you work between 6 & 11 hours you get 20 mins, work 12 or more and you get 40 mins.

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 13 Dec 2017, 20:23

Maybe RM interprets the law differently then. It was our DOM that told us the other day we are entitled to two twenty minute breaks one of which has to be taken before you get back from your delivery. I trust what our DOM says.

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 13 Dec 2017, 20:26

Celgar wrote:I trust what our DOM says.

Hmm

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 13 Dec 2017, 20:34

Celgar wrote:Maybe RM interprets the law differently then. It was our DOM that told us the other day we are entitled to two twenty minute breaks one of which has to be taken before you get back from your delivery. I trust what our DOM says.

It's a National Agreement between RM and the CWU.

Quotes from the agreement:

The actual pattern of breaks within these rules will be agreed locally.

Breaks at the beginning or end of attendance

Where an attendance is provided with more than one break, the second break may be scheduled at the beginning or end, in which case attendance is not required solely for booking on or off. A single break should not be scheduled at the beginning or end of the attendance.

TBT/Postman - can the meal break pattern from the Way Forward Agreement be made a 'stickie' as it seems to come up with
regularity but many people don't know it's in the Way Forward Agreement download.

joewyan · Post by **joewyan** » 13 Dec 2017, 20:36

Celgar wrote:Maybe RM interprets the law differently then. It was our DOM that told us the other day we are entitled to two twenty minute breaks one of which has to be taken before you get back from your delivery. I trust what our DOM says.

Royal Mail do actually give more break entitlement than they legally have to. They say that 20 minutes must be taken as that is the legal break, the other 20 minutes that they allow to be taken at the end are not law but are company entitlement

stephen.cal87 · Post by **stephen.cal87** » 18 Dec 2017, 23:15

People who dont take their meal breaks during the day but add it on at the end are the ones who...quite frankly have balls'd the job up for the rest of us.

Now we have on a daily basis deliveries unable to be completed in the time allocated all because some twat decided to rush round, not take a break & go home early. Giving management the oppourtunity to add extra onto said delivery.

Its been happening for so long I believe its a key reason why the jobs in the mess it is today.