unpaid overtime each week. union doing nothing, what do I do?

DrSatan · Post by **DrSatan** » 20 Jul 2018, 19:53

I keep getting short changed too so i feel your pain. Having to chase up overtime every week is a pain in the bum. Then to be told that they haven't looked into it yet as they are too busy! "Sorry boss for pestering you with the only reason we goto work!".

Wages are our number one priority but obviously it's not a priority for royal mail!

On a side note, I know it doesn't help but you really shouldn't be relying on overtime to pay basic bills and rent. There are times overtime is not available or you fall sick, break a leg etc and you'll be unable to do overtime. You won't get any extra sick or holiday pay too.

postie222 · Post by **postie222** » 20 Jul 2018, 21:36

New grievance procedure should stop them been unheard. With holding wages is probably illegal. No joy with local rep speak to area rep.

worktotime · Post by **worktotime** » 20 Jul 2018, 21:57

nuns wrote:the union should be on this as a main priority, sick to death of having to chase up money ,,its only reason we bloody work.

please explain how you would like the cwu to help or what the cwu should do ? we need to stand up to these people and they need to help themselves as well , I understand people need the money that's why they work overtime and should be paid , but if people don't help themselves what can a rep or the cwu do , I would go see him / her tell them that you want to look at your o/t from that week , and tell them if its not paid in next weeks wages I will be taking it further as its illegal to with hold money owed to me , and I will not be working any o/t till its paid , I understand it could be hard for a week with no o/t , but they will come running to you as we all know how this job is run .

nuns · Post by **nuns** » 20 Jul 2018, 22:33

why dont they have clock in/out that would match show up exactly what every one should be paid, anything not paid will be paid once looked will be paid following week, plus managers not allowed to scrub O/T without telling you first.

danterossetti · Post by **danterossetti** » 20 Jul 2018, 23:16

My apologies.

Stop doing any more O/T
Put in a grievance.
Look for hours elsewhere.

&

Go on the sick with the stress of working o/t and not getting paid for it

Rapidryan88 · Post by **Rapidryan88** » 21 Jul 2018, 06:58

Postie45 wrote:
Rapidryan88 wrote:Everyone keeps saying “stop doing it” he literally states at the beginning he NEEDS the over time to pay bills.... so another option other than “stop doing it” would be more helpful.
Could maybe go higher put in a grievance or something mention how vital it is that this overtime is paid correctly and them messing it up is putting you under stress an
yes the OP needs the OT but is not being paid the OT worked, may as well not be doing it at all, the status quo is what needs to end, the union option has failed, so the easiest way is to not do the OT and see if the managers buckle, they need the work to be done afterall..... others have already mentioned grievance.

Didn’t he state he’s getting paid some of it? Based on how he’s talking some is better than none. Just needs to put in a grievance or something

sjh182 · Post by **sjh182** » 21 Jul 2018, 09:37

sophie97 wrote:I am on a 22 hour contract. I do around 12 hours overtime each week. I need to do the overtime to pay the bills.

However im paid incorrectly every single week. of the 12 or so hours I work on average, I will tend get only 6. (it varys but thats the usual shortfall)
I have had many chats with the manager, and he will say he will pay the missing money in the next week, yet when the time comes its still short, and on top of that, that weeks pay will be short and so on and so on. it becomes almost impossible to keep up with it.

Its not just myself, he does it to every part timer in the office, some are too scared to raise the issue, some try but give up.

I went through the union last year, and after months of back and forth, they eventually said that I will just have to keep asking the manager each week to pay any missed overtime in the next weeks wages. Which is of course what I have been doing with no success. This has been going on for years.

I feel my only option is to say im only going to work my contracted hours and cut off etc, yet in doing that, I would get absolutely no overtime, So i would be shooting myself in the foot. its not an option as i need the overtime to be able to afford rent and food.

What are my options? Is there a whistleblower contact or something?

This is awful and needs to stop, unfortunately since this has been going on for a while and asking nicely hasn't resolved the situation it may take some hard work and beligerance. These are the things i would do were i in your situation.

1. keep meticulous notes, take a photo very openly in front of the manager of every piece of overtime you put down so you have a clear record of exactly what you are owed, keep a record of everytime you speak to the manager about missing payments include date time what was missing and what the manager said, ideally make sure someone else sees these meetings.

2.Routinely ask to see that your overtime has been correctly entered onto the payroll system before the deadline for submission.

3. if payment doesn't improve complain to your union rep (this is precisely what they are there for) submit a grievence, rep should be able to help you, and given how long this has been going on i'd probably submit a seperate complaint for bulling and harasment( since this will undoubtedly be causing undue mental anguish). you say other people in the office have similar issues, so try to get all of them to submit their own grievence at the same time( this will help highlight to hr that this isn't an isolated incident but rather a pattern of behaviour). if your local rep isn't helping then seek you area or regional reps.

4. if this still isn't being take seriously then nows the time to take it up with a law firm as a union member you can access unionline for free advice on 0300 333 0303.

i hope this helps.

on a side note if your working that much overtime every week i'd be pushing hard to get my contracted hours reviewed and made up.

Newbie001 · Post by **Newbie001** » 21 Jul 2018, 09:57

Unfortunately, once a manager becomes a k*** he very rarely becomes a non-k***. If you need extra money ask to go on the collections in evening, which 'should' be shared equally. And then refuse to go over time. It's actually an easier argument if you have a collection.

DrSatan · Post by **DrSatan** » 21 Jul 2018, 12:53

Rapidryan88 wrote:
Postie45 wrote:
Rapidryan88 wrote:Everyone keeps saying “stop doing it” he literally states at the beginning he NEEDS the over time to pay bills.... so another option other than “stop doing it” would be more helpful.
Could maybe go higher put in a grievance or something mention how vital it is that this overtime is paid correctly and them messing it up is putting you under stress an
yes the OP needs the OT but is not being paid the OT worked, may as well not be doing it at all, the status quo is what needs to end, the union option has failed, so the easiest way is to not do the OT and see if the managers buckle, they need the work to be done afterall..... others have already mentioned grievance.
Didn’t he state he’s getting paid some of it? Based on how he’s talking some is better than none. Just needs to put in a grievance or something

Being picky here but i'd assume Sophie is a she and not a he. According to RMTV were post people not postmen.

rehabron · Post by **rehabron** » 21 Jul 2018, 13:19

As previously mentioned I would not be taking photographs of the O/T docket if this holds other colleagues O/T claims as this is a definite breach of the latest Data Protection Laws and would become a conduct issue which you don't want. Better to keep your own personal diary.
Your line manager will countersign the docket that he/she has authorised the O/T and the amount is correct but he/she may not be the individual who is feeding this information to the wages dept. in some offices this is undertaken by the duty/bookroom.
You will need to investigate in your office whose responsibility it is to feed this info.to wages if in your case it is the duty/bookroom then you then need to pinpoint where the discrepancy of the shortfall in hours is occurring.
Having recorded in your diary the O/T hours that you worked for that week and on receiving your payslip that should contain these hours and if incorrect you phone wages getting the name of the person at the other end of the phone explaining that your payment of O/T is short by whatever hours your have recorded.
Wages will more than likely refer you back to your line manager for verification and your bring this to his/her attention that by producing your diary you have been underpaid.
You repeat this procedure every week and follow it with a grievance which is recorded in the PSP and a satisfactory reply has to be given to you within 14 days or it automatically goes to the next higher authority manager for investigation and you continue to pursue this to the highest level.
You could as a last resort through into the pot that you intend to proceed to an Employment Tribunal with a claim for unauthorised deduction of wages under the Employment Rights Act 1998.
May sound like hard work but will benefit you in the end.

officernopants · Post by **officernopants** » 21 Jul 2018, 15:43

Of this has been going on for years why has your contract not been reviewed? You need to badger the union cause unfortunately a lot are doing it for the wrong reasons, don't listen to the people saying stop doing the OT they don't got a clue

Post by **97gaz** » 21 Jul 2018, 15:48

beanmuncha · Post by **beanmuncha** » 21 Jul 2018, 18:06

As regards keeping records there is an app called "timesheet2" for android check it out when you set it up right you just have to put your
start and finish times in it does the rest, and saves the data for as long as you want.

regards non-payment and monies owed i would go into your DOM with your rep or someone else present as a witness, tell him this has to stop
or else you are going to take it further. Show him your payslips and ask why have you not been paid?
If this fails then i would contact his boss and HR telling them what is happening, your DOM is fiddling the books to make it look good for him
i know this because we had a DOM the same that is why i started using that app.

I know you need the OT and if you do say your not doing any until paid he may take the strop and make sure you do not get any in the future
out of spite.
This really needs addressed with your rep, he needs to go in and fight for you and then report this to his area rep etc..
It can be sorted i did it and if as you say there are more then get the rep to pass that info on as well.

Goodluck hope all works out

Post by **Brandy** » 21 Jul 2018, 18:47

I often used to have extended delivery either not paid at all or only paid half of what was due,and I wasnt the only one. It been going on for years,how do RM get away with it as its stealing from their workforce,and if it was the other way round they would get the sack.All to pay big bonuses to greedy managers.

Bboingg · Post by **Bboingg** » 21 Jul 2018, 20:12

Every week write him a letter with all the up to date details of underpayments. Keep a copy for yourself. If necessary start sending copies off to his senior.