Official stance on where to take break

jd9442 · Post by **jd9442** » 07 Dec 2018, 22:46

Is there one? The break that I can take whilst out delivering, can I say that I am returning to the office to take it?

Post by **hothothot** » 08 Dec 2018, 10:31

I'm not sure there is one , I used to take 20 mins about half way through delivery to have a sandwich and coffee , then take 20 mins off the end.

deltaforce · Post by **deltaforce** » 08 Dec 2018, 15:46

You are allowed to take it away from your place of work. Eating food in a dirty van with contamination from the pda and steering wheel and who knows where else. I think it reasonable to return to base, or do what I do and have the full 40 before I leave.

FirstPost · Post by **FirstPost** » 08 Dec 2018, 15:58

deltaforce wrote:You are allowed to take it away from your place of work. Eating food in a dirty van with contamination from the pda and steering wheel and who knows where else. I think it reasonable to return to base, or do what I do and have the full 40 before I leave.

So you can take a break halfway through your round? People in my office are adamant you have to take it before you go out!

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 09 Dec 2018, 20:48

If full time postie the second twenty minutes when you get back from delivery. Line being fed to all new DOMs and any rule following DOMs is to take the first twenty minutes before you leave the office to start delivery.
Then you have another factor. In DOs where the walks are not long enough or there is pressure to increase walk length the union rep will get everyone to maybe take their whole break BEFORE they leave to make sure it is taken and to visibly use more of the duty time. This has happened at another DO near ours.

FirstPost · Post by **FirstPost** » 22 Oct 2019, 16:18

If the union has agreed a set time for posties to take a break is this set in stone? Can I take it when I want?

clashcityrocker · Post by **clashcityrocker** » 22 Oct 2019, 16:52

FirstPost wrote:If the union has agreed a set time for posties to take a break is this set in stone? Can I take it when I want?

No. The Working Time Directive states that your manager can tell you when to take your break.
As we have collective bargaining that break is negotiated by the union on our behalf.
It isn't a matter of personal preference.

mags999 · Post by **mags999** » 22 Oct 2019, 17:38

take my break at the end or should I say leave 40 mins before end of duty time done this since 2nd deliveries were scrapped and delivery office was moved to new hub around 4 miles from delivery which makes it un workable to return for a break .
not sitting in poxy van to have it

.Its a very grey area

Post by **SpacePhoenix** » 22 Oct 2019, 19:31

mags999 wrote:take my break at the end or should I say leave 40 mins before end of duty time done this since 2nd deliveries were scrapped and delivery office was moved to new hub around 4 miles from delivery which makes it un workable to return for a break .
not sitting in poxy van to have it .Its a very grey area

It's not allowed for all of a break entitlement to be taken at the end of a shift (Working Time regs)

smartecosse · Post by **smartecosse** » 23 Oct 2019, 07:10

The "nipping back to the depot" for your break doesn't really work if you are out pushing an HCT and the depot is a twenty minute walk away.

I am on a 27 1/2 hour contract so if I was to have a break before going out on the walk it would literally be half an hour to an hour depending on how busy it was after I got to work.

As I don't finish until after 2pm I'd rather have a break at lunch time and have something to eat. However, as mentioned its about a 20 minute walk to the depot, the walk I am on is all residential, no shops, cafes or even toilet facilities available anywhere close by.

compostcorner · Post by **compostcorner** » 25 Oct 2019, 22:29

i always take a flask of tea and a snack out with me, us old uns need a 10 minute sit down about half way round

DE72 · Post by **DE72** » 29 Oct 2019, 19:43

We take our 20m at a local farm cafe/shop (they let us eat our own food) half way round

Don't bother on Tuesdays, we only have a 10min break time so have that before we leave

Jeppol · Post by **Jeppol** » 30 Oct 2019, 20:19

I take my 40 minute break about 11.30 each morning, got a nice lay by on a very quiet country lane, butties , flask of coffee, ipad, nobody to bother me, I'm well happy.

dohnut · Post by **dohnut** » 30 Oct 2019, 21:19

Jeppol wrote:I take my 40 minute break about 11.30 each morning, got a nice lay by on a very quiet country lane, butties , flask of coffee, ipad, nobody to bother me, I'm well happy.

Yeah wish I was on cushy rural duty.

luddite · Post by **luddite** » 31 Oct 2019, 10:23

dohnut wrote:
Jeppol wrote:I take my 40 minute break about 11.30 each morning, got a nice lay by on a very quiet country lane, butties , flask of coffee, ipad, nobody to bother me, I'm well happy.
Yeah wish I was on cushy rural duty.

Why do you think its cushy?