Difference between floater and reserve?

smartecosse · Post by **smartecosse** » 04 Feb 2020, 17:16

What's the difference between these two roles?

As it was explained to me it seemed like they were the same role but with two different names?

Thanks

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 04 Feb 2020, 17:20

I think floater covers days off and reserve covers AL so stays on walks for a week or more at a time.

leolion855 · Post by **leolion855** » 04 Feb 2020, 17:32

reserve is holiday cover can be ft or pt
floater covers rest days and becomes 'spare' lent out to other offices if not required

Newbie001 · Post by **Newbie001** » 04 Feb 2020, 17:49

Floater has a signed for duty. Rest day cover for 5 different walks but still a duty nonetheless.They should also have rotating day off.
Reserve covers AL and sickness with duty set day off.
But Dom and LM usually see them as exact same. And both never get long weekends and usually a Tues off, also duty usually depends on whim of who is working their day off.
Sound familiar.

yellowbelly · Post by **yellowbelly** » 04 Feb 2020, 19:55

Newbie001 wrote:...........
Reserve covers AL and sickness with duty set day off..

In your dreams......

Newbie001 · Post by **Newbie001** » 04 Feb 2020, 20:56

yellowbelly wrote:
Newbie001 wrote:...........
Reserve covers AL and sickness with duty set day off..
In your dreams......

I know, but that's how it's supposed to work...so I'm told lol

sindba · Post by **sindba** » 04 Feb 2020, 21:29

Float duties are signed-for structured duties, like any other. They cover the set days off for 3 or 4 other duty holders.

You will have set start and finish times and set days off indefinitely, until you sign for another duty, so you always know your shift times far in advance.

You will also *usually* know which duty you are on, but as always can get moved.

Reserves cover ad hoc absence like sickness. They can be asked to cover any shift, so often don't know what days or times they are working week to week and sometimes day to day.

richietns · Post by **richietns** » 05 Feb 2020, 06:09

smartecosse wrote:What's the difference between these two roles?

As it was explained to me it seemed like they were the same role but with two different names?

Thanks

Ime actually a float yes you cover rest days I cover four and they can't move you,The only way they can is "operational needs"but they can do that to anyone.I got the union involved once and they left me alone but they can move you if you know a certain duty.BUT ido have an old contract,new contracts ?

Kesknight · Post by **Kesknight** » 05 Feb 2020, 19:51

I'm a floater covering days off, i've been a Postman for 33 years. I get moved round all the time, it doesn't bother me one bit, it's just another days work. I get a rotating day off with one long weekend in five, same as everyone else.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 05 Feb 2020, 20:24

When I was Leave Reserve I never knew what duty I was on from one week to the next. Some weeks I would be all over the place.

smartecosse · Post by **smartecosse** » 05 Feb 2020, 21:21

Thanks for all the replies.