35 Hour Week

[rambo1]

We have to take half before we go out then rest on delivery. Can't claim any at end unless you go over 9hr day then can claim extra 10min at end.

[sorefeet17]

We are lucky to get paid breaks not many companies give them these days, only a couple of us in my office take them but you can only tell people so many times about PDA actuals if we don't take breaks we run the risk of losing them.

[HTPostman]

We are lucky to get paid breaks not many companies give them these days, only a couple of us in my office take them but you can only tell people so many times about PDA actuals if we don't take breaks we run the risk of losing them.

If it was up to me those who take their breaks should keep them, all the idiots who constantly don’t take them (and I don’t mean one offs if you have an appointment etc) should be left at the mercy of management be it extra calls or extra lapsing or indoor work prepping D2Ds. They can watch us having our break, drinking coffee watching TV playing pool while they are prepping farmfoods leaflets.

There’s a girl here who needs the OT but works through her 2 x 20min breaks every day and doesn’t get to finish 40 minutes early either. She actually wants to finish later to get more OT but she just can’t see what she’s doing. 40 mins x 6 days a week = 4 hours worked for free. That’s £45 ish a week. I bet if the DOM came round once a week and asked for £45 cash she wouldn’t give it. I once asked her why she doesn’t take her breaks and she said ‘it’s because the round is too long and you have to work through them to complete.’ So not only is she giving away 40 mins for free, but if she did take her breaks she’d finish 40 mins later and get extra OT. The mind boggles.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

There’s a girl here who needs the OT but works through her 2 x 20min breaks every day and doesn’t get to finish 40 minutes early either. She actually wants to finish later to get more OT but she just can’t see what she’s doing. 40 mins x 6 days a week = 4 hours worked for free. That’s £45 ish a week. I bet if the DOM came round once a week and asked for £45 cash she wouldn’t give it. I once asked her why she doesn’t take her breaks and she said ‘it’s because the round is too long and you have to work through them to complete.’ So not only is she giving away 40 mins for free, but if she did take her breaks she’d finish 40 mins later and get extra OT. The mind boggles.

There is loads of examples of this throughout the company. When they actually get a clocking in and out system up and running I swear it will cost the company money with all the numptys getting in earlier etc.

[fatmike]

What is the official ruling? I thought the union said we have to take 20 minutes during the shift, but the other 20 minutes could be taken at the end of the shift?

There have been occasions where I've worked through a break to try and clear more, but I've always booked 40 minutes at the end (DOM has always paid it). It's either that, or take a 40 minute break and leave 40 minutes of work at the office.

[DGH]

What is the official ruling? I thought the union said we have to take 20 minutes during the shift, but the other 20 minutes could be taken at the end of the shift?

The 'official ruling' is that you take 20 minutes before going out on delivery and 20 minutes somewhere approximately in the middle of your delivery span.

If you're fairly regularly finishing 20 mins early without having taken your full 40 minutes, expect to have that time put onto the walk when the new PDA-driven revisions come in next year.

Heaps of people work through their break in order to clear rather than leave a loop and in many ways that benefits both RM (more work is done) and the individual (they claim 40 mins o/t but still finish on time). RM must know this is still the case, but, as usual, reality has very little input into their decision making process.

[world class male]

i always take half before leaving and the rest on the back end and if i do go over i book from -20 my finish time
though i do take a couple of 5min breathers whilst out
i've no doubt within the next few years our paid break will be dissolved as part of a bargaining chip with the cwu and who could blame them, how can they argue its members need the breaks when hardly any take them in the 1st place
and those who will scream the loudest will be the ones who never take it,
we too have a few who say they can't complete if they did
and the cherry on top are the ones who can't take lapsing

[Marshamp11]

We have to take half before we go out then rest on delivery. Can't claim any at end unless you go over 9hr day then can claim extra 10min at end.

What do you mean you have to. You are entitled to take 40 minutes in one go.

[Marshamp11]

What is the official ruling? I thought the union said we have to take 20 minutes during the shift, but the other 20 minutes could be taken at the end of the shift?

The 'official ruling' is that you take 20 minutes before going out on delivery and 20 minutes somewhere approximately in the middle of your delivery span.

If you're fairly regularly finishing 20 mins early without having taken your full 40 minutes, expect to have that time put onto the walk when the new PDA-driven revisions come in next year.

Heaps of people work through their break in order to clear rather than leave a loop and in many ways that benefits both RM (more work is done) and the individual (they claim 40 mins o/t but still finish on time). RM must know this is still the case, but, as usual, reality has very little input into their decision making process.

So when the time comes when we have to scan to start shift and scan to end shift and get paid for that time will people have 20 mins at the end and go home early then or will they be happy to lose 50 minutes a week pay.

[SpacePhoenix]

What is the official ruling? I thought the union said we have to take 20 minutes during the shift, but the other 20 minutes could be taken at the end of the shift?

The 'official ruling' is that you take 20 minutes before going out on delivery and 20 minutes somewhere approximately in the middle of your delivery span.

If you're fairly regularly finishing 20 mins early without having taken your full 40 minutes, expect to have that time put onto the walk when the new PDA-driven revisions come in next year.

Heaps of people work through their break in order to clear rather than leave a loop and in many ways that benefits both RM (more work is done) and the individual (they claim 40 mins o/t but still finish on time). RM must know this is still the case, but, as usual, reality has very little input into their decision making process.

So when the time comes when we have to scan to start shift and scan to end shift and get paid for that time will people have 20 mins at the end and go home early then or will they be happy to lose 50 minutes a week pay.

My gut feeling is that paid breaks will be axed before that happens

[DGH]

Yes, the simplest way for RM to deliver a 35 hour week would be to remove paid breaks, presumably by dressing that up as part of a pay deal so the hourly rate increases substantially but you lose 40 minutes off the day if you're full time.

[rambo1]

We have to take half before we go out then rest on delivery. Can't claim any at end unless you go over 9hr day then can claim extra 10min at end.

What do you mean you have to. You are entitled to take 40 minutes in one go.

Not in our office. Take 40 min outdoors and the Dom's sidekick will dock you 20 mins off your overtime as they presume you took another 20 before going out. They do this as they presume most people just want to get out on delivery and won't take a break before. They presume right in most cases and are saving money. Posties not taking paid breaks is just stupid, they'll be sorry when paid breaks are taken away.

[Marshamp11]

Quoting 'Taking Breaks' from GOV.UK website:
"Employers can say when employees take rest breaks during work time as long as:
1. The break is taken in ONE go somewhere in the middle of the day (Not at the beginning or the end)
2. Workers are allowed to spend it away from their desk or workstation (ie away from where they actually work)
3. It doesn't count as a rest break if an employer says an employee should go back to work before their break is finished"

[rambo1]

Best send the Cwu this information as they signed off on the 20 mins before going out and rest on delivery rule.