Paying another postie to do your shift? Allowed? Going rate?

[cheerful]

Thanks for the answers, especially for the going rate. £10/hour seems a fair amount.

My back seemed to be getting better, but I had a fall yesterday and today my back is much worse.

Had to phone in sick. They asked if I could come in for a chat (not sure if it's about the fall or my back), but told them it's too painful.

Last week I started seeing a physio about my back, so hopefully he'll fix it up next session.

[CillitBang]

It's your manager's responsibility to cover shifts, not yours. Go off sick and forget about it, if they want to chat with you do it over the phone. Definitely don't pay someone to cover your shift. Royal Mail pays them already...

[cheerful]

Thanks, and thanks to everyone telling me to go off sick.

I'm feeling guilty for not going in today, in my entire working life I've barely had any sick days, yet after yesterday's fall even delicately pottering around the house is causing me pain.

Logically I know I should probably have taken a few days a couple of weeks ago, but I think I needed to hear a bunch of folk telling me it's ok to take sick leave before I could get it through my thick skull.

[yellowbelly]

A postie I know who became a stand in manager (then binned it 'cos he didn't like being an arse to colleagues), told
me that RM 'expect' a certain number of posties to be off sick at any time and resources should be able to cover.
Not saying that people should pull a sickie because it's 'expected' but if you are genuinely sick - go off sick.