Still lapsing? Sent out when getting back? How much is too much?

[2yearpostie]

Generally take the lapsing and book overtime to do it, unless a walk hasnt gone out for 2 days.

If you are booking overtime to do lapsing, then it isn't lapsing...

You know that, I know that, but the Doms happy to pay it, do the lapsing first then claim extended for your walk.

[Woody Guthrie]

Generally take the lapsing and book overtime to do it, unless a walk hasnt gone out for 2 days.

If you are booking overtime to do lapsing, then it isn't lapsing...

To be pedantic it is lapsing because the duty has been lapsed.
Duties can be lapsed for all sorts of reasons including sick absence and can be resourced with overtime.
What it isn't is absorption because there is no capacity to absorb.

[Cucumber]

assuming not everyone has a van to themselves, what happens if a guy who's walked/bussed it out also gets back 20mins early?
is the 1 with the van made to work their full time whilst the other hops in their car and goes home?
also are those who start from home working their full hours and do those who take a van home work their full hours too?
some get away with it and some don't, i usually fall in the latter

What do you think?
Out of sight, out of mind has been the mantra for the best part of the last year and those saddled with the returning to the office each day are regularly targeted for extra work. It used to take 10 minutes at most when there was 2 staff bringing back the bags/collections/shuts etc now it is all on the driver in many offices, so double that, including multiple trips back to the van to empty it some days. So if you are 'caught' driving back into the DO car park 20 minutes before your official finish time we will often be told to go back out.
And before anyone says, just don't do it, just say you don't have time - yes, many of us do so, but it's beginning to grate ever so slightly that management keep looking to the driving staff for more work.

[chrisharaty]

assuming not everyone has a van to themselves, what happens if a guy who's walked/bussed it out also gets back 20mins early?
is the 1 with the van made to work their full time whilst the other hops in their car and goes home?
also are those who start from home working their full hours and do those who take a van home work their full hours too?
some get away with it and some don't, i usually fall in the latter

This is exactly what happens in my office. No fairness.

[SpacePhoenix]

Is it really the case in DOs that there's absolutely nothing that can be done?

Booking stuff back in, throwing off failed mail, preping walks, prepping D2Ds, etc?

[robbertwhitton]

All this is well and good if you have the luxury of having a so called manager at your office on your return,it usually involves being ridiculed down the end of a phone as to why you can’t complete and you should do your bit of lapsing as you went home early the other day.

[HTPostman]

In my opinion it’s just a case of playing the game.

If you’re back an hour early then expect to be sent back out. If you’re back 20 minutes early, then of course you’d be delighted to take those extra parcels back out, only you need the toilet, need to check one of the tyres and you need to check those parcels you’ve just been given don’t have a redirection in place.

We shouldn’t have to play these kind of games but sometimes you just have to. I see no reason why there can’t be work to be done indoors but it’s pointless being sent back out when you’re talking a matter of minutes.

On a related note I was once asked at 8.20am to head out with a york of approx 25 parcels, but they asked me to be back for 9am so someone else could have the van. I pointed out to my lino it would take 10mins to load and check the van, 10mins to get to the area and 10mins to get back leaving me with just 10mins to deliver parcels but she was having none of it and wouldn’t listen, so off I went and delivered 3 parcels.

[Pope Marmalade lll]

Our office is being completely shafted. We are still delivering amazon parcels. We're a small office of 15 duties. On Thursday we got 40 yorks to deliver (3 yorks of letters/flats, about 14 red sleeves (small packets) , and the rest, parcels). We have 3 off on long term sickness therefore we are being asked to lapse other duties which are not being done. Three duties got no letter deliveries at all and nearly all the rest were cut short. It's just an impossible situation with the manager saying he can't get any more staff in.
Lapsing has now become an expected part of our daily duty and I will agree with those who say it's our own fault for doing it (work your time etc.) but we've already said to the manager about everyone finishing on our time and he has said this will be seen as industrial action!

[terry2972]

How can it be seen as industrial action you can finish on your finish time overtime is voluntary

[clashcityrocker]

How can it be seen as industrial action you can finish on your finish time overtime is voluntary

If one person decides to work to their time it isn't.
If a group collectively decides on an overtime ban - it is.

[terry2972]

I know that, but as individuals you don’t have to work over and if unfortunately none of you worked over it’s not action as you would have made your own minds up

[clashcityrocker]

If you all have been doing overtime and then suddenly you all decide "individually" not to, it would still look like a collective decision.

[mlore]

I'm having to leave atleast 3 roads a day just to finish on time. And our office hasn't been letting us out till 10 recently. By the time you've budled up and loaded etc you get to your walk at 1045 11. There's no way you can finish a walk in 3 hours including large parcels for two walks.

[mlore]

And if you manage to get back early lol, your sent back out most days, even for 20 mins.

[Woody Guthrie]

I know that, but as individuals you don’t have to work over and if unfortunately none of you worked over it’s not action as you would have made your own minds up

Industrial action is a breach of contract.
Unofficial industrial action is not protected in law which would allow the employer the option to terminate your contract.

You would then have to convince an Employment tribunal that it was pure coincidence that the entire office individually made up their minds not to work overtime at the same time. The most important point being the onus is on you to show that the dismissal was unfair.

There's a separate question over whether Royal Mail would go down this route or more likely try to starve you out using casuals but it's high stakes stuff and shouldn't be played around with.