Can you transfer seniority from Post Office Counters to Royal Mail?

[cheerful]

Someone told me that seniority from Post Office Counters would also apply in the Royal Mail depot, but only if I was employed in a crown office, not if I was employed in a sub office.

I worked in a sub office for a long time before applying to be a postie.

Is the information I was told correct?

To be honest, it seems a bit wonky that seniority selling stamps should transfer over to getting a better walk, but it seems even stranger that it only applies if you worked in a crown office.

In sub offices you are an employee of the sub-postmaster, rather than an employee of the Post Office, so I can kind of see the difference, but it seems such an arbitrary distinction.

[SpacePhoenix]

I can't see how it could. Post Offices haven't been a part of RM Group for a good few years now

[POSTMAN]

Way forward says...

6 All service within an appropriate grade, whether on a permanent or temporary basis, will count for seniority purposes, with the exception of any periods worked on a casual contract,or during a career break or sabbatical. Unpaid leave will count provided there is no break in contract. Service after age 60 will continue to count. However service must be continuous for seniority purposes, with periods prior to any break in contract (due to re-employment, for example) not generally included, unless there are exceptional circumstances applying to particular cases that are agreed at local level.

No mention of PO per se, that's not to say it's not something that could possibly be found with more digging.

[POSTMAN]

13.5 In those cases where an existing Post Office employee moves between or into either the operational support or operational postal grades, their seniority will be based on the date of entry to the grade concerned. However exceptionally where an employee moves into Royal Mail on level transfer from a grade in another business that is broadly equivalent (for example, a Parcelforce or Cashco postal employee moving into the operational postal grade or a Romec Cleaner moving into the operational support grade), then previous service in that business on that grade will count towards seniority.

Page 25-26, way forward...

https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communi ... 36&t=11941

[cheerful]

Thank you for the replies.

Seems weird. I'm not sure I'd qualify as a "Post Office employee", even though I worked behind the counter and eventually managed a Post Office (the sub-postmaster owned a few businesses, including a post office, but never set foot in the Post Office), yet my old employer would be able join RM with seniority as he was the only person there officially a Post Office employee.

Even if I did quality for the seniority, it'd not be worth the bad karma from claiming it, but just seemed such a curious thing to be told.

[97gaz]

Before privatisation it was possible to carry your time in the Post Office over to Royal Mail. It hasn't happened in our office for about ten years but we have had people come in to the DO and be able to apply for any duties that came up. I think you would probably have had to be an employee of PO Ltd though. I'd be surprised if it was still possible though as we're now privately owned.