Isn't there a Union agreement whereby if working full-time hours the 40 min break could be split, allowing 20mins to be taken either at the beginning or end of the shift?
No. There is an agreement which days it CAN'T be taken at beginning or end. Why anyone would want to take a 20 min break as soon as they get to work is beyond me though.
The working time directive states that a break cannot be taken at the start or end of a shift BUT that only applies to the legally required 20 minute break.
As we have more than the legal requirement as long as 20 minutes is taken during the shift the rest can be taken at the end.
The Way Forward Agreement specifically states this.
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Isn't there a Union agreement whereby if working full-time hours the 40 min break could be split, allowing 20mins to be taken either at the beginning or end of the shift?
No. There is an agreement which days it CAN'T be taken at beginning or end. Why anyone would want to take a 20 min break as soon as they get to work is beyond me though.
The working time directive states that a break cannot be taken at the start or end of a shift BUT that only applies to the legally required 20 minute break.
As we have more than the legal requirement as long as 20 minutes is taken during the shift the rest can be taken at the end.
The Way Forward Agreement specifically states this.
This is how we do it , everyone takes 20 mins off the end plus 10 mins to unload and log out etc. If Royal Mail want to read that as everyone finishing half an hour early then the union need to address that as that’s not what’s happening, we are all working our duty times.
Isn't there a Union agreement whereby if working full-time hours the 40 min break could be split, allowing 20mins to be taken either at the beginning or end of the shift?
No. There is an agreement which days it CAN'T be taken at beginning or end. Why anyone would want to take a 20 min break as soon as they get to work is beyond me though.
The working time directive states that a break cannot be taken at the start or end of a shift BUT that only applies to the legally required 20 minute break.
As we have more than the legal requirement as long as 20 minutes is taken during the shift the rest can be taken at the end.
The Way Forward Agreement specifically states this.
This is how we do it , everyone takes 20 mins off the end plus 10 mins to unload and log out etc. If Royal Mail want to read that as everyone finishing half an hour early then the union need to address that as that’s not what’s happening, we are all working our duty times.
That’s how we do it but I’ve had a hard time lately explaining to people if we are due off at 2.30, we need to be coming through the gate at 2pm....so many here think the 10 minutes unloading is to be done during your 20 minute break. Out of about 15 people in my section, only me and 1 other realise 10 mins (unloading) + 20 minute (2nd break) = 30 minutes.
There’s even one guy here who insists if we are due off at 2.30pm, you come back at 2.20, unload then at 2.30 take your 20 minute break, I’ve told him that means your 20 minute break is therefore unpaid and you’ve given 20 minutes away for free. He says I’m wrong!
The day is gonna come when we’re all gonna have to testify.
We are told that we can take 20 mins meal relief off the end of our shift by the union in our office!
It's not meal relief if you finish 20 mins early...
Sorry derrick, I'll correct what I said earlier. This is from The Way Forward Agreement: "When an attendance is provided with more than one break, the second break may be scheduled at the beginning or end, in which case attendance Is not required solely for booking on or off."
Never ever ever understood this fixation to take part break at the end of a shift.
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been. My BFF Clash The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
I think Only two people at our place actually take any break everybody else just work through it to finish 30 or 40 minutes earlier depending on which day it is our manager encourages it as he actually wants people to come in early which he also encourages and he still lets job and finish even though the union said we shouldn’t be doing it it’s all a farce they want change even though he has given us more lapsing people just come in earlier!until it’s all unified clocking in and clocking out nothing will change
Never ever ever understood this fixation to take part break at the end of a shift.
I’ll give you my reasons. As a float, day to day I’ve no idea what job I’m on, who I’m working with, what van I’ll be in. The majority of vans are a disgrace in terms of cleanliness and I’m not sitting in it for 20 minutes to have my break, likewise I don’t like standing outside the van for 20 mins twiddling my thumbs as my break.
Since our finish times were made earlier (and there’s now no benefit for me to work over), I prefer to get done, and have my break at the end when I can sign out, return home and have something to eat in a better environment!
The day is gonna come when we’re all gonna have to testify.
As more and more offices move over to the scan in, scan out instead of signing-in sheets, the practice of leaving early if you're taking any part of your break at the end of the shift will end. There's a camera on the machines so I'm guessing that it takes a photo and compares it with the photo on your ID card to check that it's the actual person scanning and not someone scanning other's in/out.
Doesn't happen much in MCs these days as we very rarely get an early finish, normally we struggle to clear on time
As more and more offices move over to the scan in, scan out instead of signing-in sheets, the practice of leaving early if you're taking any part of your break at the end of the shift will end. There's a camera on the machines so I'm guessing that it takes a photo and compares it with the photo on your ID card to check that it's the actual person scanning and not someone scanning other's in/out.
Doesn't happen much in MCs these days as we very rarely get an early finish, normally we struggle to clear on time
We scan in and out but still use signing in sheets
As more and more offices move over to the scan in, scan out instead of signing-in sheets, the practice of leaving early if you're taking any part of your break at the end of the shift will end. There's a camera on the machines so I'm guessing that it takes a photo and compares it with the photo on your ID card to check that it's the actual person scanning and not someone scanning other's in/out.
Doesn't happen much in MCs these days as we very rarely get an early finish, normally we struggle to clear on time
We scan in and out but still use signing in sheets
I believe that we'll only be using signing on sheets for ot, the P whatever the number of the form is
Hi all
We have had an office revision is there a national agreement regarding taking your break at the end of your duty back at the office, so that you can make sure collected mail is back in the office ready to meet the pipeline times on a Saturday.
Duty start time 0700
Duty finish time 1415
Return to the office 1355
I hope that makes sense
TIA
Your duty span is 7.15hours therefore you are entitled to a 40 minute break.
If its agreed to take full break at end of shift , finish time is 13:35.
“Workers have the right to one uninterrupted 20 minute rest break during their working day, if they work more than 6 hours a day. This could be a tea or lunch break.”
It says workers have right to break granted but there have been occasions where i have personally agreed with manager to take full break at end of shift. I was not arrested
I usually however take my full break. Always make sure you take break
There is a difference.
You volunteered you were not instructed to take the break at the end.
The law says that there should be a 20 minute break somewhere in the middle of 6hour or greater shift. In other words managers should plan for you to take a break in accordance with the law.
However, there is a grey area if you volunteer to take the whole of the break at the end of the shift, managers are meant to discourage it and they could (in theory) be prosecuted but there is no mechanism I am aware of that an individual could be prosecuted for taking breaks not in accordance with the various Acts of Parliament.
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So why does the Union condone the practice of taking 20 mins off the end of the shift ,if this isn't recorded as meal relief on the PDA? Management should be held to account for this!
Maybe the idea is that you actually take your break, and then log out at your finishing time. I know...radical thinking...
It doesn't matter. The system simply records the time you return to office by crossing the geofence.
