Forced to take time off

[RICARD020191962]

So,like plenty other delivery offices I can imagine ours is completely in the s**t. Duties failing every day, Covid impacting big style on attendance and the mail volumes absolutely humongous. Not looking for platitudes but I am happy to work overtime to try to help the situation and do whatever I can to, wait for it, help our new DOM, who is actually a decent human being (now there's a first) but really struggling due to current circumstances. Anyway I have now worked 14 days in a row and he has been instructed to put me off for 2 days due to some kind of directive which says that this is the law. Is this for real? We will be 3 duties down tomorrow and it will be crazy busy and I will be at home when I could be in helping out. Is there no way to circumvent this? Can I sign a waiver opting out? Can we use Covid to get round this? I do realise that plenty of you will say to just take the days off and let someone else worry about it. Maybe I should but interested to hear other postie's views.

[SpacePhoenix]

It's probably down to the working time regs/directive. The DOM might have gotten in trouble for allowing you to literally be working 14 days in a row

[Chelseablue]

Just relax enjoy youre time off. Think its a legal thing regarding hours worked

[Carterrero]

Not sure about that , people in our depot ain’t had a day off in months although it Probobly depends on the amount of hours you’ve worked within your 14 days .. I believe you can’t work over 70 in the week now .. could be wrong

[clashcityrocker]

Workihg Time Directive:

Daily rest
Workers have the right to 11 hours rest between working days, eg if they finish work at 8pm, they shouldn’t start work again until 7am the next day.

Weekly rest
Workers have the right to either:

an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week
an uninterrupted 48 hours without any work each fortnight

[Simon Pettigrew]

I also have a very nice manager he,s right in saying you must have 48 hrs off in a fortnight

[TopperGas]

The DM is just protecting himself as if you had an accident at work them RM could be held liable even if it was clearly your fault. H&S might also well get involved if it was a serious accident.

If nothing else it is doing you a favour anyway making you take a break from work.

[bostonpilgrim]

Its not a right, its Employment Law
You have to have 24 hours away from your work per week

If you work 7 days then the following week you have to have 48 hours consecutive away from your work

[EdRush]

you could try applying for an additional "part time" job

[world class male]

Its not a right, its Employment Law
You have to have 24 hours away from your work per week

If you work 7 days then the following week you have to have 48 hours consecutive away from your work

again depends on the dom, after all, if someone has a serious accident or heaven forbid even worse involving the postie or anyone else and it transpires that they knew the guy had worked over 140hrs and 14 days flat then the dom could/would be held liable and would face charges including possible prison
fair play to the dom and don't knock the policy, its there to protect us all