Any Journalists Trawling this site?/Angard Staffing?

[Wessex]

I wonder where the name from and does it have any significance. Angard , my first thoughts were hmmm, sounds a bit like

the first name of some young actress, perhaps Irish ? Which then led me to think it's derived from the Gaelic 'an garda', the

guardians, which is the name of the Irish police force in the Republic .

Then I read the Consignia thread today and have come to the conclusion that Angard is derived from the word vanguard which

is of course the advance party , the shape of things to come

' In the van lads ' ???

[TrueBlueTerrier]

reverse the name and it spells Dragna - which seems more apt with the speed the work at.

[Wessex]

They are useless most of them , the fact our lot get no training doesn't help I guess.

[intelligentsia]

I have just received my first payslip from Angard Staffing as a Christmas Casual.
The agency has incorrectly paid me for 30 hours, five day shifts 0600h-1400h when Royal Mail management agreed that for an eight hour shift we would only be paid for hours worked i.e. 7h20min per day. This means we as casual Christmas workers should be paid for 7hours 20minutes X 5=36 hours 40minutes!!
Hence my gross pay SHOULD BE 36.6666666...x £6.35!! Hence Angard have underpaid me and others a considerable amount of hard earned cash!

Is there a helpline number to ring on the payslip? NO.

Will RM managers at the depot where I work ring Angard on my behalf to rectify this error? NO.

By the way Mr David Simpson, a representative of Royal Mail and interviewed by the Recruiter magazine, have you actually read the "terms and conditions" of work from Angard?

It actually says, "...as a flexible resource worker you are EMPLOYED by Angard Staffing Solutions and are SECONDED to Royal Mail!!!

What utter obfuscation and duplicity you spout?

We all know how employers are perversely interpreting the EU Agency Worker directive for their OWN benefit and not in favour of the employee. If I am not paid fairly and properly for the hours I work I shall be seeking the help of an industrial tribunal since BOTH Royal Mail and Angard are not listening to the concerns of its "flexible resource workers"!

[Leonard69]

Actually no. Angard work a Friday to Thursday pay week. If you started on a Monday your first pay slip would be for 4 shifts. You don't get paid for the 4 half hour breaks so 4 x 7.5 does indeed equal 30 hours. You do get paid for the odd 10 minutes in the mid-shift break. You will almost certainly have been stopped "emergency" tax unless you got them a P45 or P46 before you started. That is discussed at length elsewhere on this forum.

[intelligentsia]

Actually no. Angard work a Friday to Thursday pay week. If you started on a Monday your first pay slip would be for 4 shifts. You don't get paid for the 4 half hour breaks so 4 x 7.5 does indeed equal 30 hours. You do get paid for the odd 10 minutes in the mid-shift break. You will almost certainly have been stopped "emergency" tax unless you got them a P45 or P46 before you started. That is discussed at length elsewhere on this forum.

You work one week in arrears and if you work Tuesday [22/11/11 to Saturday[26/11/11] i.e. 5 days and according to the RM depot manager 40 minutes are deducted from each 8 hour shift. This works out as 7 hours 20 minutes for a 0600-1400 shift as AGREED BY THE MANAGER!
Hence 7.3333333hours X 5=36.67 hours worked (correct 2 dp)

[ERINGS]

Hi Intelligentsia

As former casual employee of angard I can fully understand your frustration and annoyanace as it is almost a replay of my own experience, it sounds too similar.

I am sorry but I must disagree with the other poster, Leonard69, regarding Angard's week, certainly at the Hub, where I worked it was Saturday to Friday.

Maybe Angard and RMG are finding it "convenient" to operate different pay weeks at different locations. Based on various posts it at best seems to be inconsistent.

Having said that on everyone's first pay day the whole shift only got paid incorrectly, most for only 4 days, why "missing timesheet", but several got nothing at all. These seem to be all too frequent problems affecting many sites.

Also everyone on the shift who was paid was taxed using Tax Code 0T week 1, this is NOT Emergency Tax Code, Emergency Tax Code is 747L week1, so check your payslip carefully.

Why was everyone on Tax Code 0T?, explanation given was "Angard have not received a P46 or P45 for you".

That was quite hard to accept, for as no-one from Angard could be bothered to attend the site and issue P46's to those that needed them, I downloaded the form from the HMRC website, printed out sufficient copies, and the whole shift filled these in and handed them to RMG management to be forwarded to Angard, but Angard did not process them until week 2.

From day 1 we had 2 breaks of 20 mins each, toal 40 mins break per day, up to and including the second Thursday, meaning we should have been paid 7.33 hours per day.

In light of everyone's queries regarding there 4 days pay, it was "explained" to us that "Angard only operates in 15 minute units so you have been paid for 7.25 hours per day". Hence we had all been "deducted 5 mins per day, the whole shift, this also being applied to the other shifts at the same site.

RMG management said "we have only just found this out so from today we will increase 2nd break by 5 mins to 25 mins".

When I asked what about the 5 mins from the other days so far, in my case 9 days so far, 45 mins in total, reaction was pretty much "sorry that's how it is".

I asked that we all be paid for the 45 mins or be allowed to finish 45 mins early, response from Senior RMG manager was "No".

I advised RMG management that what they ere doing was Illegal and that we were entitled to be paid for the time we worked, they owed the whole shift(s) 45 minutes.

I can only describe the attitude of the RMG management as "what are you going to do about it".

To cut along story short I no longer work for Angard.

2nd weeks payslip, paid for 6 days (proving Saturday to Friday week), break deductions still incorrect,

I am still battling to get the monies I am owed, if I do not, I will submit Form ET1 to the Employment Tribunal Services citing "illegal With holding/Deduction of Wages" and pursue Angard and RMG through the courts, email my MP, the MP where the Hub is located, the Gov't Minister responsible for Postal services and The CE and Chairman of RMG.

What Angard and RMG are collectively doing is illegal and should be stopped.

If they "steal" 5 mins per day for 9 days from each of the reported 18,000 casuals, someone will earn some serious brownie points by "saving" over £82,000, even at minimum wage

So my advice is keep pushing for what yu are owed. Email them setting out your claim, giving them a "reasonable"deadline within which they must respond or you will be forced to take other formal legal action.

Good Luch, do not give in, your case sounds very similar to mine and I believe others.

[intelligentsia]

Hi Intelligentsia

As former casual employee of angard I can fully understand your frustration and annoyanace as it is almost a replay of my own experience, it sounds too similar.

I am sorry but I must disagree with the other poster, Leonard69, regarding Angard's week, certainly at the Hub, where I worked it was Saturday to Friday.

Maybe Angard and RMG are finding it "convenient" to operate different pay weeks at different locations. Based on various posts it at best seems to be inconsistent.

Having said that on everyone's first pay day the whole shift only got paid incorrectly, most for only 4 days, why "missing timesheet", but several got nothing at all. These seem to be all too frequent problems affecting many sites.

Also everyone on the shift who was paid was taxed using Tax Code 0T week 1, this is NOT Emergency Tax Code, Emergency Tax Code is 747L week1, so check your payslip carefully.

Why was everyone on Tax Code 0T?, explanation given was "Angard have not received a P46 or P45 for you".


That was quite hard to accept, for as no-one from Angard could be bothered to attend the site and issue P46's to those that needed them, I downloaded the form from the HMRC website, printed out sufficient copies, and the whole shift filled these in and handed them to RMG management to be forwarded to Angard, but Angard did not process them until week 2.

From day 1 we had 2 breaks of 20 mins each, toal 40 mins break per day, up to and including the second Thursday, meaning we should have been paid 7.33 hours per day.

In light of everyone's queries regarding there 4 days pay, it was "explained" to us that "Angard only operates in 15 minute units so you have been paid for 7.25 hours per day". Hence we had all been "deducted 5 mins per day, the whole shift, this also being applied to the other shifts at the same site.

RMG management said "we have only just found this out so from today we will increase 2nd break by 5 mins to 25 mins".

When I asked what about the 5 mins from the other days so far, in my case 9 days so far, 45 mins in total, reaction was pretty much "sorry that's how it is".

I asked that we all be paid for the 45 mins or be allowed to finish 45 mins early, response from Senior RMG manager was "No".

I advised RMG management that what they ere doing was Illegal and that we were entitled to be paid for the time we worked, they owed the whole shift(s) 45 minutes.

I can only describe the attitude of the RMG management as "what are you going to do about it".

To cut along story short I no longer work for Angard.

2nd weeks payslip, paid for 6 days (proving Saturday to Friday week), break deductions still incorrect,

I am still battling to get the monies I am owed, if I do not, I will submit Form ET1 to the Employment Tribunal Services citing "illegal With holding/Deduction of Wages" and pursue Angard and RMG through the courts, email my MP, the MP where the Hub is located, the Gov't Minister responsible for Postal services and The CE and Chairman of RMG.

What Angard and RMG are collectively doing is illegal and should be stopped.

If they "steal" 5 mins per day for 9 days from each of the reported 18,000 casuals, someone will earn some serious brownie points by "saving" over £82,000, even at minimum wage

So my advice is keep pushing for what yu are owed. Email them setting out your claim, giving them a "reasonable"deadline within which they must respond or you will be forced to take other formal legal action.

Good Luch, do not give in, your case sounds very similar to mine and I believe others.

Thanks for the explanations. We have just completed the 2nd week and will restart the third week Tuesday to Saturday so have not had time to speak with colleagues at the Mail Centre as yet. As you say I should expect payment for six days next week since I have only been paid for 4 this week.
I have managed to get a telephone number available from their website: 0845 460 7318 which hopefully will be a payroll number? Angard only able to use a multiplier of 7.25 and not 7.33? What utter drivel and lies! In that case deduct 30 minutes as break time and use a multiplier of [size=150]7.50[/size]

[Rookwood1]

Angard are rotten; they should be called gangrene. They need to be put down. It's the kindest thing to do. Hello Moya Greene, are you taking any notice of this shambles? You and your execs are implicated in this fiasco. Who benefits? Who owns and runs Angard?

[fishtank]

A lot has happened since Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:30,pm.

The action's taken by my employer Royal Mail in the last few months have shocked, embarrassed and saddened me.
The inaction of my union,the CWU has embarrassed and saddened me.
I would like to apologise to those who have been messed around at probably the time of year you least deserve it.
I have never felt less for the company than i do now.

If any permanent employees of Royal Mail think this doesn't affect them they are living in a fantasy world.
Angard is a weapon of employment mass destruction and it will be destroying our terms and conditions very shortly.

[Straight4ward]

A lot has happened since Wed Jun 22, 2011 5:30,pm.

The action's taken by my employer Royal Mail in the last few months have shocked, embarrassed and saddened me.
The inaction of my union,the CWU has embarrassed and saddened me.
I would like to apologise to those who have been messed around at probably the time of year you least deserve it.
I have never felt less for the company than i do now.

If any permanent employees of Royal Mail think this doesn't affect them they are living in a fantasy world.
Angard is a weapon of employment mass destruction and it will be destroying our terms and conditions very shortly.

Well said, FT. I completely agree.

I've always felt a certain amount of pride in being able to serve the public and have been mindful of the responsibilities that go with being a postie but this whole episode has forced me to review my feelings.

A sad and sorry affair that I hope gets a public airing and forces RM to change tack in future.

[zingybabe]

i started work for angard a week ago nothing but problems and totally unprofessional, the old chestnut "lost all bank details" came out last night, quite a few of us were up in arms (who wouldnt be ?) that royal mail turned round and said they were doing there own inductions today, is it worth swapping over if they are both part of the same business ?

[JamAliSch]

I work the early shift and am up at 5am from monday to saturday, and I was expecting to receive my first payslip from angard today after 2 weeks work (started on the 30th), Working 7 hours a day on heavy and large with 30 minutes break which is a joke in itself, haven't received it, talked to other casuals and it turns out they haven't been paid too, some haven't been paid for over 3 weeks. I have worked the christmas shift for the last 4 years and never really had an issue to complain about besides some full timers taking advantage with the new workforce.

Last year we had 1 hours break which was paid, 20minutes for breakfast and 40minutes for lunch, this year its effectively been halved, and by the time I reach the canteen I only have 5minute to sit down and rush down what ever I have brought that day.

I completed my application day on the first day of interviews (October 5th) and didn't receive word of what date I was starting till the day before (Nov 29th) it's taken them the best part of 8 weeks to tell me a date I was starting, upon arriving on the first day it turned out almost everyone hadn't been called or received a late call, some were even listed to start on the 30th but were not called until the 5th December.

I have family that work full time at the MC I am working at, and I pretty much know everyone there, everyone I have talked to including managers and sorters think it's absolutely disgusting the way we are being treated by royal fails angard, each year something is always removed, which is understandable to some degree but the stage we are at now by next year I wouldn't be surprised if xmas workers are in chain gangs.

This can't last long, out of 18,000 people taken on I would be surprised if the majority of them are happy, many at my MC have already left due to the working standards, I mean isn't the 30min breaks breaking the law, isn't it supposed to be 10mins for every hour worked? Human Rights mean nothing I guess....

To add insult to injury I and everyone else wasn't even contacted about sorting out our tax codes, so I will be on basic rate for the remaining term of contract until I get a tax rebate next year, it was so much simpler and easier last year getting paid with all royal employees by the site itself, the hours are being sent to angard but they don't seem to be doing anything about them, if enough complaints are given or even an online petition is signed by all casual staff/full time staff I'm sure we could get this angard staffing killed off. If I dont get paid next week (xmas coming and the money is sorely needed) then I agree with the other guy that legal action may have to be taken.

Recruiter:
The Royal Mail says it is “very confident” that negative comments made about its in-house agency Angard Staffing Solutions represent the views of “a very small minority”.

LIES LIES LIES LIES LIES
____

At chester mc it's actually gotten to the stage where angard are going to man power to replace all the casuals that are leaving, who ever thought up angard needs to be sacked immediately!

/rant

[zingybabe]

i started work for angard a week ago nothing but problems and totally unprofessional, the old chestnut "lost all bank details" came out last night, quite a few of us were up in arms (who wouldnt be ?) that royal mail turned round and said they were doing there own inductions today, is it worth swapping over if they are both part of the same business ?

royal mail also denied any connection with angard hmmm very very dodgy needless to say i cut my losses

[prophet]

Well I started work on the 30th, My contract had no start date written on there.

I got a call on the 29th (at 11.30PM!) to say my enduction was on the 30th at 4PM, and on the day, was told I would start on that very same day at 10PM. It is now the 10th, and i have not yet got paid anything. Two of my colleagues have been working for over 2 weeks and got paid £40!!! for a weeks work. We do twice as much work as regular RM Staff at our centre (Wolverhampton RM) We get paid half their wages, Light shifts get 30-40p more than the day shifts with no night allowance. We have a single half hour break throughout the 8 hours we work. You cant get through to angard staffing at all, the call disconects itself when it does get through, allthough 95% of the time it says we cant take your call right now, straight away. We are being charged around £3.00 for our payslips to be sent to us. We get no pay for the half hour break we do take. if we finish 5/10 mins earlier than we are meant to, our signing off time is quaterised backwards (so a 6.30 finish moved back to 6.15, if we finish at 6.25).

At our centre around 30 people have walked, with around 20 having the same idea after yesterdays shift, and another 10 or so thinking of leaving on monday (And thats only counting the night shift staff). I now work monday - sunday 10pm - 6am, so effectively 56 hours a week, and have recieved no pay as of yet. The word Disspointment and Anger just dont cut it.....