PDAs actual and taking a break

[clashcityrocker]

The scheduling of the meal relief is down to local agreement.
40 minutes in one go or 20/20 is the choice of the unit.

[Celgar]

Now pdas actual is here what’s the script with taking a break? Can you take a break at home if it’s on route or the local cafe etc or will this be seen as slacking?? Or breaking policy?

You're not meant to leave your route or go home. You should take all your breaks otherwise the time saved will be used to lower your office budget. This in turn is likely to result in your office losing walks.

[Celgar]

Can somebody clear up a debate between me and another unit rep. Both been on the PDA Actuals training course albeit two weeks apart. My understanding is that at least 20 mins break is built into duty builder between our start times and our finish times. Its been office practice that we can take the final 20 minutes at the end in line with the way forward agreement.

The other rep has now come out and said that everybody should take the full 40 mins before commencing delivery or out on the road , the DOM supports this. I believe this is against H&S as we have 5hr plus walks, so if you take the full 40 before that means your expected to walk around and travel back to the office without another meal relief this could be close to 6hrs with some duties.

This isn't about the 20 at the end for me or other staff as some like to take 20 before and 20 half way around their walk but according to the other rep and DOM you can't so this anymore. We also have a canteen in our office, so if you take the full 40 out on delivery your missing out on the canteen food and also jeopardising the future of the canteen staff as it wouldn't;t be used as much.

Our DOM and union rep are doing that course on Monday. As far as I know you can take 20 minutes at the end and the other 20 when you like. There may be office variances on this but saying the whole 40 minutes must be taken in one block is likely complete & utter b*******.

[hothothot]

You can take a break whenever you like , at the start , in the middle of your walk, but I think you can only take 20 mins off at the end.

[clashcityrocker]

You can take a break whenever you like .

No you can't. You take your break when it is scheduled.
The scheduling of the break is an agreement between the union (that is us) and management (that is them).

[hothothot]

I've worked for RM for 20 years and we've taken our breaks whenever we like. I've never been told by management or the union when we can or can't take our allocated breaks.

[LaggyBand]

Nearly all our office lumps it on the end. No walk logs at all. No allocated breaks. No revision for fifteen years.

People just assume all offices are “sorted”. It’s mad.