Having a meal relief at home is it allowed

Stammerking · Post by **Stammerking** » 22 Nov 2018, 00:02

I work on a Hybrid duty 9.52 till 3pm on delivery then I start my collection at 3.40pm first box at 4pm. Now if I have my meal relief in the office I get stuck in the school run traffic and its horrendous but if I drive to my house which is on route to my first box at 3pm I miss all the traffic and have my downtime of 40 minutes which i really need before driving in the dark. The van is not parked outside my house I leave it on the main round secure and walk 100 metres down a snicker/alley.

Been refusing lapsing recently due to time constraints due to the shorter working week and the bully manger has said he will take pictures of the van parked up if he sees it when i have refused. I never have more than 30 minutes break

hans solo · Post by **hans solo** » 22 Nov 2018, 17:03

yes you can have break away from workplace

Post by **Warriorpostie** » 22 Nov 2018, 17:09

Is there a Trimble device in your van for tracking? If so then you have nothing to hide if you are only taking 30 minutes break...

Celgar · Post by **Celgar** » 22 Nov 2018, 23:59

Your van is still on route rather than not so that is the first plus point. In addition that 40 minute gap in you duty time seems to be placed to enable you to have a break then. So to my mind there is nothing wrong with what you are doing. Sounds like you have one of the jobsworth type managers that are so prevalent in RM nowadays.

CharlesSpooner · Post by **CharlesSpooner** » 25 Nov 2018, 22:23

Stammerking wrote:I work on a Hybrid duty 9.52 till 3pm on delivery then I start my collection at 3.40pm first box at 4pm. Now if I have my meal relief in the office I get stuck in the school run traffic and its horrendous but if I drive to my house which is on route to my first box at 3pm I miss all the traffic and have my downtime of 40 minutes which i really need before driving in the dark. The van is not parked outside my house I leave it on the main round secure and walk 100 metres down a snicker/alley.

Been refusing lapsing recently due to time constraints due to the shorter working week and the bully manger has said he will take pictures of the van parked up if he sees it when i have refused. I never have more than 30 minutes break

I've highlighted the 40 mins part of your post as I'm not sure why you can't have this regardless. If returning to the office means you get stuck in traffic this is not your problem - that's down to the duty planner and their failures. It is no reason not to take your full break entitlement. If it affects the ability to complete the duty then again this is not your fault and you have clearly demonstrated a solution to this problem which allows you to maximise efficiency.

This sounds like a case where you have to do it their way for a few days, fail to complete and then propose your entirely sensible solution to the planning failure. It also sounds like a RM manager chancing their hand as is their modus operandi.