Forced To Make A Stand

[Mezza]

Without risking this post becoming the longest in RMChat history i will try as best i can to keep it simple.

I've worked for RM for over 10 years. Done delivery and for the past 5 years have been RLE.
My RLE role usually is all indoor based work.
MY RLE duty has more than enough work to take me to my finish time every day. I'm FT.

A couple of years ago following our office revision, management noticed a whole delivery duty had been almost totally forgotten and was left uncovered. To address this they split the delivery between the DOM support and me every day. This went on for some time until the DSM took notice of our complaints (DOM support and myself), as to how our regular duties were failing on a daily basis due to having an extra 90 mins - 2 hrs delivery put on us each day. Our DSM even had a go at a pervious DOM to say the indoor staff should not be going out on delivery.

Can i just say, that neither the DOM Support or myself have an issue with going out on delivery. The issue we have is that before and now after revision we have staff finishing early every day (the averegae amount of time made by staff in my DO is 1hr each per week, that's over 48 delivery duties). Some staff are finishing by as much as 2-3 hrs early almost every day. We even have times when managers are pacing the floor waiting for staff to get back early, so the managers can take their vans out and do delivery, while the staff have gone home !!

Anyway, the delivery was taken off the DOM support and myself a few months ago now and all was fine. Then we were told last week that our DSM had said in a managers meeting that if need be the indoor staff in our DO could be sent out on delivery.
Low and behold on Saturday we were both sent out on delivery. When i got back to the DO about 11.30, there were already 8 delivery staff that had finished and gone home. If they had simply split the delivery the DOM support and me had just done between those 8 staff, it would have been about another 20mins work and they would still have gone home 90mins early.
So again on Saturday i failed to complete the RLE duty.
This morning i was told that again i would be sent out on delivery due to staff shortages. I explained my problems with being asked to do this. Both in light of what happened Saturday and the fact that Monday is the lightest day of the week - also many staff will be finishing about 3 hrs early today. A heated argument between management and myself ensued, where i said i blamed poor management for the situation as they were failing to utllise all paid hours or resourcing to workload correctly.
Still fuming i returned to my work but feeling too worked up and stressed over the whole issue i then told my manager that i was going home sick as i was too stressed to continue my duty (over an hour after our argument i was still shaking and my stomach feels knotted). I pointed out that just a few years ago when things were bad in our DO i had suffered from a TIA (mild stroke), i have also had stomach ulcers in the past and with that in mind i considered my health far too important to put up with the stress management were putting me under.
To be fair my DOM (who is new to the job, not been with us 2 months yet) was quite sympathetic and agreed the best course of action would be to go home and try and relax. I don't intend returning to work until after i have seen my GP (appointment made for Monday 5th Oct).

I would appreciate any advice or guidance as to how best to proceed from here. I won't be going back unless my GP says i should be ok to do so. Am i covered in anyway by DDA having had a minor stroke (perhaps best ask my GP).
I'm not after anything but trying to force managements hand in getting things changed in my DO. I know that i could have gone down the B&H route due to what could be considered an unfair workload, but that could possibly be thrown out for some reason and would possibly take too long. I really can't face going back to be put under constant pressure, never knowing if i'm going out on delivery or not, what bits of my duty do i leave or cover......i'm standing up for myself in many ways, but would greatly appreciate some advice on this.

[coxie]

Is the RLE duty actually yours or have you just had the luxury of being left on it for a long period of time. I would do exactly what you're doing and wait to see what your doctor says. If you are determined to have ongoing medical issues then Royal Mail may have to recognise you under the equality act 2010 and may have to find work for you within your capabilities in order to be seen to keeping you in employment. Be earned if that was he road you were to go down it doesn't mean you would automatically get the RLE duty you require, they could even ship you off to another office or mail centre where there is work within your capabilities.