Help Please - Royal Mail want to reduce my hours...

[Postie Perry]

Hi all,

Apologies bit of a long winded one but try and stay with it if you can please.

I'm having trouble at work in regards to my contract hours and start/finish time. So I signed a contract for 35 hours back in May 2022. Beforehand I was on a 25 hour contract but doing full time hours (and more) if you include overtime. My full time hours were designated 9.30am to 4.30pm - this was because my official duty is LAT's but I am also down as cover/support for the first part of my shift before the LAT lorry arrives at midday. These were the rough hours I was working beforehand on a part time contract and because of my childcare requirements and the need in the office for the cover/support element, my line manager actioned the full time contract and these hours into being.

Fast forward to present day and I'm in the middle of a very difficult situation around my contract hours. What happened was that around 10 weeks ago I was out of nowhere presented with an ultimatum by my COM (a different manager to the one referred to above) - either I stay at the current office I was at but revert to normal Delivery hours like roughly 7am to 2pm, in the process becoming a reserve and losing my duty OR move to another office, the 'Parcel Hub', and start instead around 12.30pm and finish at 7.30pm. These were the only options given to me. Neither of them I said I could do.

Moving to the other office wasn't the issue as I live roughly halfway between the two offices anyway, it was the hours. I do and have done my contract hours, including in a part-time and overtime format, for almost 3 years now and it's because it enables my wife and I to cover school runs, after school clubs, sports clubs etc. It's not viable to suddenly flip my hours around seeing as my wife is in London 2/3 days a week or if working at home can be in a meeting at any given time. After almost 3 years of doing this routine and being able to make the family schedule work around it is the main reason I've committed to it.

More recently about 5 weeks ago, after much back and forth, I was told that I could indeed move to the other office and retain my current contract hours. This had been agreed between the Area Managers of Royal Mail and the CWU. So after a few weeks of everything seeming to go more or less OK and my new manager stating they think this could work, I was again presented without warning the same ultimatum as before. I was called to a meeting with the manager from the previous office and the manager from the current one, where a lot of pressure was applied and admissions to me that they are being pressured to resolve this situation a.s.a.p from above.

In addition to the two scenarios from the ultimatum, my previous manager said that I could go back on my same start time but I would only be given a 25 hour contract! I could do overtime etc. Although they did try to lower my expectations and cover their backs by saying there might not be as much overtime available as before.

I've been in a bad place mentally these last few months and feeling run down almost all the time - this whole shambles just getting on top of me. Not helped by almost daily pressure and harassing from the managers, asking me for a decision even at moments when I haven't had any or all of the details of how decision A or B would look like. I've had comments saying my contract should never have been agreed because my previous office wasn't a parcel hub, that it was a mistake, and that my contract wasn't valid as it was just a gentleman's agreement.

At this point I'm at a loose end. I want to maintain my full time hours and my shift time as that's what I was offered when signing for it and it works for me and the family. I would be willing to transfer to the parcel hub and even work later occasionally on overtime where possible.

What are my rights in this situation? Should I continue to fight this?

Any advice and support greatly appreciated,
Thanks!

[iHateD2Ds]

They are surely messing you about,there are Laws but they are vague as you probably know.
Do not make a decision you are not happy with ,get a Union Rep involved then ACAS.
Make sure everything is written and done properly by Law.

Good Luck

[Jb1969]

1st-You signed a contract of 35hrs, they CANNOT change that unless you agree to it.
2nd-I would involve a CWU Rep, RM has already stated that family friendly duties will be available, however RM are reliant on decent Managers to introduce that.Not many of them around!
3rd-Put the pressure back on them, but do it in writing in the form of a grievance.Think evidence as you go forward.
4th-Threaten constructive dismissal, you are being put into a situation where upon you might not have a choice but to quit.
5th-Your mental health, please see your Doctor & explain what’s going on.

I hope all goes well.

[pezezz999]

RM are a joke got told im being changed onto a split day of from early shift to lates my start time being changed by 11 hours to 6pm was pointless striking as union reps say hands are tied

[SpacePhoenix]

Have both the offices involved just had realignments/revisions?

[Postie Perry]

Thank you everyone for your comments and advice.

I'm due to have a meeting alongside my Union Rep with the manager from the first office this week so fingers crossed something postive will come out of it. Otherwise I think I'll need to take a different approach i.e putting in a grievance.

The first office had its revision last year whereas in the second office it's ongoing but supposed to be finished in a week or two.