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POAL is Available Now

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
postman15
Posts: 54
Joined: 28 Jan 2017, 23:58
Gender: Male

POAL is Available Now

Post by postman15 »

Hi,


I attempted to purchase additional holiday leave but was only given the option to purchase 6.5 days. I have been using the POAL scheme for over six years and have been employed since 2013.

Am I not eligible to purchase two weeks of POAL?

Thanks in advance
Jefferson Starfish
Posts: 899
Joined: 12 Aug 2011, 15:32
Gender: Female
Location: Greendale DO

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by Jefferson Starfish »

You can book enough to take you up to a total of 30 days annual leave.
ted_e_bear
Posts: 3966
Joined: 03 Sep 2012, 19:37
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by ted_e_bear »

You've got over 15 years service so your basic entitlement is 5 weeks 1 days so you should only need 4 days to take you up to 6 weeks.

(Edited after reading your original post properly) :thumbup
Last edited by ted_e_bear on 08 Feb 2026, 12:12, edited 1 time in total.
postman15
Posts: 54
Joined: 28 Jan 2017, 23:58
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by postman15 »

I have 15+ years ...so the current entitlement plus the 6.5 days I been offered is correct.. Thanks šŸ‘
ted_e_bear
Posts: 3966
Joined: 03 Sep 2012, 19:37
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by ted_e_bear »

postman15 wrote: ↑
08 Feb 2026, 11:40
I have 15+ years ...so the current entitlement plus the 6.5 days I been offered is correct.. Thanks šŸ‘
No you should get 5 weeks 1 day after 15 years service, poal should cost 1.6% from your wage, see below screenshot I found the info on the people app
Screenshot_20260208-121739.png
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Last edited by ted_e_bear on 08 Feb 2026, 12:19, edited 2 times in total.
rogersh
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 1373
Joined: 26 Oct 2011, 11:31
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by rogersh »

Having failed the check for POAL I have emailed HR for clarification of the calculation.

Given my Basic hourly rate is £14.26 per hour & The NMW will be £12.71 in April 2026 (edited Date)

I purchase 26 hours p.a. which equates to £370.76 p.a.
Last edited by rogersh on 08 Feb 2026, 19:32, edited 1 time in total.
Pidleypoo
Posts: 698
Joined: 17 Dec 2014, 10:05
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by Pidleypoo »

rogersh wrote: ↑
08 Feb 2026, 12:14
Having failed the check for POAL I have emailed HR for clarification of the calculation.

Given my Basic hourly rate is £14.26 per hour & The NMW will be £12.71 in April 2020.

I purchase 26 hours p.a. which equates to £370.76 p.a.
I was on the phone to the the other day about all of this and they were absolutely useless.

They told me I had to be 20 percent above the nmw threshold to be able to purchase poal and I pointed out that none of us are at that threshold to be then told it was 5 percent šŸ˜‚ of which we are absolutely above.

I wanted to know the metric they’ve used for their calculations because there are people that have been approved for more days than I’d need.

I’ve said to my manager that it’ll be a grievance if not sorted by mid week.
Pidleypoo
Posts: 698
Joined: 17 Dec 2014, 10:05
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by Pidleypoo »

Just to add to what I’ve said above , if as someone with 19 years service with absolutely no other deductions can’t get poal then no one can but I know others have.

I want to know the metric used.

Also I’ll be out of the union because wtf use are they if they can’t even sort this.

Radio silence from them.
Last edited by Pidleypoo on 08 Feb 2026, 17:15, edited 1 time in total.
fonic
Posts: 11
Joined: 30 Jul 2013, 20:37
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by fonic »

im 13 years in 29 hour contact knocked back aswell. The deduction for my 2 week additional annual leave has hovered around £9 pw I don't give a damn about paying that im quite happy too.
ted_e_bear
Posts: 3966
Joined: 03 Sep 2012, 19:37
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by ted_e_bear »

Pidleypoo wrote: ↑
08 Feb 2026, 17:14
Just to add to what I’ve said above , if as someone with 19 years service with absolutely no other deductions can’t get poal then no one can but I know others have.

I want to know the metric used.

Also I’ll be out of the union because wtf use are they if they can’t even sort this.

Radio silence from them.
I can't understand it either, our rate is £14.22 per hour, your deduction to bring it up to 6 weeks is only 1.6% so £13.99 well over nmw
CatEnthusiast13
Posts: 18
Joined: 29 Oct 2023, 20:39
Gender: Female

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by CatEnthusiast13 »

No more purchase of annual leave for the new contracts according to my app.
Every day is a new slap in the face
this place makes me want to top myself
But its OK worse we are treated the slower I walk 😃
Love it here
Cant wait to watch it fail 🄳
SillySinStorm
Posts: 32
Joined: 22 Nov 2015, 09:36
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by SillySinStorm »

37 hour contract and i have had POAL for the past 9 years. I'm apparently now not eligible. Fantastic.
SillySinStorm
Posts: 32
Joined: 22 Nov 2015, 09:36
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by SillySinStorm »

CatEnthusiast13 wrote: ↑
09 Feb 2026, 00:32
No more purchase of annual leave for the new contracts according to my app.
Every day is a new slap in the face
this place makes me want to top myself
But its OK worse we are treated the slower I walk 😃
Love it here
Cant wait to watch it fail 🄳
I can't purchase any either and i've been with Royal Mail since 2015. Not just new contracts being shafted, seemingly.
2chorizon
Posts: 739
Joined: 03 Apr 2019, 20:39
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by 2chorizon »

I didn’t think anyone would be getting it below manager level but someone ran some calculations (think it was Ted E Bear) and at Ā£14.22hr all legacy ā€œshouldā€ have qualified.

Maybe wait till later today as it has only gone live today mon 9th feb?

Or have people actually been told from HR?
2chorizon
Posts: 739
Joined: 03 Apr 2019, 20:39
Gender: Male

Re: POAL is Available Now

Post by 2chorizon »

Ah!!! what about the old 6 months full pay / 6 months half pay on the sick?

And when you get docked first 3 days for sick abcences etc?

i bet they have factored that in.

It was the reason they gave for not including allowances etc as you lose them after 8 weeks on the sick.

Hmmmm