Just want to pick your brains for a minute and to have your thoughts on my question I’m about to ask.
Basically we had a drivers committee meeting with management the other day and they had a proposal for us.
The proposal is to change the reference period from 17 weeks to 26 weeks, they explained to us on the committee that the idea behind it would enable them to better manage our hours inreference to routes you do/extra days etc and it would also give us a better chance of doing the odd extra day as it will spread the hours over 26 not 17 weeks.
They said there is nothing in it for them financially and its not to make us work more hours as the 48hr rule still applies.
To me it seemed o.k. while they were explaining it to us, but haven’t had chance to do any research etc.
We were all given a copy of the “change of contract” that each driver would have to sign in it it explains what would change in reference to the reference period and it runs into 2 pages but have yet had chance to read it,
So just wondered what are the pro’s con’s your thoughts anybody else’s company done this?
I cannot see how 17 or 26 would make any significant difference to the driver but it might help the company who then only have to calculate for twice a year and not three.
As no authority actually keeps tabs on the RT(WTD)R 48 hour average, unless there is a large safety issue, then ‘who cares’ !!
17 or 26 makes no difference, it’s still 48 average and 60 maximum hours per week. there is still POA and breaks which mean you can still do more hours than that if you wish to and nobody is that concerned with monitoring or enforcing it anyway.
Coffeeholic:
17 or 26 makes no difference, it’s still 48 average and 60 maximum hours per week. there is still POA and breaks which mean you can still do more hours than that if you wish to and nobody is that concerned with monitoring or enforcing it anyway.
so in a word then we can safely say to the rest of the drivers they have nothing to be really concerned about by signing the COC
Coffeeholic:
17 or 26 makes no difference, it’s still 48 average and 60 maximum hours per week. there is still POA and breaks which mean you can still do more hours than that if you wish to and nobody is that concerned with monitoring or enforcing it anyway.
so in a word then we can safely say to the rest of the drivers they have nothing to be really concerned about by signing the COC
Coffeeholic:
17 or 26 makes no difference, it’s still 48 average and 60 maximum hours per week. there is still POA and breaks which mean you can still do more hours than that if you wish to and nobody is that concerned with monitoring or enforcing it anyway.
so in a word then we can safely say to the rest of the drivers they have nothing to be really concerned about by signing the COC
Yes.
You’re so trusting! You worked for yourself too long. In my experience there is something in it for the company as they don’t usually do nothing for nothing! Buyer beware!
Coffeeholic:
17 or 26 makes no difference, it’s still 48 average and 60 maximum hours per week. there is still POA and breaks which mean you can still do more hours than that if you wish to and nobody is that concerned with monitoring or enforcing it anyway.
so in a word then we can safely say to the rest of the drivers they have nothing to be really concerned about by signing the COC
Yes.
You’re so trusting! You worked for yourself too long. In my experience there is something in it for the company as they don’t usually do nothing for nothing! Buyer beware!
I haven’t worked for myself for over 3 years. You’re right of course, there is something in it for the company in that it will be easier to administrate and plan. For the drivers it makes no difference, 17 or 26 week reference period they can still do 48 hour average and 60 maximum. Where I work I don’t even know what the reference period is and not knowing makes no difference to me and it wouldn’t if they changed it. That’ll be the case for these drivers, they won’t even notice the change.
On the face of it this doesn’t seem to apply to you but generally whether or not the drivers have anything to lose sort of depends on how you’re paid, if you’re forced to have days off to get the average down to 48 hours do you get paid for those days ? if so then you could lose out by changing to a 26 week reference period, if you lose wages in order to bring the average down then I would have thought it may be to your very slight advantage to have a 26 week reference period (this would I think be the normal scenario).
Assuming that you do 4 x 10 hours on and 2 days off totalling 40 hours per week I fail to see how either the company or the drivers have anything to gain or lose by changing to a 26 week reference period, so presumably you sometimes work quite a bit of overtime in which case I suppose you should consider the first paragraph carefully.
Having said that you may feel that in the current economic climate it may be especially worthwhile helping the company by accepting the change anyway.
As to whether or not the company will gain anything again seems to me to depend on whether or not you’re paid for days off when you need to bring down the average.
On the whole I agree with Coffeeholic, in all likelihood it’s not going to make much difference to you either way and may help the company.
Basically if you’re salaried and the planning isn’t up-to scratch you would probably get more free days off with a 17 week reference period than a 26 week reference period.
If the planning is up-to scratch it won’t make any difference to you either way.
I can’t see it affecting you at all, but the old rules still apply.
If you’ve got it… and the boss wants it… it has a value!
Whilst it won’t get you a pay rise there must be some small benefit that you can trade it for.
tachograph:
On the face of it this doesn’t seem to apply to you but generally whether or not the drivers have anything to lose sort of depends on how you’re paid, if you’re forced to have days off to get the average down to 48 hours do you get paid for those days ? if so then you could lose out by changing to a 26 week reference period, if you lose wages in order to bring the average down then I would have thought it may be to your very slight advantage to have a 26 week reference period (this would I think be the normal scenario).
Assuming that you do 4 x 10 hours on and 2 days off totalling 40 hours per week I fail to see how either the company or the drivers have anything to gain or lose by changing to a 26 week reference period, so presumably you sometimes work quite a bit of overtime in which case I suppose you should consider the first paragraph carefully.
Having said that you may feel that in the current economic climate it may be especially worthwhile helping the company by accepting the change anyway.
As to whether or not the company will gain anything again seems to me to depend on whether or not you’re paid for days off when you need to bring down the average.
On the whole I agree with Coffeeholic, in all likelihood it’s not going to make much difference to you either way and may help the company.
Basically if you’re salaried and the planning isn’t up-to scratch you would probably get more free days off with a 17 week reference period than a 26 week reference period.
If the planning is up-to scratch it won’t make any difference to you either way.
I don’t think it’ll make a difference. I think the company plan on making drivers work longer days, and then forcing them to take time off to bring their average down. But surely if they’re working longer hours in the first place, it just levels itself out? On the plus side…as a driver, on your extra days off you could try and find a part time cash in ■■■■■■■■
(yes, I know it’s a typo but…)
