bluewrx2001
Member
Saturday is your K day your regular schedule day off. Can you be given a direct order over the phone on the morning of that day to have to go into work?
Direct order to work on your day off
- Thread starter bluewrx2001
- Start date
Charlie Brown
Well-known member
Yes.
Now consider this fact.
Today you have learned an incredibly important lesson, a lesson that will serve you for the rest of your postal career.
If it's your day off, don't answer the freaking phone!!!
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
It is crazy of them to call you on your day off and demand you come to work. You're not wrong that it is total horse dung. Now since you're not on the clock can they make demands of you? That would be how i word my grievance or something to that effect. Surely we are to obey a directive if given to us while on the clock. Now they are able to dictate our lives even when we're not working? The way it is written is disobeying a direct order is grounds for discipline but you're not even on the clock. They have no authority over you. That is how normal people think and feel about this situation.
If we had a union they would fight it like that and it would be over. We aren't slaves. They don't own us. You wanna give me a direct order? Only on the clock. That is how it should be. Doubt that is how it is.
If we had a union they would fight it like that and it would be over. We aren't slaves. They don't own us. You wanna give me a direct order? Only on the clock. That is how it should be. Doubt that is how it is.
U caught my attention
Well-known member
Am I understanding the order of consideration correctly?
We can be mandated to work.
Schedules should be posted and enough notice given, but we all know life has other plans sometimes.
As I understand it...someone correct me if I am wrong, the only way to protect a relief day (whether you are on or off the rdwl) is to have an adjacent day off.
If at the last minute I knew as a regular my route was going to be split, or carried by management or a cca or someone that had zero training, I would rather it be me working, if given the option. I would opt for a future x day or maybe OT for the inconvenience (because I signed the rdwl.)
We can be mandated to work.
Schedules should be posted and enough notice given, but we all know life has other plans sometimes.
As I understand it...someone correct me if I am wrong, the only way to protect a relief day (whether you are on or off the rdwl) is to have an adjacent day off.
If at the last minute I knew as a regular my route was going to be split, or carried by management or a cca or someone that had zero training, I would rather it be me working, if given the option. I would opt for a future x day or maybe OT for the inconvenience (because I signed the rdwl.)
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
The question is can you be mandated to work on your day off, on your day off. You answer the call on a day you're not working and they tell you they are giving you a directive to come in. It has been established that subs are not "on call" then surely regulars are not on call either. Is answering your phone grounds for then to own you?
U caught my attention
Well-known member
This is just my opinion. the order of consideration is what they use to fill an open schedule. If they are going through the process of trying to fill the schedule using that procedure, then the mandated part comes into play.
If the PO is calling your phone at 6am you arent obligated to answer. If you do answer, then doesn't the order of consideration get followed as it is written?
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
Does answering the phone call clock you in? You are an employee sure but not on the clock. Can they give you a direct order that you must obey while not on the clock?
If they are calling to ask and accept no then there is no issue. How can you be issued discipline for denying a direct order when you weren't even on the clock? At what point does their authority over you cease to be?
Can my boss call me at 7pm and tell me they are giving me a direct order to come back to the post office? Oh it changes during the morning hours?
Unclewolverine
Well-known member
"Sorry, just finished a beer, I'd love to come in but my hands are tied."
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
As far as the order of consideration I am seeing it as a courtesy that i would even answer my phone. All of the sudden rules come into play now as though we're following sop even though calling a regular in to work isn't sop. So why then would we default to the rules when the rules weren't followed to begin with?
DB.Cooper
Well-known member
Sorry, I flew out of state last night after work... I'm in NYC... LOL... sorry, I really do wish I could help you out.... BAHAHAHAHAHA....
NorthernPines
Well-known member
Yes, you can be mandated to work on your day off, as long as the order of consideration has been followed.
No, you cannot be mandated to work via phone. Either don't answer, or just tell them no.
No, you cannot be mandated to work via phone. Either don't answer, or just tell them no.
U caught my attention
Well-known member
Dont answer your phone if you are off and not on the clock. Then they will have the option of going through the rest of the document to find coverage. In my opinion, the way it is worded, once you answer, they can mandate you.
If you are off and being called at home, then likely someone was scheduled to work. Let's say that person died in a car accident on the way to work. Management then has to again fill the shift, so they go to the order of consideration.
Here's the bottom part of it.
B. Schedule a leave replacement from another Post
Office, but only after all available regular rural carriers
on the relief day work list have been assigned to work
the relief day (Article 30.2.D.5), or, at management's
option, accept a regular carrier who volunteers who is
not on the RDWL. For this regular carrier, DACA Code
3 is the only compensation choice. (Article 9.2.C.5.g.)
C. Require a regular carrier not on the RDWL to work.
This is done by juniority and does not rotate. DACA
Code 3 is the only compensation choice. (Article
9.2.C.5.g.)
Notes: Any regular carrier may be bypassed from
working a relief day if the hours worked would cause
them to exceed 2080 hours for the guarantee year or
56 hours for the week. (Article 8.5.C.)
Regular carriers with annual leave, sick leave, or an X
day scheduled adjacent to their relief day, will not be
required to work the relief day. (Article 8.5.A.3)
9. In emergencies, any other qualified employee may be assigned. (Article 30.2.D.6)
Shannonboy
Well-known member
Well said!!! Best comment of the day!!!
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
I don't disagree with not answering the phone. None of this is an issue if you just don't answer. That being said I don't believe answering the phone should be akin to slipping on a pair of cuffs for the day and now i am trapped between discipline or working. It is ridiculous that as a craft we allow this ideology to exist.
bluewrx2001 -- Adding to "CharlieBrown's" excellent advice -- make a list of all the phones numbers manglement could use to call you.
-- If you have caller ID, don't answer if you see any number on the list.
-- Might as well add: do not answer your personal phone on the route if you recognize any of manglement's numbers as it may be an "order" to come back to the post office for a misthrown or late arriving parcel.
-- If you have caller ID, don't answer if you see any number on the list.
-- Might as well add: do not answer your personal phone on the route if you recognize any of manglement's numbers as it may be an "order" to come back to the post office for a misthrown or late arriving parcel.
DB.Cooper
Well-known member
I seldom answer my phone for anyone.... If it's important, they'll leave me a voicemail... This allows me to choose which calls I respond to.... maybe my 25+ years at USPS helped me develop this curious habit, who knows... I never answer numbers I do not recognize, too many spammers and scammers out there...
calimailman
Well-known member
U caught my attention
Well-known member
Aside from possible discipline....are you concerned at all about volume capture while you are off?
I feel for subs forced to do routes at a different office with zero training. When that happens the route usually gets aux help by local office subs after they finish their scheduled route for the day.
With Rrecs when routes are split, volume isnt captured the same way. EOS would be less to name one area shortened. I would always prefer trained qualified rurals working the route my future salary is attached to. Thats one reason I signed the RDWL. I would rather work, than see a route split or have someone run a route with no training.
FirstclassPITA
Well-known member
I lost three hours in the last little survey and i think what you're talking about is partly to blame. I am at a point in my life where i would rather just spend my time with my wife and cats and dog. I have 20 years in with 20 to go. The only thing that has ever gotten better about this job was receiving a government vehicle. Nothing else ever improves. New stupid mandate on top of old stupid mandates. Being threatened with discipline for answering a phone call. It is nice to think i have some control over what i am paid. Or blame for it. Realistically though what will be will be. I will never become wealthy working this job. Sure i could geek out over 15% return on that extra 8k a year. Take that right to my grave. It is work/life balance. I want my life to far out balance my work. I just got really burnt out on worrying about that sort of stuff. Would rather just have a day off. Luckily my situation affords me the opportunity to feel that way. Worrying about data capture feels almost like another job in and of itself.
U caught my attention
Well-known member
Well, there could be a step 4 on this issue.
I dont know about that. I only understand the order of consideration as best I can. I gave you my perspective, and I am nobody of any inmportance. I have to say. I feel like threatening discipline is different than issuing discipline and an issue in and of itself.
Volume capture is a big deal to me and yes, it is a pia to have that added task to my day. I stress about it sometimes. I do realize there is no enforceability to a lot of Rrecs. I try to take care of the route the best I can when I am on it and just assume and accept that it goes to crap when I am not. Most carriers I know simply dont care about how or what volume is captured. Most Carriers I know have not read much about it. Most carriers just want to get home as soon as possible and that is their intent as they navigate their day. This intent might not be whats best for volume capture.
I dont know about that. I only understand the order of consideration as best I can. I gave you my perspective, and I am nobody of any inmportance. I have to say. I feel like threatening discipline is different than issuing discipline and an issue in and of itself.
Volume capture is a big deal to me and yes, it is a pia to have that added task to my day. I stress about it sometimes. I do realize there is no enforceability to a lot of Rrecs. I try to take care of the route the best I can when I am on it and just assume and accept that it goes to crap when I am not. Most carriers I know simply dont care about how or what volume is captured. Most Carriers I know have not read much about it. Most carriers just want to get home as soon as possible and that is their intent as they navigate their day. This intent might not be whats best for volume capture.
