So to set the scene, my understanding is that you must take a weekly rest period of 45 hours however you can reduce as low as 24 hours provided that I catch up on the shortage within 3 weeks following the reduced rest week.
Assuming this is correct, then can I have a reduced weekly rest in week 1, and then have another reduced weekly rest in week 2 if I then have a week’s holiday in week 4, thereby giving me more than enough rest hours to catch up the first 2 weeks.
Goff118:
Sorry to hijack, but I am just checking I am right in thinking the below is all OK?
Week 1 - Work Monday - Friday, rest Saturday, work Sunday reduced rest on Saturday
Week 2 - Work Monday - Friday, rest Saturday and Sunday normal rest Saturday and Sunday
Week 3 - Work Monday - Friday, rest Saturday, work Sunday reduced rest on Saturday
Week 4 - Rest Monday and Tuesday, work Wednesday - Friday, rest Saturday, Work Sunday normal rest Monday and Tuesday
Week 5 - Repeat week 3 reduced rest on Saturday
Also, on another note, checking the below is OK for WTD?
08:45 start - 17:00 finish, made up of around 3hrs 30 driving time with a 15 minute break.
Think I’m all OK but want to make sure I’m understanding it all as well new driver…
All looks okay, but obviously the example starts and ends on a reduced week, so you need to have had a regular rest the week before commencing this pattern.
It is also possible to work 6 days constantly if you are willing to change start time. Say you finished at 17:00 on Friday. You could come in at 02:30 on Saturday (you have had 9.5 hours rest in this case) and do an 8 hour shift, finishing at 10:30. 45 hours rest would mean you can start work again on Monday at 07:30. The key would be finishing before 11:45 if you are working on Monday at 08:45.
All looks okay, but obviously the example starts and ends on a reduced week, so you need to have had a regular rest the week before commencing this pattern.
It is also possible to work 6 days constantly if you are willing to change start time. Say you finished at 17:00 on Friday. You could come in at 02:30 on Saturday (you have had 9.5 hours rest in this case) and do an 8 hour shift, finishing at 10:30. 45 hours rest would mean you can start work again on Monday at 07:30. The key would be finishing before 11:45 if you are working on Monday at 08:45.
Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I had a regular rest the week before so that’s all good. The fortnightly Sunday work is suiting me so far (I don’t drive for my full time job) and getting some experience is the main idea rather than the money. I’m just so annoyed with myself for messing up the break yesterday, taking 22 minutes instead of 30. Definitely won’t make that mistake again!
Goff118:
Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I had a regular rest the week before so that’s all good. The fortnightly Sunday work is suiting me so far (I don’t drive for my full time job) and getting some experience is the main idea rather than the money. I’m just so annoyed with myself for messing up the break yesterday, taking 22 minutes instead of 30. Definitely won’t make that mistake again!
However, has your card been in since the shift? You can fix this quite easily by inputting a manual entry at the end of the shift for 15 minutes break and then one minute of work.
It is one of the more bizarre rules to be fair. The way the rules work out it effectively means you could quite legally carry on working for a while but seemingly you can’t just finish and go home. I suppose the line has to be drawn somewhere though… It is what it is, but 30 minutes break is probably about right for the shift in any case.
Goff118:
Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I had a regular rest the week before so that’s all good. The fortnightly Sunday work is suiting me so far (I don’t drive for my full time job) and getting some experience is the main idea rather than the money. I’m just so annoyed with myself for messing up the break yesterday, taking 22 minutes instead of 30. Definitely won’t make that mistake again!
However, has your card been in since the shift? You can fix this quite easily by inputting a manual entry at the end of the shift for 15 minutes break and then one minute of work.
It is one of the more bizarre rules to be fair. The way the rules work out it effectively means you could quite legally carry on working for a while but seemingly you can’t just finish and go home. I suppose the line has to be drawn somewhere though… It is what it is, but 30 minutes break is probably about right for the shift in any case.
Card hasn’t been into a tachometer since the shift but has been scanned into tachomaster and my submitted time sheet shows the shift end time. Although I wouldn’t be expected to paid any more as I don’t get paid breaks anyway, so would the manual entry fix the infringement on the tacho?
Should I maybe talk to my agency and admit my error. Only my 2nd ever shift so can chalk it down to experience and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Goff118:
Thank you for this. Much appreciated. I had a regular rest the week before so that’s all good. The fortnightly Sunday work is suiting me so far (I don’t drive for my full time job) and getting some experience is the main idea rather than the money. I’m just so annoyed with myself for messing up the break yesterday, taking 22 minutes instead of 30. Definitely won’t make that mistake again!
However, has your card been in since the shift? You can fix this quite easily by inputting a manual entry at the end of the shift for 15 minutes break and then one minute of work.
It is one of the more bizarre rules to be fair. The way the rules work out it effectively means you could quite legally carry on working for a while but seemingly you can’t just finish and go home. I suppose the line has to be drawn somewhere though… It is what it is, but 30 minutes break is probably about right for the shift in any case.
Card hasn’t been into a tachometer since the shift but has been scanned into tachomaster and my submitted time sheet shows the shift end time. Although I wouldn’t be expected to paid any more as I don’t get paid breaks anyway, so would the manual entry fix the infringement on the tacho?
Should I maybe talk to my agency and admit my error. Only my 2nd ever shift so can chalk it down to experience and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
Yes I would do a 15 min break then 1min work on your manual entry.
Doesn’t matter that your card has been downloaded. It is always downloaded before the end of a shift because it won’t include the manual entry you do the next day.
I can’t see anybody being interested in you putting one min of work on your card, neither your agency nor the client
They would both prefer you not to infringe and so far you haven’t YET![emoji57][emoji57]
Goff118:
Card hasn’t been into a tachometer since the shift but has been scanned into tachomaster and my submitted time sheet shows the shift end time. Although I wouldn’t be expected to paid any more as I don’t get paid breaks anyway, so would the manual entry fix the infringement on the tacho?
Should I maybe talk to my agency and admit my error. Only my 2nd ever shift so can chalk it down to experience and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
You are possibly overestimating the seriousness of a simple working time infringement. One working time infringement is not something the client would contact the agency about.
I would simply do the manual entry the next time you put your card in and go from there. The time after the eject is still unknown, so Tachomaster doesn’t know when your shift finished yet.
The mismatch in finish time I don’t think would be an issue as you are adding more time rather than not declaring work. As you say you are not claiming pay. However, if you worked on and didn’t record the work, then a mismatch would be an issue.
You will learn that the office workers react to the computer telling them about infringements. If nothing appears then you won’t have to deal with being offered a piece of paper to sign. Worst case sign the piece of paper and keep yourself clean for 28 days and the slate will be clean anyway. Happy days, not worth bothering a jot about.
Goff118:
This makes sense. I’ll record 15 minutes of rest and 1 minute other work for yesterday when I next put my card in. Thank you both!
Just make sure you don’t mess up the manual entry and end up in a worse position, if you think you might, then just leave it as is because it wouldn’t be a big deal.
shullbit:
Just make sure you don’t mess up the manual entry and end up in a worse position, if you think you might, then just leave it as is because it wouldn’t be a big deal.
shullbit:
Just make sure you don’t mess up the manual entry and end up in a worse position, if you think you might, then just leave it as is because it wouldn’t be a big deal.
How do you mean?
I have to do manual entries so I always do them and have learnt how to do them. It is possible to make a mess of them and then you end up with problems obviously. E.g. if you enter other work since your last shift rather than rest. Some drivers seem to think they don’t have to do them so they don’t for fear of messing them up.
I think the errors I made when I first started was to let the handbrake off in the middle of doing it to get it off the bay so my mate could get in the back. Obviously that results in the tacho switching to drive and you don’t get to complete a manual entry at all.
Basically my advice would be to know what you’re going to input before you start and don’t let anyone distract you.
shullbit:
Just make sure you don’t mess up the manual entry and end up in a worse position, if you think you might, then just leave it as is because it wouldn’t be a big deal.
How do you mean?
I have to do manual entries so I always do them and have learnt how to do them. It is possible to make a mess of them and then you end up with problems obviously. E.g. if you enter other work since your last shift rather than rest. Some drivers seem to think they don’t have to do them so they don’t for fear of messing them up.
I think the errors I made when I first started was to let the handbrake off in the middle of doing it to get it off the bay so my mate could get in the back. Obviously that results in the tacho switching to drive and you don’t get to complete a manual entry at all.
Basically my advice would be to know what you’re going to input before you start and don’t let anyone distract you.
Cheers. Understood. I have to do manual entries, so used the simulator to practice them and think I have the hang of it now.
Today I received a message from my contact at the agency today telling me that I needed to manually entry a 15min break at the end of my last shift to avoid an infringement.
Very nice of them, as I wouldn’t have realised that was an option if I hadn’t posted in here
shullbit:
Just make sure you don’t mess up the manual entry and end up in a worse position, if you think you might, then just leave it as is because it wouldn’t be a big deal.
How do you mean?
I have to do manual entries so I always do them and have learnt how to do them. It is possible to make a mess of them and then you end up with problems obviously. E.g. if you enter other work since your last shift rather than rest. Some drivers seem to think they don’t have to do them so they don’t for fear of messing them up.
I think the errors I made when I first started was to let the handbrake off in the middle of doing it to get it off the bay so my mate could get in the back. Obviously that results in the tacho switching to drive and you don’t get to complete a manual entry at all.
Basically my advice would be to know what you’re going to input before you start and don’t let anyone distract you.
Cheers. Understood. I have to do manual entries, so used the simulator to practice them and think I have the hang of it now.
Lesson learnt!