Well, I thought I was pretty good on the WTD rules but I’ve just realised I don’t know the answer to the following.
Usually, I take 45 mins before six hours is up (never hit the 4.5 hrs driving first) and this sees me through to the end of my 9.5 hr shift.
However, my understanding is that you need 30 mins WTD break for a shift of 6-9 hours and 45 mins when exceeding nine hours.
What I’m not sure is whether one needs to accumulate 30 mins before nine hours is up when working longer, or just 45 before the end of the shift?
So, can I take a 15 mins before I exceed six hours and then take another 30 mins right before the end of the next six hours? Or do I need another 15 mins three hours after the first six hours to ensure I’ve taken 30 mins at the nine hour mark? I’ve always thought it was the first but our foreman says it’s the latter.
I’m thinking our foreman is actually correct now. I need to have a second 15 min break at nine hours, although obviously a 30 min would be more sensible as it would also fulfil the driving hours rule.
The way I understand it, and never had an infringment for it, is you need breaks totalling 45 minutes if over 9 hours but it doesn’t matter when they occur. The only real one that catches people out is there should be no period of work of 6 hours with out a 15 mins break.
If shift is 9.5 hours and the working time in that shift is 9 hours then it can go like this example -
work 6 hours
break 15 mins
work 2 hours 59 mins
break 15 mins
work 1 min
ROG:
If shift is 9.5 hours and the working time in that shift is 9 hours then it can go like this example -
work 6 hours
break 15 mins
work 2 hours 59 mins
break 15 mins
work 1 min
Would it not make more sense to just take a 30 minute break instead of 15
ROG:
If shift is 9.5 hours and the working time in that shift is 9 hours then it can go like this example -
work 6 hours
break 15 mins
work 2 hours 59 mins
break 15 mins
work 1 min
Would it not make more sense to just take a 30 minute break instead of 15
YES I would do that about half way through the shift but it could be that the work commitments etc might not allow for it
Only companies bother with WTD - Authorities do not
blue estate:
I’m lucky I work for a company that don’t worry about that
I’m lucky I work at one that does, no 60+hr weeks, get paid the same for 48hrs including breaks as most companies in the area are for doing well over 60.
Ignoring the WTD only serves to keep wages low and working hours the longest in the country doing a job where you have to work one and a half times what everyone else does just to earn the national average wage.
I’ve had a number of “encounters” with Royal Mail vehicles, I’ve often wondered if they tell their drivers that the “Royal” means they own the road…
Now RM are making up their own rules on breaks? Somehow that does not surprise me.
Zac_A:
I’ve had a number of “encounters” with Royal Mail vehicles, I’ve often wondered if they tell their drivers that the “Royal” means they own the road…
Now RM are making up their own rules on breaks? Somehow that does not surprise me.
Employers are allowed to tell you how to take breaks as they see fit as long as it’s legal. If they want you to take it as a single 45 then that’s their prerogative. On set route work, especially one that involves security like RM does, there’s usually operational reasons why.
The 6 hour rule
you can’t work more than 6 hours at any point without a 15 min break, a break of 15 or more allows you to work upto another 6 hours before needing another 15 min break. This works the same as driving 4.5 hours and a 45. (Only driving and other work count as working time)
The total break
This is dependent on the total amount of working time in the shift, only driving and other work count as working time for the wtd.
0-6 hours of working time = 0 break required
Over 6 but not over 9 = 30 mins of break/s
Over 9 = 45 mins of break/s required.
A shift can only be have 1 of the 3 apply, so ignore the other 2
Breaks can be taken anywhere in the shift to count towards the total required, except the very beginning or end of the shift, so each break must have at least 1 min of work either side of it and they must be at least 15 mins long to count.
The 6 - 9 and 9+ are purely used to determine how much break is required in total and are nothing to do with when any breaks are required.
So anyone who drives over 4.5 hours in a shift will have a 45 for that and tick the total break box for any shift, so all they’ll need to worry about is the 6 hour rule.
These are extreme examples
of what is legal
Work 6
Break 15
Work 6
Break 15
Work 2:14
Break 15
Work 1 min
