Working off the Clock
Now with route inspections starting up again and we have the new “test” program Caser Consolidation being tested in a few offices it is very important not to work OFF the clock! I understand that carriers don’t want to hear from management why they are leaving late or that they have to run to a second job or have to rush home but working OFF the clock is not the answer!
According to Article 7 section 1.A.1…regular schedules consisting of five (5) eight (8) hour days in a service week. Article 8 section 4.b states: overtime shall be paid to employees for work performed only after 8 hours on duty in any one service day or 40 hours in any one service week. Article 41 section 3.k states: Supervisors shall not require, not permit employees to work off the clock.
Some management are allowing carriers to work off the clock because it shows an increase in productivity and makes management look good when they are on the teleconference. Any letter carrier that knowingly works off the clock is violating the contract, betraying his fellow letter carriers and is only going to get an addition added to his/her route.
These carriers are undermining our protections and guarantees under the National Agreement. These carriers working off the clock make other letter carriers performance look poor because their performance will appear better than carriers that do not work off the clock.
The letter carrier that works off the clock is not only hurting himself or herself but also is depriving other letter carriers or himself or herself of overtime. Working off the clock also has an impact on CCA’s that may not receive an 8-hour day or a 40-hour work week, because you are working for free.
Letter carriers that work off the clock for an extended period of time daily will eventually affect all of us; this is because when management does route reviews these carriers that are working off the clock will be getting an addition in the office and maybe on the street too, because their assignment will be showing less than 8 hours a day. Management will abolish an assignment to make these carriers (that are working off the clock) routes up to 8 hours a day and this will affect ALL of you!
So, think twice before you work off the clock, our union and other unions fought hard for you to be guaranteed 8 hours of work for 8 hours of pay. No one should violate these rules. If you are working off the clock STOP IT! If you know a letter carrier that is working off the clock tell them to STOP IT! If the letter carrier continues to work off the clock inform your shop steward. Be willing to gave a statement stating you saw carrier ______ working on route _____ on this date______ at this time______ and sign the document.
Remember, some carriers may be authorized to start early and others may have an approved change in schedule which should be authorized by your shop steward. Remember, the job you may be saving by doing this may be your own!
Remember working off the clock doesn’t only mean casing mail. It means getting your FSS in order if your office has FSS, your DPS in order, doing forwarding’s or even cleaning up you work area or equipment. Working off the clock doesn’t mean prior to or after you clock in or out it also means if you work through your lunch period which is a half hour because we don’t get paid for lunch and your negotiated breaks.
These are just some examples of working off the clock that you should not be doing! We should all be smart, management nickel and dime us to death over minutes. We must protect what we have and fight for what we want!
