Delivery start and finish times FAQ’s

Appendix B

Q: Why are there two different start and finish times?

A: The changes to the network to reduce dependence on air and reduce our emissions lead to a different arrival profile into mail centres with the last arrivals being later by up to three hours. Later last arrivals affect the wave 2 arrival into Delivery Offices and whilst the agreement aims to move start times by c60 minutes maximum, in many cases the wave 2 arrivals will be over 90 minutes later than now because land transport is slower than flights. So, we have to work together to improve the flow of work to reduce the start times to 90 minutes later than now and hopefully closer to 60 minutes. The two numbers show what the start times would be with 60-minute delay and 90-minute delay from current dominant duty pattern in each Delivery Office.

Q: Why does my current attendance time look wrong?

A: Current attendance times are based on an extract from the Delivery Database System (DDS) from May 2023. The start times are representative of full-time roles and are based on the predominant duty structure in a delivery office, modelled on a Wednesday.

Example:  If a unit has 20 full time duties finishing at 16:00 and 10 full time duties finishing at 15:30 then the unit would show a finish time of 16:00, however that does not mean all finishing times would revert to the indicative  finish time.

Q: Why has my proposed start time changed from what was shared with me previously?

A: Since the business last shared the proposed start times, we have continued to refine our modelling to get a clearer picture of what the full pipeline will look like upon the deployment of the network changes when the flights are ceased.  This includes factors that may improve flow into Delivery offices such as ways to accelerate the Network and factors that may slow network flow, such as updating all distribution times from Mail Centre to Delivery Office to reflect travel later in the morning.  The initial plans were a movement of up to three hours the Agreement allows for the movement of up to a maximum of 90 minutes later and a last letter time of 16:30 which limits the time changes compared to the times shared previously.

Q: When will I know what my attendance times are going to be?

A: As explained in the Agreement we will ensure that all employees will know the detail of the changes three months prior to deployment, recognising the degree of change in some delivery locations. This will then allow for an individual’s circumstances to be fully considered in line with existing Royal Mail policies and employee exceptions process. The Joint Working Groups will be working through the summer to explore if work designed to achieve the necessary pipeline, workflow and Mail Centre cycle time improvements required to limit the change to start and finish times up to a maximum of 60 minutes can be achieved

Q: Why are some offices in the same catchment area as me able to start and finish earlier than me?

A: There are three main reasons for this.    Firstly, the distance, and resulting travel time from the Mail Centre is a key factor, with offices with a longer travel time requiring a later start to align with mail arrivals.    Secondly, current start times also influence what the start times will be on the deployment of Network Window. Thirdly, if units have changed duty patterns as part of changes to revision then that will have an impact.  If there is a variance now between start and finish times in delivery, then this may continue to exist.

Q – What happens if my delivery unit start time was changed as part of the 2022/23 revisions?

A: –For any units where start times were moved and issues remain unresolved. These should be progressed through the IR Framework.

Q: I already know that I can’t change my attendance times due to my personal circumstances, what do I do?

A: As explained in the Agreement we are jointly developing an Exceptions process, details of which will be communicated to you so that you can discuss your options with your manager later in the year once start and finish times are communicated.