Reducing days / hours, company not helpful

[Gas1883]

I’ve asked my company a few times about reducing my days ( hours to be fair is difficult ) , I’m not in the best of health , lots of health issues , , but the answer always seems to be we want more hours out of you not less .
I know the answer is find another job but at 63 with lots of health issues I’ve no chance of getting another job , I tried & they all wanted to take me on but my health was to much of a risk.
So have I any options ?
Nb before someone shouts not another one who wants to sit on the sofa claiming benifits , I started work at 12 washing plates in a restaurant , I’m now 63 & did 6 days this week , 79 hrs , getting up at 1.30/2 am , getting home at 5/6/7 pm ,so I’m far from idle , but it’s taking its toll on me now .
Thankyou

[LastPoster]

What do you do?

[BlindedByTheLights]

What size is the company, Do they have an occupational health provider and a HR team?

[thepritch]

Gas1883 said:

I’ve asked my company a few times about reducing my days ( hours to be fair is difficult ) , I’m not in the best of health , lots of health issues , , but the answer always seems to be we want more hours out of you not less .
I know the answer is find another job but at 63 with lots of health issues I’ve no chance of getting another job , I tried & they all wanted to take me on but my health was to much of a risk.
So have I any options ?
Nb before someone shouts not another one who wants to sit on the sofa claiming benifits , I started work at 12 washing plates in a restaurant , I’m now 63 & did 6 days this week , 79 hrs , getting up at 1.30/2 am , getting home at 5/6/7 pm ,so I’m far from idle , but it’s taking its toll on me now .
Thankyou

80 hrs in 6 days!!!!!! That’s brutal!

As a young whippersnapper many years ago I did a month or two of 80hour weeks (office job) and I was on my knees at the end. It took a huge toll on life / mind / health.

You drive lorries right? I know nothing about the industry but aren’t there limits on hours? A friend drive trucks and it sounds like he gets to choose his hours? Or is it all ‘agency’ type work - what does your contract say?

[ARHarh]

Surely you are not contracted to work 80 hours in a week, the government rules suggest 48 is the maximum. You can then choose to do more hours if you want to. Just say no. Or take long term sick.

[Gas1883]

LastPoster said:

What do you do?

Lorry driver

[Gas1883]

BlindedByTheLights said:

What size is the company, Do they have an occupational health provider and a HR team?

We have a hr dept but they just refer me back to my line manager , occupational health provider I don’t believe so .

[Gas1883]

thepritch said:

80 hrs in 6 days!!!!!! That’s brutal!

As a young whippersnapper many years ago I did a month or two of 80hour weeks (office job) and I was on my knees at the end. It took a huge toll on life / mind / health.

You drive lorries right? I know nothing about the industry but aren’t there limits on hours? A friend drive trucks and it sounds like he gets to choose his hours? Or is it all ‘agency’ type work - what does your contract say?

Yes drive lorries, poa means you can do 3x15 hrs + 3x13 hrs in a week ,84 hrs ( though you can only do 6/5/6 dependent on hours you work ) , it’s not just the company pushing for hours , traffic , hours at customer sites means loads of hours , then a hour to book off / on at work + travelling to from work means a 15 hr day becomes a 17 hr day .
Was hoping to retire at 65 ( 1 1/2 yrs time ) , but retirement age gone upto 67 , so 3 1/2 yrs to go .
I guess the answer is to get another job , but firms run a mile when they see my health record , only just got license back from dvla medical dept after 3 months as they wanted to know more about illnesses .
Oh well it will probably out the cab into a box .

[MustangGT]

Gas1883 said:

Yes drive lorries, poa means you can do 3x15 hrs + 3x13 hrs in a week ,84 hrs ( though you can only do 6/5/6 dependent on hours you work ) , it’s not just the company pushing for hours , traffic , hours at customer sites means loads of hours , then a hour to book off / on at work + travelling to from work means a 15 hr day becomes a 17 hr day .
Was hoping to retire at 65 ( 1 1/2 yrs time ) , but retirement age gone upto 67 , so 3 1/2 yrs to go .
I guess the answer is to get another job , but firms run a mile when they see my health record , only just got license back from dvla medical dept after 3 months as they wanted to know more about illnesses .
Oh well it will probably out the cab into a box .

If you are in the UK or the EU the rules for commercial driving (anything over 3.5 tonnes) are:

No more than 56 hours in a single week and
No more than 90 hours over a two week period.

That is it, no more are allowed.

[Gas1883]

ARHarh said:

Surely you are not contracted to work 80 hours in a week, the government rules suggest 48 is the maximum. You can then choose to do more hours if you want to. Just say no. Or take long term sick.

Poa / break means you can work 15 hrs days 3 days a week , 13 hr days 2/3 days a week , the problem is
Traffic / accident / delivery sites can turn a 10 hr day into a 15 hr day , I often can’t even get back in 15 hrs .
How do you say I can’t do that job as you’ve no idea how long it will be , you can breeze up the m6 one day , and spend half a day sat in various accidents the next , one day it takes 1/2 to tip 26 pallets , next 3/4 hrs
The hours you are going to struggle to do anything about , but 4/5/4 would be an improvement over 5/6/5 .
Go on sick is an option but it’s not really me , only ever been off for operations etc .

[Gas1883]

MustangGT said:

If you are in the UK or the EU the rules for commercial driving (anything over 3.5 tonnes) are:

No more than 56 hours in a single week and
No more than 90 hours over a two week period.

That is it, no more are allowed.

That’s driving , I can spend 3/4 hrs tipping at delivery site or loading , hours spent on a motorway
You can extend driving to 10 hrs x2 per week , 9 hrs max other days .
10 hrs driving + break + poa ( period of availability) at customer sites can become 15 hrs .
I’m tired to be honest so maybe wrong , or maybe information on dcpc course was incorrect .
But I wish / hope your right , thought if you were I’m sure I’d be getting hauled in for tachograph infringement , never get them

[Gas1883]

[Gas1883]

Thankyou all , I’m just having to get on with it , instead of doing the job I always wanted to do ( lorry driving ) , I should of heeded my dads advice that it’s a dead end job , and stayed in engineering ( rolls Royce apprenticeship) , I’d probably be retired or doing sensible hours
Though who listens to there dad when young .
Again thankyou

[Gas1883]

But then you’ve break / poa ( period of availability) that can be added to driving / other work ,re- 15/14/13 hr days , poa was the one that shafted us , especially when the company requires you to use it .

[Gas1883]

As I say including poa / rest means you can work 15 hr days ( 9 hr rests ) 3 days per week , 13 hr days ( 11 hr rests ) .

[Gas1883]

Sorry about screen shots , I’m not very good with tech .

[Gas1883]

These are the 4 modes on tacho , you can put tacky on other work , rest or poa , tacho automatically goes to driving .
Driving time + other work + rest + poa gives you the long days . 9 hrs driving + 3 hrs other work + 1 1/2 hrs break + 1 1/2 hrs poa gives you the 15 hr day , everyone says poa is the issue , shouldn’t be allowed , but there’s nothing stopping you booking 9 hrs driving + 3 hrs other work + 3 hrs break .

[Whats in a name]

Depending on what your health issues are and how long you’ve been suffering from them they may well be classed as a disability which means that you are afforded some extra protection and as such your employer should make reasonable adjustments where possible to support you.
Whilst I can see why it can be difficult to guarantee you a set finish time due to the nature of your job reducing your hours to say 5 days a week should be feasible.

Make sure you put all requests in writing and keep copies just in case you need them at a later date. I’d also speak to someone for some professional advice (maybe citizens advice?) about your next steps if they continue to refuse to assist you as being honest from what you’ve said it sounds to me like they want to make you resign by being as difficult as possible.

Whilst I appreciate it isn’t easy due to work pressures but you need to prioritise your health, if you were to have a medical emergency whilst driving and you knew there was a risk beforehand, you would be held accountable and could face prosecution.

[Puzzles]

Would they not rather you work sensible hours, than leave?

Edited by Puzzles on Sunday 2nd February 09:20

[thepritch]

Gas1883 said:

Thankyou all , I’m just having to get on with it , instead of doing the job I always wanted to do ( lorry driving ) , I should of heeded my dads advice that it’s a dead end job , and stayed in engineering ( rolls Royce apprenticeship) , I’d probably be retired or doing sensible hours
Though who listens to there dad when young .
Again thankyou

Gas,

I don’t think any of us listens to our parents when young! It’s only when we get to certain ages that we reflect and realise there is some truth in what they say. However, if you’d stayed in engineering would you have enjoyed it? You still, despite your health issues. say you love driving lorries. Something is to be said for loving your job and carving out you own life!

I’m going through some health issues myself, minor minor ones, nothing like yours, but know full well how much your health can easily bring a sense of hopelessness and a feeling of limits- and every day is a struggle, physically or mentally or sometimes both. Some days I feel this is ‘how it will always be’. I get into a mindset that I can’t do anything.

You said before that ‘hey ho, I’ll just get on with it’. I get that you’ve asked and asked, and are probably too exhausted to fight your employer about reducing hours. I also understand that looking for other work is also difficult with employers not wanting someone with health issues. However I do believe (despite the cloud above my head on some days) that there are always options. I am absolutely sure you could find another job, that works for you. And I’m absolutely sure that if you can find the right people at your firm so you could work out reduced hours. It may not be easy, but you can do it.

I don’t have the answers (ie how) but just sensed there’s a sense of resignation in your replies and wanted to say we hear you and there will be ways you can work this out.