The first link is as it applies to USPS letter carriers which should be the same for us. File a grievance if mgmt won’t correct their “mistake” & contact your Steward. Middle managers are constantly ORDERED by district staff to not only bend, break, and change the rules already in place in manuals such as the the ELM-Employee and Labor Relations Manual but also violate the National Agreements. Here it is, the first section is the OSHA standard as it should apply to drivers. 432 General Definitions and Provisions 432.1 Employee Classifications 432.11 Regular Work Force 432.111 Bargaining Unit Employees. If you give your employees short breaks, such as coffee or snack breaks that typically last between five and 20 minutes, the FLSA regards the time as paid. Bargaining unit employees are categorized as follows: Full-time employees — career annual rate employees who are assigned to work schedules of five 8–hour days in a service week. It depends on your local agreement and your job, as a data entry clerk we were mandated to take a break every 55 minutes for a total of 6 paid breaks (5min, 10min, 5min, lunch, 5min, 10min, 5 min, ET)with a lunch in the middle...then as a carrier it was 2 10 minute breaks, and now as a mailhandler it's 2 15 minute breaks with a 5 minute wash-up.
; Part-time employees — employees categorized as one of the following: Look at the L-122. I heard one carrier say he does it trucker style in the back.
Bathroom breaks: I feel bad when I have to ask businesses if I can use their bathrooms. This doesn't mean they won't expect you to pick up the pace a bit, but so long as you don't abuse the privilege (dropping the kids off shouldn't take half an hour, or have to be done four times a day) you should be fine if the local management is comprised of reasonable human beings. Others have said if their route is close enough they just go back to the office. The second and third link are interpretations of this standard. Since I'm generally in the same area every day there are a few places that I always go. Welcome to USPS.com. Just curious what other carriers have been doing now that alot of businesses are closed/bathroom off limits where are you taking your bathroom breaks?
My understanding is that management is required to allow for reasonable "comfort stops". Find information on our most convenient and affordable shipping and mailing services. It clearly states that Bathroom breaks are built into the personal time already in the route evaluation & is not to be deducted from actual work hours.
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