Angard Employee rights

BarneyGumball

Hi, Apologies for the long post..

I work a zero hours contract for Angard, which is owned by Royal Mail. They send out a text message to a 'pool' of workers who then call up to book a shift on a first-come first-served basis.
Sometimes they have cancelled shifts and do this by text message.
I work at Chester Mail centre and last week received an email from the Angard co-ordinator asking when I could work over the Easter period. I said I could work all 8 days (Mon - Thur and Tue - Fri). I got a reply saying I had been booked in for all 8 shifts.
I got a cancellation text for Monday, no text for Tuesday, so I went in and worked my shift.
I also did not receive a cancellation for Wednesday, so went in to work.
Along with approximately 14 other workers, I was sent home 30 minutes into the shift because Royal Mail had only asked for 10 Angard staff. It seems Angard had not sent a cancellation text out to us.

Management at the Mail centre could not help or offer any advice, merely stating we need to speak to Angard.
I phoned Angard the following day (Thurs 29 March) and spoke to the co-ordinator. She told me I would receive an e-mail at 6pm explaining what had happened and what they were going to do. 6pm came and went, no e-mail. I phoned a 2nd time at 21:40 and again spoke to the co-ordinator. She had changed her story slightly saying she said I would get the e-mail AFTER 6pm. She went on to say I would receive the email at 10pm, when she had finished.

Surprise, surprise, no e-mail has arrived at time of writing 11:21pm

I'm sure Angard or the co-ordinator made a simple mistake not sending out a cancellation notice for Wednesday, so why not just apologise?
Why lie to me about or not send the email?
I don't like being lied to and I don't like being taken for an idiot.
Both myself and the other workers turned up to do a shift we were booked in for in good faith. Not turning up for a shift without letting Angard know would be a pretty much sackable offence.

What are my rights here? Angard are doing nothing to either address or redress the situation.
I feel I should be either paid for that shift or at the very least reimbursed travel costs. I have a 50 mile round trip to get to Chester, others even longer.
Others would have had to arrange child care for the Wednesday and others would have turned down other work because they thought they were working on Wednesday night.

I think it's a pretty disgraceful way to treat, in some cases vunerable and frankly, desperate workers.
Do I have any protection or rights here? If Angard can treat workers like this what else are they likely to do?

Thanks
BG

KiKi

I'm sure they're not deliberately lying to you - the people you spoke to probably genuinely believe the email is going to be sent at the time they said, but perhaps they need to check with management what is happening. You're right, it was probably just an error that they forgot to cancel you, but to say "they're doing nothing" isn't right - they are aware of it, and said they are sending an email. You haven't got it yet, but you only spoke to them today.

It's the Bank Holiday, so maybe the person who made the mistake is now trying to sort out how you'll all get paid, and needs to get someone in management to agree it first - who knows. And I agree you should be paid.

But you literally had the conversation today, it was probably an error, it's only happened once (that you've said) and you're already talking about their 'disgraceful' behaviour, being 'taken for an idiot' and suggesting they are capable of other awful behaviour. Whereas the situation is probably closer to: they are aware, and they've said they will be in touch, but couldn't get the email out when planned.

If I were you I'd wait for a bit longer, and if you don't get confirmation of what will happen re Wednesday's shift by next Tuesday, chase them.

KiKi

BarneyGumball

Thanks for your sensible reply. I was pretty wound up when I typed my post.
I should just add - the coordinator I spoke to would also be the one who would cancel the shifts and also the one to send the email, so that's why I was annoyed - the onus is pretty much all on her.
She is the management, so to be told on two occasions by her that she would be sending the email and then didn't makes me wonder what is going on.

BG

TyreLever

Another textbook example of why I believe 0 hour contracts should be banned. If these things are to be allowed, then there needs to be something put in place to prevent stuff like this happening, such as compensation for cancelled shifts.

custardy

I'll be honest. This is a national issue for Angard workers in MCs

ohreally

custardy wrote: »

I'll be honest. This is a national issue for Angard workers in MCs

Would the Angard workers not benefit from using this as a campaign issue to organise trade union membership within the workgroup?

custardy

ohreally wrote: »

Would the Angard workers not benefit from using this as a campaign issue to organise trade union membership within the workgroup?

Yup im sure they would.
Majority of Angard guys are hard working folks trying to make a bean.
Sadly they are often viewed as 'lower' on the pecking order in MCs by staff including CWU reps. Not a view im comfortable with but its the reality in my experience.

For any Angard workers (or prospective) this could be a helpful site.

https://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/community/viewforum.php?f=47&sid=e1735c7573b3ea5601e74791439daf30