Is it time to ban leave during half term?

[Qwerty133]

Every half term without fail the number of trains cancelled due to unavailable staff increases significantly presumably due to more staff being on leave and less overtime being worked. Today its the turn of XC to not have enough guards. These weeks are also likely to see an increase in the number of passengers off peak so the cancellations are likely to have q bigger impact.
With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

 

[DarloRich]

With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

Answer: No.

 

[class 9]

Just looked at RTT for both Leicester & Sheffield, there doesn’t appear to be any XC cancellations today.
Also TOCs have a limit of numbers on leave each week, this quota doesn’t go up in the holidays, any cancellations may be a result of sickness, do you want to ban that as well?

 

[Bromley boy]

What a silly suggestion. God forbid rail workers might have families and lives outside the railway!

In answer to the question, no, it’s time for TOCs to get their ducks in a row in terms of:
1. Allocating leave; and
2. Employing enough staff.

Rostered leave is known in advance and is allocated throughout the year.

Ad-hoc leave may applied for but will be declined if the job cannot be covered, or cross covered by another depot.

Of course TOCs favour over reliance on rest day working because it’s cheaper for them, but you can’t expect staff to do more than their contracted hours. Why should they?!

I hope this isn’t going to become another thread where staff are vilified for not wanting to do overtime!

 

[LowLevel]

Don't be daft. Effectively barring railway staff from having family holidays without being prosecuted for taking their kids out of school isn't going to happen. Also for example I work in so many different areas that I quite often cover all the different school calendars anyway. I can be working in Lincolnshire one day and Staffordshire the next.

 

[Mag_seven]

All that is required is good planning and sufficient staff numbers to ensure all turns are covered during holiday periods.

 

[221129]

Can the OP please provide an example of a cancelled XC service today?

 

[Failed Unit]

Every half term without fail the number of trains cancelled due to unavailable staff increases significantly presumably due to more staff being on leave and less overtime being worked. Today its the turn of XC to not have enough guards. These weeks are also likely to see an increase in the number of passengers off peak so the cancellations are likely to have q bigger impact.
With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

I suspect that you havent got children yourself so don't understand the costs of child care outside school time. Yes people often make the choice to have children, but taking time off can actually be cheaper than having to pay a 3rd party. Likewise many people enjoy spending time with thier children.

 

[Harbornite]

Bloody rail staff, they get on my nerves. How dare they try and get some time off?

 

[Darandio]

With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

The funniest part about the whole opening post is that you are serious about the above point. Comedy gold.

 

[Dentonian]

Don't be daft. Effectively barring railway staff from having family holidays without being prosecuted for taking their kids out of school isn't going to happen. Also for example I work in so many different areas that I quite often cover all the different school calendars anyway. I can be working in Lincolnshire one day and Staffordshire the next.

Exactly. For instance, around here, Tameside, Stockport and Manchester are all on half term next week, but (at least) Bolton is this week. I suspect many/most other Education Authorities in the North West are on holiday this week, given the local weather forecaster commented on the prospects for "Half Term" when discussing the rest of this week's outlook.
Where would you draw the line; Easter, Summer etc when the free market means family holidays are much more expensive? And, AFAIK, its never been raised as a specific problem in the bus industry, where drivers are more likely to be drawn from a more localised catchment area with only one or two Education Authorities involved.

 

[Qwerty133]

Can the OP please provide an example of a cancelled XC service today?

14:52 New Street to Leicester

 

[Darandio]

So it's increased significantly, but there is only one XC service cancelled?

 

[class 9]

Wow, 1 cancellation and you want to ban holiday leave ffs

 

[221129]

14:52 New Street to Leicester

Short notice sickness...

 

[Failed Unit]

Short notice sickness...

So it's increased significantly, but there is only one XC service cancelled?

They need to move to GTR land. 1 cancellation due to staff shortage was a bonus. For interest to XC rely on overtime to cover all diagrams or do they have enough staff to cover in normal shifts?

 

[AlterEgo]

14:52 New Street to Leicester

Any more or just this one?

 

[221129]

They need to move to GTR land. 1 cancellation due to staff shortage was a bonus. For interest to XC rely on overtime to cover all diagrams or do they have enough staff to cover in normal shifts?

During the week there is normally enough staff at least at the depots local to me. Weekends can be a struggle sometimes though but not as much as they used to be at the moment

 

[Darandio]

Radical idea. Ban passengers during half term, less trains needed and no staffing issues.

 

[ComUtoR]

presumably due to more staff being on leave and less overtime being worked.

Ahh presumption...

That's the big thing isn't it. OVERTIME isn't being worked. People are working their normal hours and there is enough to cover normal service requirements. Leave isn't the issue. OVERTIME is. Surely it is down to the TOC to employ enough staff to cover any additional work that is required. IF there was enough Spare/AR/Cover then there wouldn't be an issue. Instead of your rather disgraceful suggestion of banning leave. Why not emply employ enough staff ?

With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

How much are you willing to pay staff for an annual leave ban ? How much are you willing to increase rail staff salaries to allow for such a change to their terms and conditions ?

Or just pay me direct. £10,000 and you can have my leave week in April; right in the school holiday.

 

[221129]

Radical idea. Ban passengers during half term, less trains needed and no staffing issues.

Just ban half term. Easy.

 

[142blue]

April 1st yet?

 

[GB]

This is a wind up surely?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Every half term without fail the number of trains cancelled due to unavailable staff increases significantly presumably due to more staff being on leave and less overtime being worked. Today its the turn of XC to not have enough guards. These weeks are also likely to see an increase in the number of passengers off peak so the cancellations are likely to have q bigger impact.
With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

No, it's time for TOCs to do the rosters properly and employ enough staff. Not everyone has kids and those without almost certainly won't want half term for a holiday due to the elevated cost, so this should not be the proverbial rocket science.

 

[theironroad]

Every half term without fail the number of trains cancelled due to unavailable staff increases significantly presumably due to more staff being on leave and less overtime being worked. Today its the turn of XC to not have enough guards. These weeks are also likely to see an increase in the number of passengers off peak so the cancellations are likely to have q bigger impact.
With this in mind is it time to ban leave in half terms in order to reduce the number of uncovered turns?

Why just half term?

Leave should also be banned during the summer and Christmas holidays.

It's very inconsiderate railway staff wanting time off during holiday periods or any other time of year quite frankly.

 

[Dentonian]

April 1st yet?

No. That's Easter Sunday. Let's get Half term sorted first............

 

[Qwerty133]

This is a wind up surely?

Yes...
I thought the administrators had started encouraging getting hysterical about every single cancellation and exaggerating every slight problem with the railway.

 

[coxxy]

Jesus Christ.. maybe we should ban people having rest days off as well..

 

[WrongRoad]

This is a wind up surely?

You would like to think it is a wind up or Qwerty133 is the dumbest person on here!!!!

 

[Bromley boy]

It's worth pointing out how railway leave works for those who aren't aware. There isn't much flexibility at all. I'd imagine most TOCs are largely the same.

The majority is rostered leave - a week in spring, two weeks in summer, a week in the autumn. You don't get much say over when these are as you have to fit around the existing structure of the depot.

A few days per year remain and can be taken as ad hoc leave. These are requested and you're put into the book, first come first served. You often don't know if the leave has been granted until the weekly roster for that week comes out, and sometimes until the daily roster (three or four days before the day in question). If the job can't be covered the leave is simply declined.

If you're rostered to work Xmas day and Boxing Day you're required to use ad hoc leave days for these.

Based on the above if insufficient drivers/guards are available it's only ever because of bad planning on the part of the TOC, or failure to employ enough drivers.