Train driver working hours

[theironroad]

This is our 'system'

If you want a leave day - You email the roster clerk. Generally by the next day he tells you your number (how many in the queue you are).
We are not allowed to book for next year until September of this year.
No requests are guaranteed


That's it. Nothing else. Not guaranteed in any way and they can grant or decline right up to 2 days before the daily sheet is posted. Even if you are first in the list you are still not guaranteed to have the day granted. If we had a proper system like your then I would be a VERY happy bunny.

Maybe it truly is just my TOC that sucks

Jeez, afraid to say that does suck. I understand why you're so hacked off with it,

Pretty surprised also that hasn't been addressed in collective bargaining. I've worked for swr as a driver for 19 years and we've always had guaranteed ad hoc if quota ok.

What toc is this, so I can give it a swerve if I ever decide to change?

 

[driver9000]

This is our 'system'

If you want a leave day - You email the roster clerk. Generally by the next day he tells you your number (how many in the queue you are).
We are not allowed to book for next year until September of this year.
No requests are guaranteed


That's it. Nothing else. Not guaranteed in any way and they can grant or decline right up to 2 days before the daily sheet is posted. Even if you are first in the list you are still not guaranteed to have the day granted. If we had a proper system like your then I would be a VERY happy bunny.

Maybe it truly is just my TOC that sucks

That's an awful system. At my TOC the first 2 in the book are guaranteed and the rest are "subject to traffic" but we generally get 10 days notice when the daily sheets initially appear. I've only ever had 2 or 3 days knocked back in all my time on the railway. I think your DCC needs to get this system changed to one that allows you to plan your life.

 

[the sniper]

This is our 'system'

If you want a leave day - You email the roster clerk. Generally by the next day he tells you your number (how many in the queue you are).
We are not allowed to book for next year until September of this year.
No requests are guaranteed


That's it. Nothing else. Not guaranteed in any way and they can grant or decline right up to 2 days before the daily sheet is posted. Even if you are first in the list you are still not guaranteed to have the day granted. If we had a proper system like your then I would be a VERY happy bunny.

Maybe it truly is just my TOC that sucks

Ah okay, that is worse than I thought! I thought everywhere was pretty much the same, so say (depending on depot size) the first 8 people to apply will be granted the AL automatically. Anyone after that will be in abeyance (the queue) either until the 7 day sheet is posted or, failing that, the 48hr sheet with all the RD workers applied. Obviously you can check with rosters at anytime to see whether people ahead of you have cancelled their AL application and you've subsequently been granted yours.

 

[TheVicLine]

This is the only true bit (Due to Tax, National Insurance, Pension and any other deductibles.) Unless you do the overtime but you still pay Tax and NI on that too.

Not 100% accurate as it varies from TOC to TOC. Trainee drivers at my TOC receive full pay from 8 weeks after they start their training.

 

[43066]

Not 100% accurate as it varies from TOC to TOC. Trainee drivers at my TOC receive full pay from 8 weeks after they start their training.

Trainee drivers pay tax on what they earn, just like anybody else, so they will receive gross pay less deductions for PAYE, NI etc.

I can’t believe there are posters here who don’t seem to understand how tax works!

 

[221129]

Not 100% accurate as it varies from TOC to TOC. Trainee drivers at my TOC receive full pay from 8 weeks after they start their training.

Which they still get deductions taken from...

 

[baz962]

Trainee drivers pay tax on what they’re earning, just like anybody else, so they will receive gross pay less deductions for PAYE, NI etc.

I can’t believe there are posters here who don’t seem to understand how tax works!

To be honest , it seems most people have no clue. In 2018 our first paypacket of the year was on the first day of the tax year , so we had a 14th instead of the usual 13 , which fell on the last day of the tax year. Quite a few staff thought they were getting extra money . I knew that wasn't happening and had to be the bearer of bad news , about the tax demand that would be coming. Also , the amount of driver's that say it's not worth doing rest day's , as the tax man takes it all. A lot of people don't understand that you still only pay 42% if you include national insurance , until you earn 150k . The lower rate is 20% but you pay 12% national insurance , so are paying 32% . The difference is only 10% .

 

[4F89]

To be honest , it seems most people have no clue. In 2018 our first paypacket of the year was on the first day of the tax year , so we had a 14th instead of the usual 13 , which fell on the last day of the tax year. Quite a few staff thought they were getting extra money . I knew that wasn't happening and had to be the bearer of bad news , about the tax demand that would be coming. Also , the amount of driver's that say it's not worth doing rest day's , as the tax man takes it all. A lot of people don't understand that you still only pay 42% if you include national insurance , until you earn 150k . The lower rate is 20% but you pay 12% national insurance , so are paying 32% . The difference is only 10% .

And that even at £20 / hr after tax, it still isn't exactly shabby

 

[baz962]

And that even at £20 / hr after tax, it still isn't exactly shabby

Exactly . The way I look at it is this. Before I became a driver , I was on around £11 an hour in my last job . If I did a rest day , then after my 32% , I took around just over £7 . Now it's around what you put . I used to do 12 hour day's on a rest day and now not more than nine . No competition.

 

[theironroad]

And that even at £20 / hr after tax, it still isn't exactly shabby

..and obvs getting brass contributions started/increased can help too.

 

[Coach Carter]

.

 

[Coach Carter]

Exactly . The way I look at it is this. Before I became a driver , I was on around £11 an hour in my last job . If I did a rest day , then after my 32% , I took around just over £7 . Now it's around what you put . I used to do 12 hour day's on a rest day and now not more than nine . No competition.

I tried to explain this on a other thread before. Nobody really took it onboard

 

[Coach Carter]

Was meant to quote your other message about the tax rates.

 

[43066]

To be honest , it seems most people have no clue. In 2018 our first paypacket of the year was on the first day of the tax year , so we had a 14th instead of the usual 13 , which fell on the last day of the tax year. Quite a few staff thought they were getting extra money . I knew that wasn't happening and had to be the bearer of bad news , about the tax demand that would be coming. Also , the amount of driver's that say it's not worth doing rest day's , as the tax man takes it all. A lot of people don't understand that you still only pay 42% if you include national insurance , until you earn 150k . The lower rate is 20% but you pay 12% national insurance , so are paying 32% . The difference is only 10% .

It’s worrying just how little people understand finances, and that isn’t just limited to the railway, it goes for the population in general!

I’ve also heard that argument about rest days. I suppose they mean (assuming RDW is paid at a flat rate) they’re paying a higher effective tax rate on earnings from rest day work, but that’s because their basic salary means they’re already in the 40% tax bracket.

Looking it another way, nobody would ever turn down a £10k increase in the basic salary because “I’ll pay more tax”. Yes, you will, but you’ll also take more money home!

 

[baz962]

It’s worrying just how little people understand finances, and that isn’t just limited to the railway, it goes for the population in general!

I’ve also heard that argument about rest days. I suppose they mean (assuming RDW is paid at a flat rate) they’re paying a higher effective tax rate on earnings from rest day work, but that’s because their basic salary means they’re already in the 40% tax bracket.

Looking it another way, nobody would ever turn down a £10k increase in the basic salary because “I’ll pay more tax”. Yes, you will, but you’ll also take more money home!

Oh , you will find someone that claims that. I have heard the old I wouldn't want to be paid a lot , because the tax man takes it all. Not in any way would you pay the tax man everything. Even the top bracket is 45% at over 150k and at that point you will have lost the personal allowance.

 

[oz220]

I thought it had always been overtime after 20 mins where you are?!

we are entitled to overtime from the second after our book off time. And yes, many people do submit 1 minute of overtime and it gets rounded up to 15 mins pay.

 

[PringlePopper1]

This is our 'system'

If you want a leave day - You email the roster clerk. Generally by the next day he tells you your number (how many in the queue you are).
We are not allowed to book for next year until September of this year.
No requests are guaranteed


That's it. Nothing else. Not guaranteed in any way and they can grant or decline right up to 2 days before the daily sheet is posted. Even if you are first in the list you are still not guaranteed to have the day granted. If we had a proper system like your then I would be a VERY happy bunny.

Maybe it truly is just my TOC that sucks

SE by any chance?

 

[43066]

Oh , you will find someone that claims that. I have heard the old I wouldn't want to be paid a lot , because the tax man takes it all. Not in any way would you pay the tax man everything. Even the top bracket is 45% at over 150k and at that point you will have lost the personal allowance.

Yep. The logical conclusion to that argument is that there’s no point ever doing a job that pays over £12.5k per year because, from that point onwards, “the taxman takes some of it”.

 

[SlimJim1694]

SE by any chance?

Sounds like it to me.

 

[TheVicLine]

Trainee drivers pay tax on what they earn, just like anybody else, so they will receive gross pay less deductions for PAYE, NI etc.

I can’t believe there are posters here who don’t seem to understand how tax works!

Of course I understand how tax works.
The part of the post i was replying to was:

"My partners grandad says that even though the pay for my job is contracted at £58,000 after passing training I won’t receive anywhere near that."

which is incorrect.

 

[221129]

Of course I understand how tax works.
The part of the post i was replying to was:

"My partners grandad says that even though the pay for my job is contracted at £58,000 after passing training I won’t receive anywhere near that."

which is incorrect.

Please explain how it is incorrect?

 

[TheVicLine]

Please explain how it is incorrect?

I already have, see the original post and my explanation.

 

[axlecounter]

we are entitled to overtime from the second after our book off time. And yes, many people do submit 1 minute of overtime and it gets rounded up to 15 mins pay.

That’s pure genius.

We are entitled the OT we do. If it’s a minute they’ll pay a minute...

 

[theironroad]

We can c!aim after the first minute, but most people won't bother unless theyre at least 20 odd late.

We can be forced to do 30 mins over shift due to late running on our diagram (paid as ot) , after that it's by mutual agreement though obviously a lot of time hands are tied by location of delay and need to be back to home depot/car etc.

 

[4F89]

We can c!aim after the first minute, but most people won't bother unless theyre at least 20 odd late.

We can be forced to do 30 mins over shift due to late running on our diagram (paid as ot) , after that it's by mutual agreement though obviously a lot of time hands are tied by location of delay and need to be back to home depot/car etc.

Thats one thing I dont get about some of our colleagues, they can dump and run if train is 60+ late, but by the time they have got out of yard and to station, they would be as well off waiting for the train to turn up and take it home.

Some strange contracts out there!