Why does this feel so wrong?

[deliverydriver]

Ok, I have read a few threads on here, and I understand how negatively delivery drivers are looked upon, but I do believe I do a good job. I do try hard to keep the customers on my route as happy as possible, although this is sometimes difficult due to management decisions which I have no control over unfortunately. I have not become jaded by the job yet and it fits in with my lifestyle well, so despite the appalling pay, I have been doing this job for a number of years now, but I am having doubts lately as to some changes which I am not sure are even legal, so I am asking for some advice on here, I hope you don't mind.

There have been some recent changes, and the change which concerns me the most is the change regarding missing parcels.
It is a rarity for the parcels I deliver to go missing, but it does happen from time to time. Unfortunately, I have had customers sign for parcels who then deny signing for those parcels, although that is rare, it does happen.

Anyway, the changes that have recently been implemented by management mean that if a customer makes a complaint that their parcel has not been received, either because it was left in a safe place and they cannot find it or they did not sign for it, the delivery courier is docked their pay to the value of the contents of the parcel.
The customer must produce a receipt to verify the value of the goods, and hey presto, the delivery courier is docked by that amount in their pay.

I work with a number of delivery couriers, and we are all now subject to this new rule. Two of the drivers have already had money deducted from their pay, despite an investigation into the missing parcel never taking place. In fact, on both of these occasions, the drivers were not given any prior warning that their money was going to be reduced for any reason. They only knew when they received their invoice.

I do not earn much money when all is said and done and I cannot afford to lose money without any notice that this is going to happen. I would have no chance to make it up before I knew.

Management have been asked if they are claiming via insurance for these parcels as well as docking the driver and as yet, no reply has been forthcoming from management, so it is a possibility as far as I am aware at the moment.

It just seems wrong to me. This does not only affect drivers who have a high level of missing parcels, but every single delivery courier.

All the delivery drivers who work alongside me are self employed as I am.

Is this even legal? TIA for any responses.

That is interesting bunchoffives.

My hours are not set by the company as such, I can arrive and collect my parcels whenever I choose, so long as I arrive each day and so long as I have delivered or attempted to deliver that days parcels by a certain time which is set by the company.

There is no proof to vindicate the driver when the deductions were made, there wasn't an investigation and the driver was not invited to defend their selves. It is a concern.

The rate of pay is not negotiable. We like it or lump it. We are paid per delivery X amount. There is no negotiation. The rate of pay hasn't increased in 5 years. If we don't like it, we can leave. It is the way it is.

We have all always said that we are self employed in as much as it suits the company.

Report the company to HMRC. There is a big clamp down at the mo on companies who insist their employees are 'self-employed' to avoid them shelling out for the benefits that employees get.

This sounds very wrong and unreasonable. As others have said, there are dishonest people out there who want something for nothing where possible.

Could you take a leaf out of the police and traffic wardens books, and wear a small camera attached to you while you work? The police have been trialing this and saw complaints drop when it was no longer 'their word against yours'.

I know GoPro ones are light and have batteries and memory cards that can easily record hours and hours of film, but they are expensive. Maybe something along those lines, and that way, there is a definitive record of you having dropped the parcel/handed it over/left it in a safe place?

Or even just photograph it in the 'safe place' when it has been left?

This probably sounds silly but perhaps until the management has answered questions, you know your legal stance etc you should subtly take a photo of you leaving the parcel in the safe place, or keep a private log of hand-to-hand deliveries where a signature hasn't been made "1 suchandsuch drive, delivered 2pm, customer - approx 6 ft, male, blond hair" so if the company take money from you because a customer has lied you can show that since you know what the customer looks like you clearly delivered the parcel. I know that that is extra work but until this is sorted out, I'd be covering my back if I were you. would only take a min after each delivery in your van to note things down.

How unfair!

Join a union, pronto.

I don't think you can be made to pay for something with no proof that you have lost or misappropriated it. Even if your contracts of employment/for services are varied to say you can be, surely that kind of condition is an unenforceable penalty?

And yes, do keep a record of what you do with each delivery.

The best thing you can do is post this question somewhere else, probably on a different forum. I'm sure the posters here have the best of intentions but some of the advice you're being given is total rubbish.

Hi deliverydriver, what is your view about a driver refusing to accept the signature of my DH for a parcel addressed to me.

Brief info, I ordered a new mobile phone, the delivery arrived at our home address today. I was in a 1 hour teleconference call, so my DH said reasonably and politely (pleading in the end!) to the driver that he would sign for the parcel, showed him evidence of me residing at the address and that he is my DH.

Nope the driver was adamant, even after all that proof, including a full description of the contents of the parcel and the supplier company (Orange) nope, no can do, it must be Mrs Daisychain, I cant accept any other signature.

I accept there could be perceived risks, but surely to goodness, when it is so clearcut and easy to prove in the case of a dispute, can you think why that driver wasn't prepared to release the parcel to my DH?

The irony is that the driver knows my DH by sight as he delivers to us regularly!

Btw I am not delivery-driver-bashing because we really appreciate the difficult job you do, and have a friendly chat to the drivers who deliver to us.

You could also try the Legal or Employment sections of MN.

Cameras are a no-no on private property, I believe.

No they aren't.

Angela, I thought this was the reason a private home's CCTV system can't encroach onto another's property.
I know the police can use them etc., but thought there were exemptions.

Taking a still photograph of a specific detail (e.g. parcel left) is vanishingly unlikely to be legally problematic. Training CCTV so it routinely covers a neighbouring property is more likely to cause problems, e.g. nuisance, harassment, privacy issues.

I already keep a record of my own as to what happens to the parcels in my care, this is in addition to the record the company have. They know where I am, within a few feet, when I deliver the parcel.
We are tracked right up to the door.
The problem arises when customers claim they did not receive their parcel and despite the evidence that I have delivered/left parcel in a safe place, the company show no interest in my evidence, they are just refunding the customer and docking the drivers pay.
I will look into the cost of a camera as described.

Daisychain01 - I have no idea why the driver would not accept your husbands signature. I can only imagine he has been instructed by his company to only accept the signature of the person the parcel is addressed to.
The driver would not have gained anything by taking the parcel away with him. He is paid to deliver parcels and most probably penalised for not delivering, either by not being paid for that parcel (if he is self employed) or not reaching targets set by the company if he is employed.

As a general rule, drivers who wear uniform, drive a van with the companies logo emblazoned on it, and have a fairly new vehicle are employed, and the rest are self employed.

I have never understood why a driver would not deliver if at all possible, unless he has been instructed not to. It is not in the drivers best interests.

If you really want to know why he wouldn't accept your husbands signature, ring the delivery company and ask them. If they blame the driver, and agree it wont happen again, it is probably the driver being petty. If they stand by him, he was probably instructed to do this by his company.
If the retailer has asked for a signature from the person the parcel is addressed to, the delivery company will explain that. At least this way, you will know who to direct your understandable frustration at.

I really do believe that online shopping requires customers and delivery drivers to exercise honesty, and unfortunately, while most people are honest, a few are not. It is because of the few that are not that many are not trusted.

angela, I think s.30 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 would bite. See
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204775/Surveillance_Camera_Code_of_Practice_WEB.pdf

I don't think a still photo would suffice, as any driver could take a picture of a parcel on a patio table and then pocket the parcel.

I would not like to answer the door to someone and be filmed as I signed for a parcel especially as I am usually in my dressing gown just because a company is shafting its employees (which is what they are, not SE drivers)

I imagine a large number of customers would object to being photographed if they knew they were being captured on film.

It is a possibility that a driver could take a photo of a parcel in a designated location, then make off with it, which would defeat the whole object of taking photo's in the first place.

However, I have long wondered why, with all of the technology available to us, we don't have a PIN system.

You order goods, and you receive a receipt via email/text/letter with a PIN number assigned to your goods. You could even have the same PIN number for a particular company.

Delivery driver asks you to put your PIN number into his device, parcel released. Driver has no access to PIN numbers at any time. You can give your PIN number to a designated neighbour, your DH or anyone who you choose to receive your parcel. No more safe parcels. Every parcel requires a PIN number. Hey presto, huge drop in lost parcels.
I know customers sign at the moment, but the majority of my customers signatures are nothing more than a scrawl, and not particularly clear. They certainly don't look much like the persons name.

This would eradicate safe place parcels, delivery drivers would not be able to forge signatures and dump parcels, and customers would not be able to claim they had not signed for a parcel.
The only problem I can foresee is deliveries to disabled/blind customers, but to be fair, the issue of disabled/blind customers signing already exists.
It would certainly cut down on the deceit in my opinion.