Dublin Bus looking for Drivers

punisher5112

Lola7301 wrote: »

But you can opt to stay on the 4 night week for a while though is that right - it would be some stability. ? Or do u get a choice? If you are doing the 5 day shifts, is it a week of Earlys, week of lates, etc?

Correct but on senior rota it has a mixed week also. Early late and early in the one week.

Week starts on a Sunday not Monday like anything else.

They are moving up off 4 day within a few months lately

Lola7301

Everything else seems good about working as a driver but the shifts are a pain by all accounts, especially if you have to sort childcare. It's a hard decision to make.

punisher5112

Lola7301 wrote: »

Everything else seems good about working as a driver but the shifts are a pain by all accounts, especially if you have to sort childcare. It's a hard decision to make.

Don't be mistaken it is in no way easy duties to the job itself.

You will have to deal with all sorts.

btmp75

Lola7301 wrote: »

Everything else seems good about working as a driver but the shifts are a pain by all accounts, especially if you have to sort childcare. It's a hard decision to make.

Of course, it is. Have to get childminder for four days is the only option, at least for starting.

Wolf219

Don't be banking on working the the 4 day for too long, when I was in training, the Phibs manager said the new lads where only going to be on the 4 day for 5 weeks then they would have to go the 5 day due to shortage of drivers. She made it clear no one would be allowed to stay on the 4 day after 5 weeks.

btmp75

punisher5112 wrote: »

Don't be mistaken it is in no way easy duties to the job itself.

You will have to deal with all sorts.

Yes. that is a fact too. Just wondering how do they manage a company like this. Looks like more than whatever we get more in money than other private companies, will go to childminder directly.

btmp75

Wolf219 wrote: »

Don't be banking on working the the 4 day for too long, when I was in training, the Phibs manager said the new lads where only going to be on the 4 day for 5 weeks then they would have to go the 5 day due to shortage of drivers. She made it clear no one would be allowed to stay on the 4 day after 5 weeks.

hi, you started last week of April...right

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime

Wolf219 wrote: »

Don't be banking on working the the 4 day for too long, when I was in training, the Phibs manager said the new lads where only going to be on the 4 day for 5 weeks then they would have to go the 5 day due to shortage of drivers. She made it clear no one would be allowed to stay on the 4 day after 5 weeks.

She would be wrong

The actual contract states different. She cannot force you off the 4 day shift withing the first year. Might even be 2 years but i cant remember

dashcamdanny

The 5 day over 4 day thing is not the real issue though.
As someone stated.. Getting a text the night before telling you that you have to be in the next day makes arranging a childminder impossible.

Excluding parents for the job essentially, unless you have a partner at home full time.

People need to plan the week ahead.

Designated surfer

Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime wrote: »

She would be wrong

The actual contract states different. She cannot force you off the 4 day shift withing the first year. Might even be 2 years but i cant remember

I'm nearly a year in and was offered the 5 day but declined with no problem. I think each garage is different to an extent, but know they are only meant to have 10 drivers per garage on the 4 nights, though it is the depot manager's discretion to have a number of people on 4 day voluntarily

liger

dashcamdanny wrote: »

I would be opting for weekends lates full time if I could.



How do they expect people to be that flexible.
Especially when trying to get more women in the team. If one can't plan childminding, they cant go to work.

My current place gives me 1 week ahead in rotas and even that is hard to manage as both my partner and I are working parents.

The system in place is from the 60s and not fit for purpose anymore. Don't expect your union to back or push for change because they don't want to rock their own boat.

Staying on the lates is at discretion of your manager.

When you start your shifts are supposed to start 3pm or later. That's in your contract. At least that's some sort of stability.

If you get moved to the 10 week roster then your into the real unknown. Especially at Xmas time when the new drivers get shafted. Supposed to work early on st Stephen day??? Your union has agreed spare drivers can be "Early" up to 21.00 finish on bank holidays.

If you can find a way to manage it then it's a good job. Stay on the inspectors and managers good sides and your life will be easier.

btmp75

liger wrote: »

The system in place is from the 60s and not fit for purpose anymore. Don't expect your union to back or push for change because they don't want to rock their own boat.

Staying on the lates is at discretion of your manager.

When you start your shifts are supposed to start 3pm or later. That's in your contract. At least that's some sort of stability.

If you get moved to the 10 week roster then your into the real unknown. Especially at Xmas time when the new drivers get shafted. Supposed to work early on st Stephen day??? Your union has agreed spare drivers can be "Early" up to 21.00 finish on bank holidays.

If you can find a way to manage it then it's a good job. Stay on the inspectors and managers good sides and your life will be easier.

May I ask, what does this 10-week roster mean?

punisher5112

btmp75 wrote: »

May I ask, what does this 10-week roster mean?

You know your days off and late and early.

You don't know start or finish times and you get 2 long weekends off and do 1 late Sunday in every 5 week block.

I think they added a short weekend recently enough.

Long is sat Sun Mon and short sat Sun

Beer Assistant

There is absolutely no way you can organise a babysitter on the ten week roster, it's too up and down regarding starting and finishing times. even if you're on lates you can still start at 7am and finish anytime from 4-8pm. And you won't get a txt for following day's duty before midday, also new drivers get shafted with the worst duties all the time. I'm sure you've been told in training school that all drivers are treated equally, you will soon discover this not to be the case.

liger

btmp75 wrote: »

May I ask, what does this 10-week roster mean?

You start on a 4 day working late shift roster.

Then you move onto a 10 week Early/Late shift 5day roster.

Then you move onto a 5 week early/Late shift 5day roster.

The problem is, as has been stated here many times already, early shifts can mean 7am to 8pm split shift with 3 or 4 hours break.

Lates could start 10.30 am finishing at 8pm. It's lucky dip.

dashcamdanny

Lot to think about . I cant see these hours being compatible with any normal person's life unless they are single..

No wonder not many people stay after joining.

Are they trying to correct this issue? or is it this way forever?

btmp75

liger wrote: »

You start on a 4 day working late shift roster.

Then you move onto a 10 week Early/Late shift 5day roster.

Then you move onto a 5 week early/Late shift 5day roster.

The problem is, as has been stated here many times already, early shifts can mean 7am to 8pm split shift with 3 or 4 hours break.

Lates could start 10.30 am finishing at 8pm. It's lucky dip.

'It's lucky dip'.. Seriously..?

btmp75

dashcamdanny wrote: »

Lot to think about . I cant see these hours being compatible with any normal person's life unless they are single..

No wonder not many people stay after joining.

Are they trying to correct this issue? or is it this way forever?

Exactly. No wonder if most of the new people leaving as early as possible. This method itself shows the system in place is not friendly to any young woman who wants to start her career as a driver with Dublin Bus. Hats off to the drivers who serve the company for the best and most part of their life. No wonder if people complaint against few drivers for the roughness. If this is the working conditions, what more we can expect.

Every job with shifts has such problems. But most of them have a system working flawlessly. I don't think it is insolvable. Not any way easy. But solvable.

dashcamdanny

btmp75 wrote: »

Exactly. No wonder if most of the new people leaving as early as possible. This method itself shows the system in place is not friendly to any young woman who wants to start her career as a driver with Dublin Bus. Hats off to the drivers who serve the company for the best and most part of their life. No wonder if people complaint against few drivers for the roughness. If this is the working conditions, what more we can expect.

Every job with shifts has such problems. But most of them have a system working flawlessly. I don't think it is insolvable. Not any way easy. But solvable.

Do you think your manager would take your family situation into consideration?

I have no problem with any shift, I need to give an already flexible childminder her hours at the start of the week.

What happens if you simply cant come in on such short notice.

punisher5112

dashcamdanny wrote: »

Do you think your manager would take your family situation into consideration?

I have no problem with any shift, I need to give an already flexible childminder her hours at the start of the week.

What happens if you simply cant come in on such short notice.

Simply it's as it is.

There are no ways about it.

Only when one is marked in will things be different and that's at 11 years and climbing 10 if extremely lucky.

liger

btmp75 wrote: »

'It's lucky dip'.. Seriously..?

It's lucky dip in what you will get. Say your on early week and your working Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Monday you could be working 6am to 3pm.

Tuesday Rest.

Wednesday your in 7.30 break at 10am. Back at 4pm finsh 7.3pm

Thursday in 6am finish 11.30 am

Friday 7am break 11 am back 3pm finish 7pm

Saturday start 8am finish 6.45.

For an early week you can expect to see something like that, just in different combinations.

Also there are very few good early shift on sat and Sunday so for sat expect to work up to 8pm when on early. I went 18 months without being given a pre 4pm finish on Saturday and ended up complaining, I got a good early Saturday morning finish and then given crap for the next 2 weeks. Never complained about shifts again.

dashcamdanny

liger wrote: »

It's lucky dip in what you will get. Say your on early week and your working Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Monday you could be working 6am to 3pm.

Tuesday Rest.

Wednesday your in 7.30 break at 10am. Back at 4pm finsh 7.3pm

Thursday in 6am finish 11.30 am

Friday 7am break 11 am back 3pm finish 7pm

Saturday start 8am finish 6.45.

For an early week you can expect to see something like that, just in different combinations.

Also there are very few good early shift on sat and Sunday so for sat expect to work up to 8pm when on early. I went 18 months without being given a pre 4pm finish on Saturday and ended up complaining, I got a good early Saturday morning finish and then given crap for the next 2 weeks. Never complained about shifts again.

What are the terms of overtime and bonuses?

rx8

dashcamdanny wrote: »

What are the terms of overtime and bonuses?

What's a bonus ?

liger

dashcamdanny wrote: »

What are the terms of overtime and bonuses?

As a 4day worker You need to work an extra day at flat rate before you hit time and a half.

Lola7301

Thanks for that, good insight. So what are the wages on average for driver on 5 day week?

punisher5112

At Christmas there is a small attendance bonus and safe driving.

Couple of hundred nothing special but a little something extra at the end of the day.

Lola7301

Did the aptitude test this morning and we were told that there will be no interviews until at least November going forward for next year. Seems ages away.

085andym

Lola7301 wrote: »

Did the aptitude test this morning and we were told that there will be no interviews until at least November going forward for next year. Seems ages away.

What was the test like? I'm going for the aptitude test in the morning.

btmp75

liger wrote: »

As a 4day worker You need to work an extra day at flat rate before you hit time and a half.

So how many hours a week at flat rate? What is the realistic take home wage for a newcomer per week? Is the payment weekly, biweekly or monthly?

Lola7301

It was fare calculation, write a report and multi choice questions, fairly straight forward. We were held up as a lot of people didn't fill out vetting forms properly. Best of luck today!