POL want staff to be "PROUD"

[kathleen1]

In all seriousness Kathleen1 that must be so demotivating.

Well to be honest its not that demotivating, because our customers love us i am not bothered about a bonus if i was influenced by money i would of left the business many years ago.We can tell every week customers bring us sweets and cakes
and at christmas we get loads of presents off them, we always go that extra mile for them and they do appreciate us its the MANAGEMENT team that should take a long look in the mirror at themselves they haven't got a clue about customer care.I know we have to sell and i have been in for 25 years and i do struggle along with my colleagues sometimes but i will never
use my trust to gain a sale we just can't do it.

When the transformation talks take place soon, i can't see any future for any Crown Office staff, BM, ABM,FS,Meeterand Greeter the government just want rid and all the post-offices are going to be in local supermarkets run by a franchise whose staff in the shop will have to serve on the shop and post-office counter they are not going to waste £80,000 on managers who do nothing but sit behind staff all day it just won't happen they will save a fortune on wages.

[billyhayes]

When the transformation talks take place soon, i can't see any future for any Crown Office staff, BM, ABM,FS,Meeterand Greeter the government just want rid and all the post-offices are going to be in local supermarkets run by a franchise whose staff in the shop will have to serve on the shop and post-office counter they are not going to waste £80,000 on managers who do nothing but sit behind staff all day it just won't happen they will save a fortune on wages.

All very, very true...

The offices that are being franchised are already 'known' to both POL senior managers and, I would guess, CWU.
The decision was made many months ago.
It seems because of the new 12 month guarantee, monies, in the form of compensation, may well have changed hands between POL and Smiffs and Wankinson because they aren't able to move ahead for another year.
£30k+ saved for a BM, 20k per clerk... Some serious wringing of hands going on at POL HQ.
I just pity any poor mug that will have to do this job for £6 an hour when we are all booted out.
A mutualised Post Office network will not be allowed to function with such a difference in pay.
I will be very surprised if in 18 months, there is any member of staff in a post office earning more than £7 an hour.
The crowns will be erased from existance, this will enable our new partners to keep wages in the gutter.

But at least I can be proud and say "I was there at the end."

[billyhayes]

Actually, thinking about it, if I'm wrong then it's a WIN 'cos we'll still be here!
If I'm right, then at least I TOLD YOU SO, and we're fooked.

[FinancialSpecialist]

If that is the case (which I sincerely hope it isn't!), then what are the redundancy offers in POL? I have only been in the Post Office for 2 years and therefore am not au fait with it all...

I don't want to go down this route and will hope that my office doesn't change hands or close, as it is always very busy, but I would like to prepare for the worst!

[kathleen1]

If that is the case (which I sincerely hope it isn't!), then what are the redundancy offers in POL? I have only been in the Post Office for 2 years and therefore am not au fait with it all...

I don't want to go down this route and will hope that my office doesn't change hands or close, as it is always very busy, but I would like to prepare for the worst!

I don't want to be rude, but it doesn't really matter if you are busy or not and also if you office is making money which i doubt it just makes it more attractive to a buyer. I don't know what EVR package you would get that might change in the coming months with the negotiations starting in september over transformation talks,I just know that a BM in whsmiths is on £18,000 per annum compared to £30,000+ for a manager in a crown, full timer about £13,000, crown counter approx.£20,000 do the maths they don't have FS, or meeter and greeter either our time is running out so do be prepared.

[FinancialSpecialist]

True that it would just make it a more attractive purchase, but they wouldn't retain the existing staff or management at those salaries. Also, from offices that I have worked in I am well aware that the managers aren't on 30k+. This only applies in the flagships as far as I am aware?

Also, upon doing a very quick search, WH Smith are recruiting managers for £20-£22k starting salary. Where are you getting these figures?

[onlyanother30years]

Now VR for long servers 25yr plus would be 24 months about £40000. This may of changed I'm not sure, I do know that the agreement will run out before March 2012, when I forcast it will be compulsory and at Goverment statutory rates about £8000.
The above is every PO's worst fear but I'm no Nostradamus so could be totally wrong.

With 30 grand managers we still have some on gardening leave serving on the counter earning more than the managers themselves

[kathleen1]

So a manager is on £20,000 in smiths, so lets work it out he will be there everyday also they stay open till 5.30pm on a saturday he won't be wandering around listening to people, conference calls, charts, days out he will be on the frontline helping with the running of the office. Our manager is on £30,000 + and we are not a flagship office and we know that he told us, he has a day off sometimes more sits on the computer all day doing i don't know what, in smiths you will probably have to work a 50 hr week so good luck to anyone who applies because I won't be working for any post-office in the future and guess what that makes me feel so PROUD. I will be spending my hard earned cash on me.

[FinancialSpecialist]

I wasn't suggesting that 20k was a good salary. I would reckon WH Smith managers work 40 hour weeks as they have ABMs and everything as well. I really hope the crown offices don't get sold off, it's perhaps naive to hope it, but I will hope it all the same!

[kathleen1]

I wasn't suggesting that 20k was a good salary. I would reckon WH Smith managers work 40 hour weeks as they have ABMs and everything as well. I really hope the crown offices don't get sold off, it's perhaps naive to hope it, but I will hope it all the same!

I really hope that the Crown Office network stays, because I really do believe we POL (crown office staff) are the best experienced staff in the whole of the business, I am in a different position from many staff who haven't been in long I have over 25 years so my EVR package hopefully will be alright. But hand on heart I hope everyone keeps their jobs they deserve it, but I honestly can't see it, the post-office has changed so much over the last couple of years and not for the better if you ask me but we will have to wait and see.

[PO1]

True that it would just make it a more attractive purchase, but they wouldn't retain the existing staff or management at those salaries. Also, from offices that I have worked in I am well aware that the managers aren't on 30k+. This only applies in the flagships as far as I am aware?

Also, upon doing a very quick search, WH Smith are recruiting managers for £20-£22k starting salary. Where are you getting these figures?

We finished at the bottom in Q4 of the Crowns so I wouldn't regard us as a flagship and our manager is on £30k with an abm on 23K. I also know the BM in our local franchised Smiths (and that was a flagship) was recruited (be it 3 years or so ago) on £18k as that was the advertised salary .

Speaking as someone with 30 years experience in the Crown Office network I'd advise you to read the BIS document:

http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/bu ... etwork.pdf.

As things stand under the current MTSF (which I think is in place till 31/03/2013) at the moment you'd be entitled to 26 weeks redundancy payment. I'd start making plans now.

[FinancialSpecialist]

26 weeks is better than I was expecting. If that were the case, I wouldn't be entirely left in the lurch which is great, but I would want to ensure that I was able to find another job paying the same salary.

I entirely appreciate that the Post Office has changed an awful lot over the years and that the current business isn't entirely fit for purpose. I think that now the Crown Network has turned a profit, we are in a better position than before in carrying on. It doesn't look too bright though when you couple falling customer numbers, loss of government contracts, privatisation of Royal Mail and mutualisation of the Post Office...

The reason I tend to be optimistic though is because I really enjoy my job - I work with amazing people and I have found this in each office I have worked in, I think the people who have stuck in through all the s**t are generally people who have enjoyed serving the community for years and therefore are easy going, understanding and usually a good laugh. I also think my manager is the best I have come across in my 12 years working, in a variety of companies including banks. The job itself is okay, can be extremely frustrating and for fleeting moments extremely rewarding, but I enjoy going to work which is something I have rarely come across.

[Super]

If that is the case (which I sincerely hope it isn't!), then what are the redundancy offers in POL? I have only been in the Post Office for 2 years and therefore am not au fait with it all...

I don't want to go down this route and will hope that my office doesn't change hands or close, as it is always very busy, but I would like to prepare for the worst!

I don't want to be rude, but it doesn't really matter if you are busy or not and also if you office is making money which i doubt it just makes it more attractive to a buyer. I don't know what EVR package you would get that might change in the coming months with the negotiations starting in september over transformation talks,I just know that a BM in whsmiths is on £18,000 per annum compared to £30,000+ for a manager in a crown, full timer about £13,000, crown counter approx.£20,000 do the maths they don't have FS, or meeter and greeter either our time is running out so do be prepared.

Indeed it doesnt matter how busy or good your branch is. I remember during a previous round of crown offices being passed on - 3 times in a row the branch in our area which was awarded the trophy for best Crown Office was then converted a short time later. It got to the stage that no branch wanted to win the award!!

[Mr Love Pants]

I entirely appreciate that the Post Office has changed an awful lot over the years and that the current business isn't entirely fit for purpose. I think that now the Crown Network has turned a profit, we are in a better position than before in carrying on. It doesn't look too bright though when you couple falling customer numbers, loss of government contracts, privatisation of Royal Mail and mutualisation of the Post Office...


Who has told you we are now making a profit

[FinancialSpecialist]

Whoops I meant that the Post Office has turned a profit. Wishful thinking on my part ;)