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Hell offices now.

Postal workers discussion forum. Discuss the day to day life in a Blue Shirt.
emu72
Posts: 104
Joined: 11 Feb 2011, 16:52
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by emu72 »

Yeah.The whole thing is set up to fail and clearly no proper thought behind it.Dreading the day our office implements it but because we are still massively under staffed i don’t know when it will come in.I’ve noticed a lot jumping ship because they don’t want to face it , plus i’m so sick and tired of being on the receiving end of regular customer complaints and having to explain why they aren’t getting their mail.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12108
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by SpacePhoenix »

emu72 wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 12:06
Yeah.The whole thing is set up to fail and clearly no proper thought behind it.Dreading the day our office implements it but because we are still massively under staffed i don’t know when it will come in.I’ve noticed a lot jumping ship because they don’t want to face it , plus i’m so sick and tired of being on the receiving end of regular customer complaints and having to explain why they aren’t getting their mail.
How badly will it go to s**t if there's a big bulk posting? It has been a while since we've had a bulk posting come through, certainly none so far for the DOs who have already gone over to DM26.
Thommo44
Posts: 276
Joined: 10 Nov 2018, 13:00
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by Thommo44 »

Or an election
Emohawk
Posts: 30
Joined: 06 Jan 2017, 20:55
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by Emohawk »

reddevils wrote:
12 Aug 2026, 19:30
If there was no agreement on a plan, what were you prepared to do?
Royal Mail would have brought their own system in as an executive decision.

So I would like to know the answer what were you prepared to do to stop Royal Mail from implementing it?
What is it that you wanted from the Union?
Would you have been prepared to strike?
What system do you propose, bear in mind the new Off com regulations and rules we work under now. Any plan has to involve double mail
because duties were always going to be alternated. What did you want the Union to do for you?

I'm just interested because everyone seems to be critical of the union but nobody proposes solutions or has any ideas.

Its easy to destroy something, be critical and dismissive. Its more difficult to analyse the situation and have an understanding and possibly come up with ideas.

If the Union would have done nothing and allowed the system to come in as Royal Mail wanted, the same people would be critical
of the unions actions. So the Union can't win with these people.
Well, I'd like the Union to actually ask me my opinion of what they would like us to do. Not like we pay their wages or anything...

My idea: three duties, two people. Duties 1 and 2 one day, then 2 and 3 another, and then 3 and 1. And then back around we go.
reddevils
Posts: 114
Joined: 23 Nov 2018, 00:05
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by reddevils »

Three Duties, 2 people

SO...

You say you start on the first day with Duties 1 and 2. What does this mean? Are you taking all the mail, tracked etc on duties 1 and 2? And what happens on the third duty? Who is doing the tracked and the 1st on this?

The following day, duties 1 and 2 wouldn't need the mail to be delivered. Only tracked and 1st. You say the following day you do 2 and 3? What happens to the 1st and tracked on Duty 1.

I don't understand understand your system, i don't understand how it follows the new OFFcom rules and regulations.
Last edited by reddevils on 16 Aug 2026, 17:44, edited 7 times in total.
Emohawk
Posts: 30
Joined: 06 Jan 2017, 20:55
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by Emohawk »

reddevils wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 16:04
My idea: three duties, two people. Duties 1 and 2 one day, then 2 and 3 another, and then 3 and 1. And then back around we go.
Three Duties, 2 people

SO...

You say you start on the first day with Duties 1 and 2. What does this mean? Are you taking all the mail, tracked etc on duties 1 and 2? And what happens on the third duty? Who is doing the tracked and the 1st on this?

The following day, duties 1 and 2 wouldn't need the mail to be delivered. Only tracked and 1st. You say the following day you do 2 and 3? What happens to the 1st and tracked on Duty 1.

I don't understand understand your system, i don't understand how it follows the new OFFcom rules and regulations.
[/quote]

All items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2, same for 2 and 3, same for 3 and 1. Basically, you get one day in three were you don't get mail. I suppose, if you made the duties smaller, you could do all items on two duties and first class on the other, but you will never get the duties made smaller.

Considering we aren't supposed to prioritise mail or parcels, I assume you can just ignore offcom rules and then lie to parliament about it. I mean, I had customers not receiving mail for over a week on my shared duty because I was on my own for eight days out of ten, and the managers didn't see it as a problem.
reddevils
Posts: 114
Joined: 23 Nov 2018, 00:05
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by reddevils »

All items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2, same for 2 and 3, same for 3 and 1. Basically, you get one day in three were you don't get mail. I suppose, if you made the duties smaller, you could do all items on two duties and first class on the other, but you will never get the duties made smaller.

Considering we aren't supposed to prioritise mail or parcels, I assume you can just ignore offcom rules and then lie to parliament about it. I mean, I had customers not receiving mail for over a week on my shared duty because I was on my own for eight days out of ten, and the managers didn't see it as a problem.
It still doesn't make a lot of sense. It needs to be explained more clearly.

You start off with all items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2.

What happens to duty 3 on this day?

'Basically you get one day in three where you don't get mail' You need to explain this further.
Last edited by reddevils on 16 Aug 2026, 17:40, edited 2 times in total.
roadrunner bill
Posts: 440
Joined: 18 Oct 2018, 09:03
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by roadrunner bill »

....
Last edited by roadrunner bill on 17 Aug 2026, 03:12, edited 1 time in total.
yellowbelly
Posts: 3690
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by yellowbelly »

reddevils wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 16:26
All items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2, same for 2 and 3, same for 3 and 1. Basically, you get one day in three were you don't get mail. I suppose, if you made the duties smaller, you could do all items on two duties and first class on the other, but you will never get the duties made smaller.

Considering we aren't supposed to prioritise mail or parcels, I assume you can just ignore offcom rules and then lie to parliament about it. I mean, I had customers not receiving mail for over a week on my shared duty because I was on my own for eight days out of ten, and the managers didn't see it as a problem.
It still doesn't make a lot of sense. It needs to be explained more clearly.

You start off with all items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2.

What happens to duty 3 on this day?

'Basically you get one day in three where you don't get mail' You need to explain this further.
[/quote]

Not sure why, but the posts you been raising where you've quoted another post miss out the first 'quote' bracket. Makes them a little awkward to understand what you're posting and what another poster has put.
Hyrrokkin
Posts: 865
Joined: 24 Nov 2021, 18:17
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by Hyrrokkin »

Mr Rush wrote:
14 Aug 2026, 19:18
Hyrrokkin wrote:
14 Aug 2026, 18:16
A2B wrote:
13 Aug 2026, 19:13
Gary55 wrote:
13 Aug 2026, 19:08
Probably factored a lot of legacy leaving as part of their profit projections
I do wonder how many people retire from RM per month, guessing well over a 100
The turnover rate in D.O's now must be immense - would be interested to see those numbers.
It's very difficult even anecdotally to monitor turnover. I can't keep tabs on everyone coming and going in the unit (not for lack of trying). An example from just a few days ago:
Colleague: Elliot left.
Me: Who's Elliot?
Colleague: A new start.
Me: I have no idea who that is.
I've looked at the ONS numbers I can find (2017/18 and 2022/23) and 'Information and Communication' turnover rates seem to be consistent at around 30%. That's close to RM's claim about the logitistics sector (26.9%). If we assume that's historically consistent then in 2010/11 "half the UK average" would be ~15%. RM boasts in 2024 to have reduced that to just 11% turnover. That seems to be completely counterintuitive to what everyone sees, except that we know average age in operations has been going up for a long time now.

I can only speculate unless someone else can speak more authoritatively on the subject. In spite of the substatntial churn on the low end of seniority, those in the upper bracket are likely clinging on for retirement or angling for a payoff that never comes so much that it more than offsets 25% of newbies leaving in 90 days.
:thumbup :thumbup
TopperGas
Posts: 3417
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by TopperGas »

If our office is anything to go by DM26 is killing off those waiting for VR or retirement and are just taking early retirement to get out. Apart from posties who are really to young to retire we've only a couple left of the long term employees.
SpacePhoenix
MAIL CENTRES/PROCESSING
Posts: 12108
Joined: 12 Nov 2008, 17:03
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by SpacePhoenix »

TopperGas wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 20:40
If our office is anything to go by DM26 is killing off those waiting for VR or retirement and are just taking early retirement to get out. Apart from posties who are really to young to retire we've only a couple left of the long term employees.
What % of staff at your DO are "legacy" staff?
TopperGas
Posts: 3417
Joined: 13 Feb 2021, 22:46
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by TopperGas »

SpacePhoenix wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 22:27
TopperGas wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 20:40
If our office is anything to go by DM26 is killing off those waiting for VR or retirement and are just taking early retirement to get out. Apart from posties who are really to young to retire we've only a couple left of the long term employees.
What % of staff at your DO are "legacy" staff?
Without sitting down and work it out accurately I'd say around 50% although that figure is not helped by 2 newbies not even surviving their first week last week, and one of them was replacing another newbie who just decided he'd had enough after a few weeks! I think we've managed to retain just one of the newbies in the last 3 months.
Acca Dacca
Posts: 3202
Joined: 16 Aug 2009, 17:13
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by Acca Dacca »

Emohawk wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 16:18


All items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2, same for 2 and 3, same for 3 and 1. Basically, you get one day in three were you don't get mail. I suppose, if you made the duties smaller, you could do all items on two duties and first class on the other, but you will never get the duties made smaller.

Considering we aren't supposed to prioritise mail or parcels, I assume you can just ignore offcom rules and then lie to parliament about it. I mean, I had customers not receiving mail for over a week on my shared duty because I was on my own for eight days out of ten, and the managers didn't see it as a problem.
As redevil says, If you have 2 people in charge of 3 walks then the tracked and first class still need to be delivered every day on all three walks

I dont think you have thought it through
If you tolerate this, then your paid break will be next
postslippete
Posts: 4173
Joined: 14 Jul 2014, 16:27
Gender: Male

Re: Hell offices now.

Post by postslippete »

reddevils wrote:
16 Aug 2026, 16:26

It still doesn't make a lot of sense. It needs to be explained more clearly.

You start off with all items from duty 1, tracked and 1st class duty 2.

What happens to duty 3 on this day?

If ALL the duties were smaller and more manageable, then 2 posties each with their OWN van could theoretically cover 4 duties during the week

Monday
Postie A takes everything on Duty 1 and Tracked and 1c on Duty 2
Postie B takes everything on Duty 3 and Tracked and 1c on Duty 4

And then rotate, so on Tuesday
Postie A takes everything on Duty 2 and Tracked and 1c on Duty 1
Postie B takes everything on Duty 4 and Tracked and 1c on Duty 3

And on Saturday, the earlier finish day
Postie A takes all Tracked and 1c on Duty 1 and 2
Postie B takes all Tracked and 1c on Duty 3 and 4


Monday and Tuesdays will be busier mail wise with 3 days of 2nd class

Seems a much more straightforward and efficient way of working than shared vans or pods and allows for most of the mail to be delivered on alternate days. But it will require that duties need to be put in rather than more vans.

Didn't you say that each postie would be expected to do 4 loops heavy/4 loops light under DM26? Well, this model does that, gives each postie their own van/set walks and makes them responsible for their own workloads. And the best thing about this model is that it is much fairer and prevents the singletons from delivering nearly everything on their walk everyday (which they are currently doing) because they will also be expected to alternate their duties.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.