So I've been here a month!

Anonymous100 · Post by **Anonymous100** » 27 Jun 2017, 22:06

Where do I start... Ha!

So in my first month I got some really good training from my work based coach who shared with me lots of tricks or the trade to help me out when being a postmen and make the job easier.
I then was on a really nice round for about a month and was able to get in a routine and build my confidence up and perfect everything I was shown in my first week, I even thought I got very quick and found myself slowing down if anything when on my round.

And then this week, WOW, I have just been f****d in the arse basically, because the round I am on now is an absolute joke.
My phasing is in the complete opposite direction of my round and then the other day when I get back a little bit over my time because my duty wasn't prepped for me, I get told that I will be given additional training and support so I can complete my duty in allocated time.

I hear a lot of people in the office say that management haven't got a clue and I completely agree.
Does anybody else have problems with people not prepping there round for them?
Where I'm on a 25 hour contract and I'm coming in between 9am and 9.20am, by then most people in the office are getting ready to head out, which I can understand!
I say too myself why would someone who is prepping my duty care if they do my door to doors, redirections or throw my packets up on the top of the frame. I get it, I know they have there own duty and I know they are not getting paid any extra so I can understand why when I get in after 9 my frame is a mess but then how doesn't that help me? And how can my managers expect me to get back in allocated time?
I just think it's not realistic and yet I am made to feel like it's somehow me who isn't up to the job or quick enough when I'm smashing my bollocks out, running round my round and still getting back 30-60mins over my time.

It's not everyday, when I was on my first round we had a guy who is on light duties who was absolutely quality, he did everything for me all I had to do was band the Mail together and I was getting back early/on time when this happened, and that's how it should be done, it's just a shame not everybody is like that guy.

I don't mind prepping my own round but then if I do this, I don't expect to get shitty messages off my managers because surely they can see why I'm getting back late when I'm not getting out until 1030am and then they want me to do lapsing as well.

There are so many changes I would make to the way Royal Mail operate, so many things really don't make any sense. Royal Mail is a logicstics company so surely the aim is to get every duty done as easy and as quick as possible.

Why hasn't management created a clear map which shows with numbers the most efficient way for this walk to be done. Save it to there computers and whenever someone does it for the first time, this map should include the dogs and also any codes you may need and that should stay with the trolley and then with the frame.
I deliver to about 7-8 roads usually so I would put on the map where each road started so someone can look at it and visualise there duty before they do it.
What I'm getting is maps which are zoomed in which don't help anybody, I threw the last map a manager gave me in the bin and used my phone maps app because it was just completely useless.
If something like this was done once, then it would be on there computer and it would save so much time running after managers and it would help us know where our walk is from the offices and the quickest way to do it.
I get it that people will mix there duty up over time but if I'm doing a walk for the first time it would just make that so much easier for me to take this duty on board and it makes this process more efficient and will save so much time over the months/years.

I also understand why they have people on 25 hour contracts, (which is what I'm
on too) I will be honest I don't agree with them, but I understand the principle and why it's came in.
But in order for those people on those contracts to be effective the full timers who get asked to prep two duties and are in first thing from 630am, they have to work with people like me so we can both get out at a good time.

I would give those blokes/women more money if they are going to do twice as much work, I don't think they get extra but they should and it should be paid to them like we get the money for D2D's, it would also give people an incentive to do it and I think would make the workforce work harder and work together better. something needs to happen to stop this from happening because I don't think I can carry on like this.

Also with managers I just constantly feel like I'm being fobbed off, I don't get the impression they care. Maybe it's because they have a lot of stress/pressure to sea with but when I look to them for advice or I need help with something I expect them to lead by example and be able to handle it, otherwise don't be a manager.
If I was full time I would have no problem doing everything myself but where I have 14 hours less than everyone else I feel like I'm expected to do the same volume of work with a lot less time and that's impossible.

The job is easy, in the sense that once you get your head round the redirections, pda and loading your trolley/bags, scanning your duty and collection points correctly. It's not really that hard to do,
Physically it doesn't bother me how much I have to walk as I've got used to that already and I enjoy it, I think we all do but a little bit of common sense wouldn't hurt.
For example the walk I am on now has a lot of very steep hills and my trolley must weigh 80-100kg on a Wednesday where the wheels really struggle because it's so heavy, so if you have a heavy round which is a long walk as well, mix it up and rotate people on it to give our bodies a rest or we will just have a load of boys and girls on light duties with bad backs and hernia problems.

My issue is with management making this job so much harder then it really needs to be by not being organised and fobbing you off whenever i have a question or a problem.
Where do you make suggestions on how to do aspects of the job better?
I think there should be a box in the office where you can put your suggestions in for management to take on board. Maybe it would get rid of that divide and feeling of (US vs THEM) because it certainly feels like that in my office.

I don't know guys/girls!
I do really enjoy the job and I get on with everyone in the office but management are so disconnected from the employees and disconnected from the duty and how they are growing, I really don't know how you all suffer it.
In my last job they had something called anonymous feedback, which is meant to be constructive, you can't just say 'you're s**t' haha!
But it worked well because it gave you something to focus on and something to try and improve and take on board. We should be able to give this feedback to our managers and I would say it's only fair if the managers can do this for us as well.

Let's see what happens!

Post by **POSTMAN** » 28 Jun 2017, 19:14

Welcome,great write up! moved your post to Blue shirts forum for more traffic.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 28 Jun 2017, 19:39

Takes about 3 months to get upto speed, so sounds as though you're doing well enough. It's ott if the managers are saying you need additional training because you went over once or twice. I take it you were on the same walk for the first 3 weeks? It's much more difficult moving onto different walks all the time, as you're finding by the sounds of it but you get used to it. Don't know how big your office is but I've been at mine for 2 years and know virtually all the regular walks now anyway due to being a reserve.

On the prep stuff, don't you get ANY time to prep? We get 30 extra minutes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so my start time is 7:35 as oppose to 8 on heavier days. On the D2D's: on quiet days when I'm back early I put mine in ready for the following day.

Post by **Brandy** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:00

POSTMAN wrote:Welcome,great write up! moved your post to Blue shirts forum for more traffic.

Welcome to the world of being a postie!!!!!

madmax1 · Post by **madmax1** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:06

Mate, I could be reading my own words from when I started. It's like deja vu! I'd come in at 9:30 to just the mech in. Piles and piles of letters dumped on the frame , all my pigeon holes on IPS rammed full of mail (all the others empty!) and parcels not touched. I'd have waved to a few guys driving off as I walked in btw too. I was on a solid 4 hour walk. It doesn't need a degree to see that you can't put together and slot out d2d's, sort the mail & parcels, bundle up, load a van/trolley and take your breaks in the remaining hour! Unfortunately you've 3 choices. Bite the bullet and claim a load of overtime, follow the cut-off procedure and end up arguing with the manager nearly every day, or get out. I did all 3 in that order. Finally got transfer out to another office were 9 times out of 10 the prep is done, and d2d's put in. It's so different you wouldn't believe it.
Have you got a rep in the office? Explain to him what's going on & the impossibility of what you're being asked to do, which is basically a FT job on a 5hr a day contract, and get him to at least get the DOM off your back and maybe get your prep done properly. It also let's the DOM know that you aren't going to roll over so he'll take the easy option and see you right and find another victim. Horrible I know but that's how a lot of DOM's work, whatever makes their life easiest is the route they'll take. Don't let it get you down, many other PT'ers have been there and come out the other side!

Jpro747 · Post by **Jpro747** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:18

They are basically trying to bully you by saying your not up to the job so that you feel pressured into coming in early so you can prep and get out the door on time. Don't fall for it!

Anonymous100 · Post by **Anonymous100** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:35

postietom wrote:Takes about 3 months to get upto speed, so sounds as though you're doing well enough. It's ott if the managers are saying you need additional training because you went over once or twice. I take it you were on the same walk for the first 3 weeks? It's much more difficult moving onto different walks all the time, as you're finding by the sounds of it but you get used to it. Don't know how big your office is but I've been at mine for 2 years and know virtually all the regular walks now anyway due to being a reserve.

On the prep stuff, don't you get ANY time to prep? We get 30 extra minutes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so my start time is 7:35 as oppose to 8 on heavier days. On the D2D's: on quiet days when I'm back early I put mine in ready for the following day.

When I was on the first duty I was given it was a 2-3 hour duty depending how heavy it is, so when I got up to speed with it I could have got finished maybe up to an hour before my duty finished.
Then like you said I could always do my door to doors when I got back and get organised and get in front of myself, I do like to get all my D2D's in on a Monday if I'm on the duty for the week, then I just go to the address's which have a letter.
If not, Tuesday is often lighter so I would aim to get them all in by then. Then I have all week to clear them- I just think this is better then doing it daily.

But where I am now getting moved around so much and nobody is doing my prep for me, I just can't see how I can get all that work done in 25hours a week.
I have heard a lot from other people on the same 25hr contracts and they experience the same problems it seems, but it has to change because otherwise nothing is going to get better.

I'd like to think I'm a good lad and just get my head down and get it done but now I'm starting to have a few problems with them, I can't just bite the bullet without them knowing the truth and why I'm getting back over my time.
I'm not lazy, I'm not even motivated by the money, I just want to get in get my work done and go home.

I will have a word with the rep and see what they say and hopefully the week does get better, it just made me laugh because this morning when I got in it was exactly the same as yesterday and I had a little moan and said can you see what I'm dealing with?
... their answer was well leave your lapsing today, I will cover it.
They completely miss the point, they shouldn't be letting my frame get into the mess it's in before I get there. :(

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:41

Anonymous100 wrote: Does anybody else have problems with people not prepping there round for them?

Yes. It got to the point where I was going in and having a look at my frame, then going to the manager, and asking him what the problem is. On a daily basis
I'd explain to him that I was due to start work in ten minutes and there were piles of mail on my frame and nobody prepping. If it's not ready for me in ten minuets I'd say, I'll have to leave something behind as I haven't got time to prep and do everything else, and I can't work overtime today.

On a Wednesday or Thursday I'd go and ask him if he wanted me to prep any door to doors. If he said yes, I'd say right I need to leave behind about 45 mins of stuff. Why? Well, there hasn't been any door to doors thrown in at all this week..

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:44

Anonymous100 wrote: I do like to get all my D2D's in on a Monday if I'm on the duty for the week(

Do you work five days a week? If you are working five hours a day you shouldn't be touching door to doors (other than to push them through the letterbox).

Anonymous100 · Post by **Anonymous100** » 28 Jun 2017, 20:52

NewPostieUK wrote:
Anonymous100 wrote: I do like to get all my D2D's in on a Monday if I'm on the duty for the week(
Do you work five days a week? If you are working five hours a day you shouldn't be touching door to doors (other than to push them through the letterbox).

Yes I work 5days a week.
I personally don't think I should touch redirections, D2D's or the sacks of packers.
I think if someone preps it and gets everything ready when I'm coming in at 9.20 I can spend 30mins putting it all together and loading my trolley, do my lapsing then start my walk and then I would get back on time.

But that's just my opinion haha.
Also where I tend to see door to doors arrive in the office on a Friday/Saturday I think management should get those on light duties to start putting those D2D's together.
If they were organised and we got in front with them it would make it a lot easier.
I know peopl work differently and some do it daily and some do it all on a Monday/Tuesday but it only takes a little bit of communication to prep that frame how someone wants it.
Or just put the D2D's together and leave them on my frame and I will chuck them in.
Anything would be better than nothing to me?

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 28 Jun 2017, 22:30

Anonymous100 wrote:
NewPostieUK wrote:
Anonymous100 wrote: I do like to get all my D2D's in on a Monday if I'm on the duty for the week(
Do you work five days a week? If you are working five hours a day you shouldn't be touching door to doors (other than to push them through the letterbox).

Yes I work 5days a week.
I personally don't think I should touch redirections, D2D's or the sacks of packers.
I think if someone preps it and gets everything ready when I'm coming in at 9.20 I can spend 30mins putting it all together and loading my trolley, do my lapsing then start my walk and then I would get back on time.

But that's just my opinion haha.
Also where I tend to see door to doors arrive in the office on a Friday/Saturday I think management should get those on light duties to start putting those D2D's together.
If they were organised and we got in front with them it would make it a lot easier.
I know peopl work differently and some do it daily and some do it all on a Monday/Tuesday but it only takes a little bit of communication to prep that frame how someone wants it.
Or just put the D2D's together and leave them on my frame and I will chuck them in.
Anything would be better than nothing to me?

Sorry mate, I quite quickly skim read through your last post and assumed you were working 6 hour days. Some offices do work 9 till 3, I think.

You shouldn't be prepping at all on that contract, not in any meaningful way anyway. A few miss sorted letters and packets maybe that haven't turned up until late fair enough, but you should have a full prep every morning. You must not be out till gone 10. It's ridiculous to expect somebody back on time if your'e not leaving till that time, particularly on heavy days. The duty you started on must be an absolute doddle if you were getting back on time. There's 2 people in my office on that contract, and both of them get full preps every day and because they're on paired walks the other postie has 'em ready in waiting in the van most the time.

If I were you the first thing I'd do is go see your union rep and explain, see what he says. Also, once you've finished your duty check the sign in sheet for the following day and see if anybody is down to prep your walk, and if so for how long. It may be whoever is meant to be prepping is just taking the piss because you're a newbie. In the meantime it's down to you, if you're happy with finishing late just make sure you're getting paid. If you're not happy going over just explain to the managers you're cutting off on your time.

tone123 · Post by **tone123** » 11 Jul 2017, 15:47

I started two months ago also on a 25 hour contract.
My experience is broadly similar in that the walk is only possible to complete on time if most/all the prep is done when I arrive to start.
Depending on how heavy the day is, I can bundle up and complete roughly on time but no way if the basic prep is not done.
Fortunately the people I've shared the van with are great and understand that they are on full time and I'm only on 5 hours. If they didn't do their bit then neither of us finish on time.
I totally agree that there is a real mismatch between the part time hours and the walks allocated.
I'm happy to tell the DOM that I have to cut off if there's just too much to deliver. And as for being asked to do flex as well! Don't take the p!ss.

There are a number of issues I encountered on starting that make me think RM is not very good at administration or management. Amateurish would be a good word and I'm being polite there.

Otherwise I'm enjoying it. As you say it's not difficult and I'm really pleased that I no longer have to manage other people and think for them. very relaxing.

Hope things pick up for you.

Post by **Brandy** » 11 Jul 2017, 19:43

Welcome to the world of being a postie,and the awful mismanagement of the so called managers.

Creditshampoo · Post by **Creditshampoo** » 11 Jul 2017, 20:40

postman shouldnt get paid a single penny more to throw off another duty if its done within their own duty time, speak to your rep about being bullied due to turning up and having your frame a complete mess

BillyB · Post by **BillyB** » 20 Jul 2017, 20:51

Unfortunately RM managers are by and large a pathetic bunch. They prey on the weak. You get the odd decent one now and again, but it's rare. Stand up to them, they have alot more to lose than you. Come in on time, do your job to the best of your ability and go home on time if you don't want the O/T. They will soon move you off the round if you keep bringing mail back.

Something they try to keep quiet is, it's actually THEIR responsibility to make sure the mail is cleared each morning, not yours. Turn the tables on them and make it clear you're not prepared to take their crap. Go over their heads, talk to your DOM (if it's the lino on your case), talk to your Union rep. E-mail the help lines, Moya. They hate it when the questions come from above. Talk to the experienced posties, learn your rights, because the managers won't tell you them.

First week I started at RM my line manager tried to tell me my contract was not worth the paper it was written on, as he was giving me thinly veiled threats to my employment. I saw through him within minutes, and explained to him Royal Mail was employing me, NOT you. Royal Mail gave me my contract, NOT you. I basically said if you threaten me with my employment again for simply working my contract, I would take it as far as I could (within RM and otherwise) and name him in every correspondence. I meant it as well. I was in the fortunate position where I was prepared to stand my ground or lose my job. I hate bullies anyway. He never bothered me again, and I'm still employed 3years on!