The "How was your day" thread.

[HTPostman]

We are now falling behind and I can’t see how we’ll catch up. I wouldn’t mind but we have lots of casuals, we have quite a few hire vans. It’s just poor mismanagement - eg a park and loop duty having 2 workers (in separate vans) plus a third guy (in a third van!) doing oversized for them. Meanwhile next frame along is a park and loop, has 4 days mail, but only gets 1 worker.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

We are now falling behind and I can’t see how we’ll catch up. I wouldn’t mind but we have lots of casuals, we have quite a few hire vans. It’s just poor mismanagement - eg a park and loop duty having 2 workers (in separate vans) plus a third guy (in a third van!) doing oversized for them. Meanwhile next frame along is a park and loop, has 4 days mail, but only gets 1 worker.

Same here, once you fall behind it’s hard to get it back. I did hear they might put on Sunday next week for the dock kings to try and pull it back. Afew Xmas cards have started appearing the last few days, when the volume of those hits along with the volume of parcels I would think the whole system will get behind and not catch up until the new year.

[Speedmeister]

went over every day despite cutting off the past two days.

How do you manage to go over when you cut off?

Most of us just took the tracked parcels today & left all the mail & can not see much mail being shifted next week?

After going over by 3 hours on Wednesday I decided I'd stay out but not for as long. I stayed out for 1 hour 30 mins on Thursday and still brought back about a row and today I had to get back to the DO before the cut off time for the last collection - still 30 mins over and brought back about a row again. One problem is we're getting out late so with such a heavy workload it's impossible to complete. I've been covering a rural round this week that's had about 50 new builds built on it - even before these were built it was a real struggle to get finished on time. I could have delivered more mail but I had to make sure all the tracked and specials were delivered and also the collection was done.

[dohnut]

Haven't finished on time since April, I come in early doing packets at 7am, come back to office get out around 10am, last week I left 1 walk and still went over 1 hour, yet there are walks in my office that can still.finish on time or even before there time, the equality of royal mail.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

I had to get back to the DO before the cut off time for the last collection

This is one of the things that is wrong with RM, we have people who would be willing to stay out abit longer but don’t because they need to get back for the last collection. Logic would say put a driver on to take the later stuff upto the mail centre or even ask the mail centre to make the last collection later. The times they are working on now are no way appropriate to the job and even more so for the afternoon staff who are still expected to do collection on delivery. It’s added stress when there shouldn’t be any.

[PostmanBitesDog]

It's pretty horrific in our office now. There're Royal Mail sacks full of packets all piled on top of each other. The sacks form a mountain next to their respective frames, but they end up tumbling down like an avalanche.

And there're loads of gray boxes full of sequenced mail and manual mail. Boxes stacked up high; some on yorks, some against their respective frames. Mail that's days old. Some for important customers like pharmacies and clinics. Letters and packets are found under the frames, right up against the walls the frames are placed against.

Our office is turning into a Hermes warehouse (I would know; I've worked in one a while back).

What p*sses me off about all of this is the negligence by the managers. The important mail that needs to be sent to pharmacies and clinics should be dealt with, not just the more important Tracked and Specials.

We've recently lost some staff due to resignations and retirement. Many others are off work due to injuries or off sick (not COVID-related). Others are self-isolating due to having coronavirus symptoms or having been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

[rambo1]

It's pretty horrific in our office now. There're Royal Mail sacks full of packets all piled on top of each other. The sacks form a mountain next to their respective frames, but they end up tumbling down like an avalanche.

And there're loads of gray boxes full of sequenced mail and manual mail. Boxes stacked up high; some on yorks, some against their respective frames. Mail that's days old. Some for important customers like pharmacies and clinics. Letters and packets are found under the frames, right up against the walls the frames are placed against.

Our office is turning into a Hermes warehouse (I would know; I've worked in one a while back).

What p*sses me off about all of this is the negligence by the managers. The important mail that needs to be sent to pharmacies and clinics should be dealt with, not just the more important Tracked and Specials.

We've recently lost some staff due to resignations and retirement. Many others are off work due to injuries or off sick (not COVID-related). Others are self-isolating due to having coronavirus symptoms or having been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

I would be inclined to forward this message to justsayit@rotalmail.com

[rambo1]

Correction.. justsayit@royalmail.com

[rambo1]

Had a busy but decent day today. Then found out what duty I am on during Christmas and what my day off will be Christmas week. Of course it's Saturday & Monday

I think most floaters will get that, you only get the monday hrs back in lieu you know. Saturday is just tough.

[rambo1]

It was so bad with parcels today it was in a strange way kind of liberating. Took all the tracked which filled the van and left 2 York’s of non tracked which were still sitting there when I arrived back 90 mins over my time. It’s just not achievable with this current workload, add the Christmas cards to this and things are going to grind to a halt.

I reckon what will happen is they'll say take all packets and half the mail then other half of round mail next day and alternate it. There really is no space in most offices to get a backup of undelivered packets. This method saves on average about an hr and a half a day because it's only letters youre leaving. Most would still go up to 2hrs over their time still if they wanted the docket that is. Don't know how they'd swing it with the regulator though, maybe just blame covid like in summer.

[PostmanBitesDog]

It's pretty horrific in our office now. There're Royal Mail sacks full of packets all piled on top of each other. The sacks form a mountain next to their respective frames, but they end up tumbling down like an avalanche.

And there're loads of gray boxes full of sequenced mail and manual mail. Boxes stacked up high; some on yorks, some against their respective frames. Mail that's days old. Some for important customers like pharmacies and clinics. Letters and packets are found under the frames, right up against the walls the frames are placed against.

Our office is turning into a Hermes warehouse (I would know; I've worked in one a while back).

What p*sses me off about all of this is the negligence by the managers. The important mail that needs to be sent to pharmacies and clinics should be dealt with, not just the more important Tracked and Specials.

We've recently lost some staff due to resignations and retirement. Many others are off work due to injuries or off sick (not COVID-related). Others are self-isolating due to having coronavirus symptoms or having been in close contact with someone who has the virus.

I would be inclined to forward this message to justsayit@royalmail.com

I've been thinking of taking it further. Contacting the media.

[bustedflush]

Crikey. I can only imagine, based simply on older 'normal' Christmases, what it must be like for you guys and gals. Not just 'Black Friday' and Xmas pressure, but the fact people are even ordering online basics that they would usually buy in retail outlets such as AA batteries or say tubes of Germolene. I cannot see how those dreadful Peugeot vans can even accommodate 2 deliveries' worth of mail and packets even on Christmas arrangements where you get rid of the main ones to those on parcel-only duties.

I haven't seen my usual postie for several months now so hopefully he's okay and simply left, moved rounds and isn't ill. I seem to have a different one most days, unsurprisingly at the moment, so don't know to whom I shall give the Christmas gratuity I put in a card each year. In fact I think whoever delivers on the day will get lucky, simple as that - you all deserve a decent bit of recognition this year.

It's you RM delivery staff, the white van man and other drivers that have kept things going since March and made this Kung Flu crisis more tolerable for all citizens. In my opinion, just as important as NHS workers and shop workers and deserve equal recognition.

I know this post won't reduce your packets, workload and stress so all I can say is that I for one, plus the people in my so-called 'bubble', all appreciate what you're going through right now and doing for us. God Bless and hoping you all have a happy Christmas when the time off comes in 24 days.

[PostmanBitesDog]

And if people continue to act irresponsibly the country could go into a third lockdown after Christmas.

Sky News (Nov. 30, 2020) ~ COVID-19: Another National Lockdown Not Ruled Out as Minister Warns We May Not 'Get Back to Normal' Until Next Summer

[rambo1]

And if people continue to act irresponsibly the country could go into a third lockdown after Christmas.

Sky News (Nov. 30, 2020) ~ COVID-19: Another National Lockdown Not Ruled Out as Minister Warns We May Not 'Get Back to Normal' Until Next Summer

'if' and 'could' ......dream on. It'll be 'when' and 'will' . Give most an inch and they'll take a mile. Easiest and best way would have been keep the tiers/lockdowns over Christmas. It's only a day I feel sorry for all the other religions in the country that had to lockdown in their religious festivals. The govt are absolutely clueless.

[rambo1]

Crikey. I can only imagine, based simply on older 'normal' Christmases, what it must be like for you guys and gals. Not just 'Black Friday' and Xmas pressure, but the fact people are even ordering online basics that they would usually buy in retail outlets such as AA batteries or say tubes of Germolene. I cannot see how those dreadful Peugeot vans can even accommodate 2 deliveries' worth of mail and packets even on Christmas arrangements where you get rid of the main ones to those on parcel-only duties.

I haven't seen my usual postie for several months now so hopefully he's okay and simply left, moved rounds and isn't ill. I seem to have a different one most days, unsurprisingly at the moment, so don't know to whom I shall give the Christmas gratuity I put in a card each year. In fact I think whoever delivers on the day will get lucky, simple as that - you all deserve a decent bit of recognition this year.

It's you RM delivery staff, the white van man and other drivers that have kept things going since March and made this Kung Flu crisis more tolerable for all citizens. In my opinion, just as important as NHS workers and shop workers and deserve equal recognition.

I know this post won't reduce your packets, workload and stress so all I can say is that I for one, plus the people in my so-called 'bubble', all appreciate what you're going through right now and doing for us. God Bless and hoping you all have a happy Christmas when the time off comes in 24 days.

Thank you for thinking of us. We greatly appreciate it. Take care.