Any chance you Smiths 70 guys could bring us up to speed with what exactly is going on.
Sort of bits ive clocked are.
You're going into Smiths,you wont work for POCL/RM any more and will pull their wages(lower i presume)
The jist i think most people are getting was you was just moving and all the bits stay the same!
So what happens to your pension,your contract,future training for new staff,will you have to reapply for the job in Smiths as such and so on.
When you've got time can you's bring us up to speed with the goings on.
Many thanks.
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What exactly is going on guys.
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POSTMAN
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What exactly is going on guys.
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
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TrueBlueTerrier
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Yes please post and advise perhaps both sides could join in with any IA to promote the views of the other.
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Any post in any other colour is my own responsibility.
If you like a news story I posted please click the link to show support
Any news stories you can't post - PM me with a link
Retired
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bigjames
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What exactly is going on?
This is it so far: The announcement was made on April 19th, that 70 Crown Offices across the country were being sold to WHSmiths after the successful trial in 6 branches. A further 15 were put in 'limbo' where within the next year they will either be franchised, or if no buyers are found then the doors will be shut and POL will walk away, effectively closing those offices. The conversion programme starts in August, and will run at approximately 3 offices a week until next June, with Carlisle taking the dubious honour of being last! The programme will take a break over the Christmas pressure period.
Every member of staff in each of the 85 offices (Smiths 70 and Limbo 15) has been given a preference exercise to complete, with the forms needing to be in to Salford HR by last Friday the 25th. Staff members with 2 or more years service qualify for a VR package, that will be rounded up to the next whole year of service and the next birthday using a ready reckoner sent out with the announcement details. The minimum anyone with 2 or more years service can expect is 26 weeks money. On top of that there is a TUPE waiver compensation package which will pay out between £500 and £5000 depending on the amount of VR qualified for, with again someone on 2 years service getting the full £5k plus 26 weeks money. The TUPE waiver removes the right to claim TUPE rights if the staff member goes and works for WHSmiths. People can transfer across on TUPE if they wish, but they will then not qualify for VR or the comepnsation package. Anyone not signing the TUPE waiver will not be paid VR. In addition to this there is a Sales Continuity bonus on offer for offices that achieve at least 90% of their income target by the date of the conversion of £1000, but this will not be paid to any member of staff who actively opposes the conversion plans or discourages customers from transferring across to WHSmiths. The sales continuity payment is also paid to staff who remain in the business.
The Preference exercise offers the options of VR, continued employment within POL on the counter, redployment within POL on Admin or redeployment within the Royal Mail Group. If anyone opts for continued employment on the counter they have been asked to state a preference as to which office(s) they would like to work at. If no suitable vacancy exists in any of their stated preferred offices, a further preference exercise will be conducted within those offices to see if there are 'bumping' opportunities, i.e. anyone who wants to go on VR in an office not in the 85.
With regard to employment in WHSmiths, all that is guaranteed is that staff will be considered for work there, there will be a selection process involving a telephone interview and face to face interviews if candidates are successful over the phone. There is also a 'bounty' paid by WHSmiths if the new staff member stays for a year, paid at the end of the year. It is WHSmiths stated intention to attract as many staff from POL as possible because they appreciate the complexity of the job and the experience our staff have.
Staff on temporary contracts, or on less than 2 years service do not qualify for the VR package, but do qualify for the compensation package and the sales continuity payment if the office qualifies. They also get to do the preference exercise, but if no job is found for them their contracts are terminated. Also for the time being anyone who has a temporary contract has had that contract automatically extended to the date of the conversion, and if that period brings them up to or over 2 years service they are automatically given a permanent contract.
People leaving the business also qualify for a £500 grant to help them retrain and also free access to a firm called DBM to help them with CV's job-hunting etc.
I think that is it, but if I think of anything else I will post it. If anyone has any qestions just fire away, after all that is all I have been dealing with for the last 4 weeks!!!!
Every member of staff in each of the 85 offices (Smiths 70 and Limbo 15) has been given a preference exercise to complete, with the forms needing to be in to Salford HR by last Friday the 25th. Staff members with 2 or more years service qualify for a VR package, that will be rounded up to the next whole year of service and the next birthday using a ready reckoner sent out with the announcement details. The minimum anyone with 2 or more years service can expect is 26 weeks money. On top of that there is a TUPE waiver compensation package which will pay out between £500 and £5000 depending on the amount of VR qualified for, with again someone on 2 years service getting the full £5k plus 26 weeks money. The TUPE waiver removes the right to claim TUPE rights if the staff member goes and works for WHSmiths. People can transfer across on TUPE if they wish, but they will then not qualify for VR or the comepnsation package. Anyone not signing the TUPE waiver will not be paid VR. In addition to this there is a Sales Continuity bonus on offer for offices that achieve at least 90% of their income target by the date of the conversion of £1000, but this will not be paid to any member of staff who actively opposes the conversion plans or discourages customers from transferring across to WHSmiths. The sales continuity payment is also paid to staff who remain in the business.
The Preference exercise offers the options of VR, continued employment within POL on the counter, redployment within POL on Admin or redeployment within the Royal Mail Group. If anyone opts for continued employment on the counter they have been asked to state a preference as to which office(s) they would like to work at. If no suitable vacancy exists in any of their stated preferred offices, a further preference exercise will be conducted within those offices to see if there are 'bumping' opportunities, i.e. anyone who wants to go on VR in an office not in the 85.
With regard to employment in WHSmiths, all that is guaranteed is that staff will be considered for work there, there will be a selection process involving a telephone interview and face to face interviews if candidates are successful over the phone. There is also a 'bounty' paid by WHSmiths if the new staff member stays for a year, paid at the end of the year. It is WHSmiths stated intention to attract as many staff from POL as possible because they appreciate the complexity of the job and the experience our staff have.
Staff on temporary contracts, or on less than 2 years service do not qualify for the VR package, but do qualify for the compensation package and the sales continuity payment if the office qualifies. They also get to do the preference exercise, but if no job is found for them their contracts are terminated. Also for the time being anyone who has a temporary contract has had that contract automatically extended to the date of the conversion, and if that period brings them up to or over 2 years service they are automatically given a permanent contract.
People leaving the business also qualify for a £500 grant to help them retrain and also free access to a firm called DBM to help them with CV's job-hunting etc.
I think that is it, but if I think of anything else I will post it. If anyone has any qestions just fire away, after all that is all I have been dealing with for the last 4 weeks!!!!
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bigjames
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What exactly is going on........
Okay, there were some other bits....
If you leave the business your pension is frozen as it is, but it can be moved to another scheme, it gets tricky after that and advice needs to be taken to get the right result for the individual. If a member of staff is between 50 and 60 they will get a reduced VR offer, but will get their pension early, along with it's associated lump sum. At first glance the over 50's seem at a disadvantage, but the ready reckoner for VR is generic and easy to use because it is just an indication of how many weeks money people would get, pensions are much more complicated and understandably vary from person to person. The bottom line being that over 50's do not lose out as their money comes from 2 different pots. The best place to be is between 60 and 65 becasue you get VR (amount dependant on length of service), plus your Pension lump sum - a big chunk of change!
If you state a preference to leave the business under VR it is virtually guaranteed that you will be granted that opportunity, it would seem that it might be slightly different for BM's, but what we have been told thus far is if you want to go you can.
With regard to the future training of new staff, that would be the responsibility of WHSmith in conjunction with POL, and both sides seem to be approaching the whole thing in a completely different way to previous conversions. Whole liaison departments are being set up to support Smiths, and they will incur financial penalties if they do not meet sales targets that would be broadly similar to those of the Crown Offices they replace.
WHSmiths wages are a lot less than POL, I do not have the figures to hand, but they have not been kept secret. The whole idea behind the franchise deal is to cut our costs, while at the same time securing income, if Smiths pay less that is down to them as long as POL still gets the income from the products and services.
Hope this helps
If you leave the business your pension is frozen as it is, but it can be moved to another scheme, it gets tricky after that and advice needs to be taken to get the right result for the individual. If a member of staff is between 50 and 60 they will get a reduced VR offer, but will get their pension early, along with it's associated lump sum. At first glance the over 50's seem at a disadvantage, but the ready reckoner for VR is generic and easy to use because it is just an indication of how many weeks money people would get, pensions are much more complicated and understandably vary from person to person. The bottom line being that over 50's do not lose out as their money comes from 2 different pots. The best place to be is between 60 and 65 becasue you get VR (amount dependant on length of service), plus your Pension lump sum - a big chunk of change!
If you state a preference to leave the business under VR it is virtually guaranteed that you will be granted that opportunity, it would seem that it might be slightly different for BM's, but what we have been told thus far is if you want to go you can.
With regard to the future training of new staff, that would be the responsibility of WHSmith in conjunction with POL, and both sides seem to be approaching the whole thing in a completely different way to previous conversions. Whole liaison departments are being set up to support Smiths, and they will incur financial penalties if they do not meet sales targets that would be broadly similar to those of the Crown Offices they replace.
WHSmiths wages are a lot less than POL, I do not have the figures to hand, but they have not been kept secret. The whole idea behind the franchise deal is to cut our costs, while at the same time securing income, if Smiths pay less that is down to them as long as POL still gets the income from the products and services.
Hope this helps
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squeaky
- POST OFFICE
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- Joined: 19 May 2007, 18:35
What exactly is going on guys.
WHSmith wages are A LOT less!
Aldershot:
counter - £5.65
ABM - £12/13,500
BM - £17/19,000 and same for Alton but Redhill pays more!
counter - £6.40
ABM - £14/15,500
BM - £19/22,000 unlike the £9.92 that us POs get now!
for more details:
http://www.whsmithcareers.co.uk/careers/index/html
be very depressed
Aldershot:
counter - £5.65
ABM - £12/13,500
BM - £17/19,000 and same for Alton but Redhill pays more!
counter - £6.40
ABM - £14/15,500
BM - £19/22,000 unlike the £9.92 that us POs get now!
for more details:
http://www.whsmithcareers.co.uk/careers/index/html
be very depressed
PO
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POSTMAN
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Thanks James,blimey a lot to take in there,good luck with it guys.
Squeaky have a look here as well re wages.
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/vi ... .php?t=881
Squeaky have a look here as well re wages.
http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/forum/vi ... .php?t=881
I Wrote-During Covid-Which is still relevant now
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.
It's good to get these types of threads, the ridiculous my manager said bollox, so we can reassure ourselves that while the world is falling apart, Royal Mail managers are still being the low-life C***S they have always been.
My BFF Clash
The daily grind of having to argue your case with an intellectual pigmy of a line manager is physically and emotionally draining.