Staff costs to income ratio

[PO1]

Apparently our BM's been told that our's is currently 1.49 for the year 2010-11.

The aim is to get it below 1.

Now, last year for half of it we had someone on HOL training and no FS for 3/4 of it. Of course most of the hours were lapsed.

So how are we going to achieve this?

1. No overtime (we don't get any)
2. No bonus (yep, none of that)
3. No payrise (they're trying that)
4. Reduce wages (that too)
5. Reduce staff.
6. See you on the picket line.

[Mad Max]

Honest question

If you were running a business and you were losing £3 for every £2 you made( the 1.49 ratio ) what would you do?

[PO1]

Honest question

If you were running a business and you were losing £3 for every £2 you made( the 1.49 ratio ) what would you do?

First point of call would be to get shut of all the sales hangers on and excess managers in a lot of the offices (like ours) that you don't need.

I think you'd then find you'll be there.

[The BFO]

Honest question

If you were running a business and you were losing £3 for every £2 you made( the 1.49 ratio ) what would you do?

It is not entirely a business. It is in large part a public service for the less well off and able in society, which is why Government subsidise it.
The argument is how much subsidy, and how much do you pay the people who work in the industry?

[goggins69]

I couldn't agree more

[Mad Max]

Honest question

If you were running a business and you were losing £3 for every £2 you made( the 1.49 ratio ) what would you do?

It is not entirely a business. It is in large part a public service for the less well off and able in society, which is why Government subsidise it.
The argument is how much subsidy, and how much do you pay the people who work in the industry?

That is my point.

Additionally if the Business can be run in the same manner with less cost ie the sub post office and franchise model, then its the governments duty to save the taxpayer money. Not my arguement just the reality that the PO running Crown offices won't continue for much longer.

Unless of course they can make money through new sales ventures, which is not proving sucessful. The idea that getting rid of the sales culture will solve the PO's problems is an oxymoron, it will only bring the day closer when POL is no longer the employer of those who work in the Crown network.

[kathleen1]

The problem for crown offices now its all too late, the biggest mistake was giving the public a choice over the transformation from benefit books to accounts.I remember it was a saturday afternoon our staff were all gathered round a table and a regional manager saying to us "you can't persuade a customer to open a poca, you have got to let them make the decision themselves".We all looked at each other in disbelief, so we said "surely we want as many poca customers to come in branch so we stay open and make profit".The manager said "don't you worry they will still come in", we all looked at each other in a silent pause.Now down the years in our empty office they don't come in and when they do you are forced to sell them the kitchen sink with an e-top up. The problem with the post-office is they are always five or more years behind everyone else and had no long term plan mainly because the managers are so weak and inadequate at the top and branch level.It really does upset me whats happened in the last couple of years when you see the care and experience of the hardworking staff go to pot trying to get sales on the trusted postoffice brand which us the staff had created.New bms and abms coming in from retail backgrounds but haven't got a clue how to run and staff a crown office, so far up their own backside giving it the talk but can't do the basics, but telling me how to serve a customer and sell life insurance for eight hours aday.It will be a sad day when our office shuts or becomes whsmiths but in away i will be glad not to be part of a company that has overloaded the business with too many abysmal managers and knowing they have got no chance of earning their over inflated wages anywhere else especially in whsmiths.

[Mad Max]

Kathleen most of what you say is true, the business is at a tipping point.

What colleagues need to remember is that the decisions made by the people at the top like Crozier, Greene affect ALL employees not just CWU members.

Sadly some of the bitter self styled working class hero's on this site are about to face the same fate as the mangers they so despise for no other reason than the fact they manage.

They will face compulsory redundancy too, except on a massive scale.

[Mad Max]

the business with too many abysmal managers and knowing they have got no chance of earning their over inflated wages anywhere else especially in whsmiths.

The business makes it plain that Crown staff also "earn over inflated wages"

Would you dispute that?

[DGP1]

the business with too many abysmal managers and knowing they have got no chance of earning their over inflated wages anywhere else especially in whsmiths.

The business makes it plain that Crown staff also "earn over inflated wages"

Would you dispute that?

Do you think everyone should be on minimum wage then? As far as i can see, only the managers upwards are paid over inflated wages.

[billyhayes]

This seems to be the new buzzword in many offices. Ratio's.
Gotta laugh 'cos as the BM was trying to deliver this little gem in WTL I asked "was that ratio worked out before or after your 2.5% payrise?". After that they seemed to lose the thread a little and the whole thing fell apart.

You can't plead poverty and say theres not a pot to piss in when you can give someone on £32,000 another 2.5% on top.

Everything that POL has done over the past few months has shown that money is STILL being spent in all the wrong places. I couldnt give two shites if NO-ONE across the entire network was on a payfreeze, then more people may listen to the ramblings about costs and ratios, but this is simply not the case.

To further the decline of business, POL has decided that there is no money in the pot for ATMs.
Apparently having one is a licence to print money. Especially during closed hours. But no, this is one initiative that POL has done away with.
Instead they are pushing ahead with enabling the post n go machines the ability to do recorded and special delivery. yet another reason for the customer not to go to the counter.
We are heading the way of other countries POs where its just a wall of automated post n go machines, no counter and a lone postie to come and empty the mail boxes.

Speculate to accumulate? Fraid not.

These people couldn't find their arseholes with both hands...

[billyhayes]

Kathleen most of what you say is true, the business is at a tipping point.

What colleagues need to remember, and in particular the "class warriors" on here, is that the clueless decisions made by the people at the top like Crozier, Greene etc affect ALL employees not just CWU members.

Sadly some of the bitter self styled working class hero's on this site are about to face the same fate as the mangers they so despise for no other reason than the fact they manage.

They will face compulsory redundancy too, except on a massive scale.

This guy cracks me. Did you recently get the big heave ho maximus?

I only ask because your posts are riddled with sour grapes. Support functions would be my guess. With a lengthy spell as a crown manager beforehand...
It amuses me also about those that despise managers because they manage. Wow, just WTF have these people been managing for the last 10 years... The destruction of Post Office Ltd.

I don't think anyone here is unaware of the fact the we will all be gone within a few months.

Then you do what you gotta do. Get another job.

Seems your visits here are more in the vein of "they f****d me, i hope they f**k you too"

[PO1]

We're all clinging on for the possibility of VR because we all know that decisions made in the past by others have fooked us and despite the economic climate I for one would be off like a shot.

Like I said in an earlier post "First point of call would be to get shut of all the sales hangers on and excess managers in a lot of the offices (like ours) that you don't need." That's the point.

They're flogging sales in a lot of offices which basically provide a social need. You haven't got a hope in high heaven of obtaining a sale and still time, effort and money gets wasted day after day. It may work in some but definately not in all and they'll never wake up to that fact.

[Mad Max]

Kathleen most of what you say is true, the business is at a tipping point.

What colleagues need to remember, and in particular the "class warriors" on here, is that the clueless decisions made by the people at the top like Crozier, Greene etc affect ALL employees not just CWU members.

Sadly some of the bitter self styled working class hero's on this site are about to face the same fate as the mangers they so despise for no other reason than the fact they manage.

They will face compulsory redundancy too, except on a massive scale.

This guy cracks me. Did you recently get the big heave ho maximus?

I only ask because your posts are riddled with sour grapes. Support functions would be my guess. With a lengthy spell as a crown manager beforehand...
It amuses me also about those that despise managers because they manage. Wow, just WTF have these people been managing for the last 10 years... The destruction of Post Office Ltd.

I don't think anyone here is unaware of the fact the we will all be gone within a few months.

Then you do what you gotta do. Get another job.

Seems your visits here are more in the vein of "they f****d me, i hope they f**k you too"

Billy Hayes..My own stalker

It was people like you I was talking about that are killing the business.

Full of confrontational attitude and no answers

[Mad Max]

They're flogging sales in a lot of offices which basically provide a social need. You haven't got a hope in high heaven of obtaining a sale and still time, effort and money gets wasted day after day. It may work in some but definately not in all and they'll never wake up to that fact.

Absolutley correct.