Work Related Stress

[WelshBlueShirt]

How many offices around the country have had staff go off with work related stress ?

I know of a few offices with staff off with work related stress, some who refuse to speak to their line manager when they keep in contact with the office, others driven to attempted suicide (yes, i know some have external factors adding to their stresses) but when you have some managers, that have the people skills of an angry rhino, who would just snap at you for even suggesting something that they hadn't thought of, or look at you like your the dirt beneath their shoe. That sort of manager needs to go. I've heard of an office where in the past 10 years, they've had 1 committed suicide due to management pressure, a few more attempted suicide, and countless staff off with work related stress over the years. And also their lead com has been off a few times for months on end with stress.

Senior management are constantly putting pressure on offices to hit a an unrealistic target with their gross hours budget, and it's ultimately pushing people to breaking point. Morale is at an all-time low.

But just today the company have sent out a communication about how addressed letters are down 10%, parcel volumes are up by 8%, Christmas Tracked parcels were up 24% year on year. At the bottom they have the cheek to thank the staff for the part they played in delivering a great christmas. Personally i think it was one of the worst Christmases we've seen, due to the amount of failures around the country, failing the USO, even Tracked parcels were being brought back.

But hey ho, come June, all the managers (inc. trainees) will be patting themselves on the back with their rather large bonuses on a job well done. There will be no recognition from some managers for the hard work that's done day in day out from the staff.

Apologies for the rant,

a rather p'd off WelshBlueShirt

[tramssirhc]

How many offices around the country have had staff go off with work related stress ?

I know of a few offices with staff off with work related stress, some who refuse to speak to their line manager when they keep in contact with the office, others driven to attempted suicide (yes, i know some have external factors adding to their stresses) but when you have some managers, that have the people skills of an angry rhino, who would just snap at you for even suggesting something that they hadn't thought of, or look at you like your the dirt beneath their shoe. That sort of manager needs to go. I've heard of an office where in the past 10 years, they've had 1 committed suicide due to management pressure, a few more attempted suicide, and countless staff off with work related stress over the years. And also their lead com has been off a few times for months on end with stress.

Senior management are constantly putting pressure on offices to hit a an unrealistic target with their gross hours budget, and it's ultimately pushing people to breaking point. Morale is at an all-time low.

But just today the company have sent out a communication about how addressed letters are down 10%, parcel volumes are up by 8%, Christmas Tracked parcels were up 24% year on year. At the bottom they have the cheek to thank the staff for the part they played in delivering a great christmas. Personally i think it was one of the worst Christmases we've seen, due to the amount of failures around the country, failing the USO, even Tracked parcels were being brought back.

But hey ho, come June, all the managers (inc. trainees) will be patting themselves on the back with their rather large bonuses on a job well done. There will be no recognition from some managers for the hard work that's done day in day out from the staff.

Apologies for the rant,

a rather p'd off WelshBlueShirt

You'd think the CWU would be interested in this. The Sawyer report was commissioned years ago and the CWU never saw it through.

[WelshBlueShirt]

It seems these days the CWU is in bed with the company.

[tramssirhc]

It seems these days the CWU is in bed with the company.

Have a read about the Sawyer report.

[norris9]

The CWU do nothing to fix this. Local and regional reps seem to have more of a rapport with the managers than the posties because they spend a more time with the managers than the posties. They get to know managers more personally, whereas a rep in charge of a large office of posties will know very little about half of their members.

Just wait until we have double or triple mail each and every day when the USO changes come in.... it's going to become insanely toxic.

[TopperGas]

The CWU do nothing to fix this. Local and regional reps seem to have more of a rapport with the managers than the posties because they spend a more time with the managers than the posties. They get to know managers more personally, whereas a rep in charge of a large office of posties will know very little about half of their members.

Just wait until we have double or triple mail each and every day when the USO changes come in.... it's going to become insanely toxic.

To be fair what can the CWU do to fix the work load issues if RM are prepared to ignore OFCOM and so effectively the Government? The only avenue left open to the CWU is IA and no union member is ever going to take IA and so loose money just over their workload.

[WelshBlueShirt]

How many people need to be pushed to work related stress, suicide attempts before the company think, oh s**t somethings wrong here.

I've been in the job for longer than i care to admit, and seen the gradual decline in the company, but never to the extreme it's got nowadays.

New staff don't stay. Older staff are at breaking point. It's already toxic.

The place is a disgrace, and if the media knew half of what was going on.

[roadrunner bill]

The company is run by human beings obsessed with greed... profit... money..... and their own gain....

To the elites..... how sad....

Have they sold their souls to Satan ?

[scoobydo79]

I look round My office first thing and would love to see what everyone’s blood pressure is.

[roadrunner bill]

They don't care..

[Pfrizzy10]

The CWU do nothing to fix this. Local and regional reps seem to have more of a rapport with the managers than the posties because they spend a more time with the managers than the posties. They get to know managers more personally, whereas a rep in charge of a large office of posties will know very little about half of their members.

Just wait until we have double or triple mail each and every day when the USO changes come in.... it's going to become insanely toxic.

And? Couldn’t give a bollocks if there was 10x mail, finish times remain the same. The only people putting stress on workers is themselves. Work to your time and do what you can do, it’s simple.

[Mike G]

The CWU do nothing to fix this. Local and regional reps seem to have more of a rapport with the managers than the posties because they spend a more time with the managers than the posties. They get to know managers more personally, whereas a rep in charge of a large office of posties will know very little about half of their members.

Just wait until we have double or triple mail each and every day when the USO changes come in.... it's going to become insanely toxic.

And? Couldn’t give a bollocks if there was 10x mail, finish times remain the same. The only people putting stress on workers is themselves. Work to your time and do what you can do, it’s simple.

Easy for you to say, you obviously have the kind of personality that relishes having a stand up debate/argument with a DOM every day when you go to tell them you can't complete.

Some people don't have the capacity to engage in that level of conflict and confrontation day in day out and nor should they be expected to.

[Pfrizzy10]

The CWU do nothing to fix this. Local and regional reps seem to have more of a rapport with the managers than the posties because they spend a more time with the managers than the posties. They get to know managers more personally, whereas a rep in charge of a large office of posties will know very little about half of their members.

Just wait until we have double or triple mail each and every day when the USO changes come in.... it's going to become insanely toxic.

And? Couldn’t give a bollocks if there was 10x mail, finish times remain the same. The only people putting stress on workers is themselves. Work to your time and do what you can do, it’s simple.

Easy for you to say, you obviously have the kind of personality that relishes having a stand up debate/argument with a DOM every day when you go to tell them you can't complete.

Some people don't have the capacity to engage in that level of conflict and confrontation day in day out and nor should they be expected to.

There is no debate if you work to your time. They can’t do a thing about it. If people can’t even do that for themselves, then it doesn’t surprise me that they are walked over. These are probably the same people walking into work 30 minutes before their time for free as well.

[clockshopman]

How many offices around the country have had staff go off with work related stress ?

I know of a few offices with staff off with work related stress, some who refuse to speak to their line manager when they keep in contact with the office, others driven to attempted suicide (yes, i know some have external factors adding to their stresses) but when you have some managers, that have the people skills of an angry rhino, who would just snap at you for even suggesting something that they hadn't thought of, or look at you like your the dirt beneath their shoe. That sort of manager needs to go. I've heard of an office where in the past 10 years, they've had 1 committed suicide due to management pressure, a few more attempted suicide, and countless staff off with work related stress over the years. And also their lead com has been off a few times for months on end with stress.

Senior management are constantly putting pressure on offices to hit a an unrealistic target with their gross hours budget, and it's ultimately pushing people to breaking point. Morale is at an all-time low.

But just today the company have sent out a communication about how addressed letters are down 10%, parcel volumes are up by 8%, Christmas Tracked parcels were up 24% year on year. At the bottom they have the cheek to thank the staff for the part they played in delivering a great christmas. Personally i think it was one of the worst Christmases we've seen, due to the amount of failures around the country, failing the USO, even Tracked parcels were being brought back.

But hey ho, come June, all the managers (inc. trainees) will be patting themselves on the back with their rather large bonuses on a job well done. There will be no recognition from some managers for the hard work that's done day in day out from the staff.

Apologies for the rant,

a rather p'd off WelshBlueShirt

[clockshopman]

Agree completely and I know there are a significant number of people in our office off with work related stress. Some of the behaviour I've seen over the last few months would make your hair stand on end, am talking open sexual harassment/degradation of female colleagues, threats to kill, criminal damage (unpunished), managers lying to get people sacked, theft of parcels going completely unpunished, on and on.... (you can guess what happens when you try and report it ).

I think people need to start thinking about whistle blowing, I'm looking into it myself. You can buy concealed cameras with microphones for peanuts these days. I was just thinking today, as I was witnessing the usual abhorrent behaviour from one of our line managers towards a young (very pleasant) lad, that the likes of Panorama/Dispatches, and also the general public, would love to see that kind of footage.