My experience is somewhat opposite. I started closer to two decades ago. A day with a "coach" then was left to it and rarely got more than a couple of days in a row on any duty.hewittinspain wrote: ↑30 Nov 2025, 08:51Gone are the days they were put on the same walk for 6 weeks with full support from the manager and union rep. They come in with no real training, moved onto different walks, have to come in a lot of Sunday's and they are on minimum wage.
When I started 12 years ago I was on £2 more than the minimum wage at the time which in current money will be £3 more, I was with the workplace coach for days literally shadowing me for the first 2 days, I felt valued. I was also finishing my round fully without any issues or worries of going over and some days actually finishing a bit earlier on a Saturday.
Of course you knew the duties then were achievable once the muscle memory took hold. And there was always someone nearby with the knowledge and time to give you a helpful hint or two
In my office they are getting better at leaving the new start on duties for a number of weeks and they get comfortable and fairly confident with the nasties of that one duty and only then they get hit with the reality of being bumped and dumped all over the place.
Something like a jump scare in a horror movie,
That's when they turn in to the nervous quivering wrecks who will walk out the door.
I think my point is the beginning doesn't matter all that much some will have a better chance of succeeding from starting the "hard" way, some will do well learning the "gentle" way
It's the inability to maintain any type of meaningful support.
And on that note,
A couple of examples losely based on real life
New rural duty today, the duty holder who is off long term with stress, only other person who could help is on annual leave....just do your best. Just do parcels and collections if that's all you can manage.
Next day pulled up buy a huffing and puffing manager and asked why none of the mail went, and told you really should be doing better than that
OK fine, your not ready for a rural yet so we're putting you on XX today, ask Bob if you have any Q's he knows it like the back of his hand.
But Bobs, got ADHD and the depression and anxiety that comes with it, and already rapidly veering towards a mental breakdown...coz of *gestures to everything*
He's been moved of XX with no notice to do the rural that mostly failed yesterday and he hasn't actually touched since 3 revisions ago.
When you innocently ask him for some help he shouts at you to Eff Off and get on with it coz we're all up to our neck in the brown stuff.
And now both of you are crying.
But where are the coaches, what on earth are they doing to earn their keep after the first few days training?
Well, one's getting you to sign a bit of paper, confessing that you've been very naughty because you left 1st class behind on that rural yesterday even though that's exactly what your manager told you to do,
and the other one...
Has a sick twisted sense of glee as she gets another naughty form printed out with the intention of incredibly insensitively harassing Bob to sign the naughty form, while he's on his break, when there's no-one around, and make him feel even more like garbage than he already believes he is... no-one sees or hears from Bob again for three months.
Any new starter with an ounce of sense will not be hanging around longer than they have to once they get to see that whatever they were treated like in their first day or week, the above is the normal in Royal Mail.
I cant blame any that leave within a few months/week/days, and stop giving a damn while there still with us.
