Time to leave

[NewPostieUK]

I agree, it takes a while for the penny to drop when you are new. How long it takes depends on yourself and your colleagues. I was still confused after a year. People slowly made comments about not having to stay out after dark if i didn't want to, and to take my 30 min break, and complain when my duty wasn't prepped. It took at least a year for me to take these comments on board.

Now I moan everyday about unwanted overtime, extra workload etc, and I never touch door to doors! Now I'm not taken advantage off (or at least if I am, I know it, and keep it as ammo in the daily fight).

[indurain]

Yeah. I think I may have started at the worst possible time really. supposedly the round I was on was one of the easier ones when they had bikes, which I can believe. Just the nature of it with a trolley meant there were miles of dead walking.
ihated2d's you're right that things are better now, until a few months ago I was asked to do 4 day rural cover and even though for about the 9 months I did it I still never had 2 days off in a row, it was obviously miles better.
Now i'm back to 5 days some rural some hct rounds which is ok I guess, maybe I could stay and keep my head down I just don't want to be there anymore and think i'd be happier in a new job.

[Dorset Plodder]

It would be nice if there was some kind of "Welcome Package" for new starters, from the Posties Point of View. You're normally rushed around by the DOM, who shows you the toilets and the fire exits and rushes you out on delivery!

Everyone normally learns the hard way (and in the meantime loses money). I'm sure RM do it on purpose, you imagine how much they save multiplied by every new starter in the business? If it's a good DO you might get a heads up from the Unit Rep, but a lot of them are only in for themselves. You might be lucky and get given some advice from more experienced Posties, once again some of them are just Selfish Idle Bastards.

I'll normally try and give a bit of advice. Don't prep households in your own time.... make sure you take, or claim, your meal breaks... and most importantly DO NOT WORK FOR FREE. Make sure the DOM authorises any Overtime before you go out, or tell him you can't do it. And make sure you keep a record to check your payslips against. All a bit late for you but you never know you may return. Don't burn your bridges and tell the DOM to stick it up his arse. It may feel good art the time but you may come to regret it. Good Luck

[yellowbelly]

It would be nice if there was some kind of "Welcome Package" for new starters, from the Posties Point of View. You're normally rushed around by the DOM, who shows you the toilets and the fire exits and rushes you out on delivery!

Walked in first day.....Lino: "Here's a frame, here's a box of mail, it should follow the slots in order from top left, crack on, I'll get back to you".

Shown the toilets and fire exits? You lucky people......LOL. Just wish the HSE would turn up at our office one day to find out
what H&S training has been given.

[indurain]

Just an update for anyone else thinking of leaving

I've been in my new job a few weeks now, I work on a 2 day on 2 off rota with options for overtime which so far I haven't been pressured in to doing. Works out just under/over 30 hours a week, which is all I ever wanted at royal mail.
Not had my first proper paycheck yet so i'm skint for another a couple of weeks. When it does come around the pay is not bad at almost £8 an hour, I was told it had gone up 15p from what I thought it would be on the day I started, so that was good.
I work a mixture of early shifts and lates which personally I don't mind but someone with kids would probably struggle. I feel like I have time and energy outside of work to enjoy things which is the main reason I left royal mail.
It will work out about £150-200 or so less a month in wages than what I was getting. For the change in lifestyle I would happily be on less. Already I don't feel like I have to spend as much on Lucozade and chocolate and things like that to keep me going which will help.
I will see how this job is in a few months time once the 'honeymoon' period has worn off, so far i'm very happy to have left royal mail. Good luck to everyone on here.

[Dorset Plodder]

Glad it's working out ..... Nothing's changed at Royal Mail (except we've had someone leave, and guess what..they're not replacing him) Good Luck

[DGH]

I would have to agree you for being naïve, but also I was never told until a year or so later you can claim travel time I was only ever told to claim mileage. When you're new how are you supposed to know when it's a small office and no one else is in the same situation or tells you?

One might think a union rep would be round to you in the first week pointing that out. If one believed that the union reps gave two flying f***s about new starters, that is,

Again, I was on the worst round but there were one or two posties there who would say thing like ' oh it's really not much harder than this round' etc.
How do you know when you're new and you've only done the one round?

Everyone is on 'the worst round in the office'. However it is noticeable that most staff with any seniority whatsoever are never seen on some rounds even if they are reserves . . .

[Dorset Plodder]

One might think a union rep would be round to you in the first week pointing that out. If one believed that the union reps gave two flying f***s about new starters, that is,

Totally Agree. Too many "Bad" Reps about. Only interested in what's in for them.

Everyone is on 'the worst round in the office'. However it is noticeable that most staff with any seniority whatsoever are never seen on some rounds even if they are reserves . . .

I find that very amusing. Some of our "Old Mafia" have been on the same duty for the last 15 years or so. Yet theirs is the Hardest Duty in the office, you think they'd have moved by now wouldn't you? I work on the next frame to probably the biggest whinger in the DO, literally Every morning he's bending the DOMs ear about how long it's going to take him, and what problems he's got for that day.( Everytime we have a Stand In Manager he's lucky to make it to his office before this idiot's giving him a sob story). Recently I've started making Violin Noises every time he starts. That REALLY seems to piss him off....But it amuses me!

[wacko74]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ZDsUGiGqM" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

play this the next time he's coming out with his latest tale of woe.

[Dorset Plodder]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ZDsUGiGqM

play this the next time he's coming out with his latest tale of woe.

Yeah I remember that tune Wacko When it came on the radio we used to call it "The Sob Story". Very appropriate .

[Interested-seeker]

After nearly 3 years I've decided I've had enough of royal mail and I'm hopefully starting a new job in the next few weeks.
Sick of being a 2nd class citizen as a 'part timer' , every Tuesday off, only consecutive days off about twice in the last year, getting moved all over the place with no notice during 'summer time' working, less holidays than full timers regardless of how much overtime I do etc etc.

The last 18 months or so have been better as I've been at a different office doing rurals about half the time. The first year or so was a joke, supposed to be based at an office about 10 miles away but never saw it once, every day at an office 45 mins away doing the longest round there, staying on Saturdays to prep d2d's for the following week after all the full timers had gone home (there were about 200 more on my round than any others there, obviously I only got paid half as much for delivering these ).

I think the only reason I stuck it out at first was the thought I might get my own easy round one day. The trouble is now things are a little easier in respect to the actual delivery - most of the time, i'm still treated like s**t as a part timer and only now I've realised mostly through this forum how much I was shafted to begin with it just makes me resent the job and royal mail.

My notice period is 4 weeks I might tell my manager i'm happy to work a week or so, or I might just walk out.

Good luck everyone

I don't blame you. This is what it is like for me at the moment - only Tuesdays off and no consecutive days. Also had a bad start with little training/introduction and no payment for my induction. Also no mention of how to claim overtime, found out from another postie. Also no fixed route. I am feeling quite mad about it.

I have applied for another job more suited to my experience, hopefully i will get it. If not, then someone else is looking to create a position in their company for me....but it is not guaranteed.

Hope it goes well for you.

[Interested-seeker]

I would have to agree you for being naïve, but also I was never told until a year or so later you can claim travel time I was only ever told to claim mileage. When you're new how are you supposed to know when it's a small office and no one else is in the same situation or tells you?

One might think a union rep would be round to you in the first week pointing that out. If one believed that the union reps gave two flying f***s about new starters, that is,

Again, I was on the worst round but there were one or two posties there who would say thing like ' oh it's really not much harder than this round' etc.
How do you know when you're new and you've only done the one round?

Everyone is on 'the worst round in the office'. However it is noticeable that most staff with any seniority whatsoever are never seen on some rounds even if they are reserves . . .

If the unions don't give a ****, maybe the newspapers are ones to go to.

[Interested-seeker]

My first contract was a week I checked my newest one from 2015 tonight it says 4 weeks.
Seems they slipped that in to a lot of new contracts reading similar recent posts.

Mine says that too!