Yoo're on your own today

[stevejm]

--- the new phrase for our office - meaning regular duty holder is on his own and covers tracked, specials, collections and 1st class on 2 walks.

Reserves like me are getting bumped from one walk of double mail to another the next day.

Not enough staff. Why aren't they getting agency in? Packets through the roof - bound to be enough cashflow.

Why are we all acting like minnions and putting up with this? I had a right moan last week and was promised by the manager they'd try to avoid it with me greasy wheel gets the grease - not right though and stressful when it happens continuously.

[TopperGas]

--- the new phrase for our office - meaning regular duty holder is on his own and covers tracked, specials, collections and 1st class on 2 walks.

Reserves like me are getting bumped from one walk of double mail to another the next day.

Not enough staff. Why aren't they getting agency in? Packets through the roof - bound to be enough cashflow.

Why are we all acting like minnions and putting up with this? I had a right moan last week and was promised by the manager they'd try to avoid it with me greasy wheel gets the grease - not right though and stressful when it happens continuously.

Just work your hours and take out sufficent work to keep you busy during those hours, "double mail" doesn't mean double the work it just means up to half the mail doesn't get delivered each day. Day off cover now seems to becoming a thing of the past at RM.

[stevejm]

Yeah, I know that TG, I advocate it often enough, but for reserves it's stressful continually getting to work and being moved around with no warning and secondly, if it's a walk you don't know well then it's difficult to gauge how much you can get done and how much you should leave behind - not to mention you get the push back from managers. I advocate we all take turns having 3 weeks off stressed - that would quickly concentrate a few minds.

.... and for the regular duty holders, these coming weeks its going to be a case of 3 and 4 day's worth mail in the fitting - and everything seizes up as there's not even any room to prep effectively meaning you get out even later.

Why can't they get some agency staff in now? The budget has to be there.

[A2B]

Don't forget to separate the 1st class and get those delivered for the whole walk which will probably mean you do less than half of a normal duty

[funkflex55]

Those that clear either through hard work or smaller walks down get left with no day off cover because management know they will catch up. Those that don't clear either through being slow/lazy/big walks get their days off covered more often. Catching up is possible now but won't be in a few weeks, it'll soon build up then.

[stevejm]

WHY NO AGENCY STAFF?? - budget has to be there

[Perseus]

Many in ours have to muddle along on their own doing a large 2 person route/shared van several times a week.
Others are left with very manageable workloads and fully resourced, early finishes, the lot, but get quite defensive when some point it out to management.

Any ODM/USO reform isn't going to change the glaring difference in amount of work you are getting from people, you just do your best to make sure it doesn't get to you.

[Rve83ndxd]

[SpacePhoenix]

WHY NO AGENCY STAFF?? - budget has to be there

The DO that covers where I live seems to have agency every year for Xmas Pressure so it's probably down to local management not putting in for any.

[stevejm]

WHY NO AGENCY STAFF?? - budget has to be there

The DO that covers where I live seems to have agency every year for Xmas Pressure so it's probably down to local management not putting in for any.

we've had the last 3/4 years - this year looks to be different - the question is why

[jimmynailsalive]

WHY NO AGENCY STAFF?? - budget has to be there

There isn't a pool of people sitting at the agency who have been cleared to work for royal mail is the answer.

Also with unemployment under 4%, the majority of the people will be unfit or unsuitable for the job.

[Mr Rush]

Day off cover now seems to becoming a thing of the past at RM.

They may as well make it a six day job again between the lack of cover and so many people working their day off anyway (except Saturday, so very mysteriously). Everything that went away comes back again in RM.

[Playmail]

I'm not even a reverse and I'm being moved off my duty week in week out

[Mike G]

WHY NO AGENCY STAFF?? - budget has to be there

There isn't a pool of people sitting at the agency who have been cleared to work for royal mail is the answer.

Also with unemployment under 4%, the majority of the people will be unfit or unsuitable for the job.

The official unemployment figures may well be low.. but the number of working age people who are CHOOSING to be under-employed and only working minimal part-time hours or CHOOSING to not work at all and using benefits to partly or fully fund their lifestyle choice are at all time highs.

[TopperGas]

Day off cover now seems to becoming a thing of the past at RM.

They may as well make it a six day job again between the lack of cover and so many people working their day off anyway (except Saturday, so very mysteriously). Everything that went away comes back again in RM.

Just drop 2c mail on Saturday and make the job Monday to Friday with Saturday's Tracked & 1c covered by SA/OT?