New walk every day of the week

[Robtor]

I've been struggling big time this week, having been put on a different walk each day and I haven't done a single one of these before. Today I was blessed with a photo copy of a map which had half the route on it (next page had other half) and this walk was really messy as well as being huuuge. I signed out tonight at 5pm having left the DO at 10:45, and my part time hours are only up until 2pm. I can maybe deal with it but the annoyance is that the day before was the same, and tomorrow will be the same, as they aren't letting me just do the same walk for 2 bloody days.

Anyway my question is simply; aren't we supposed to be shown around new walks and what not? Today's was so fiddly that I spent a hell of a lot of time either back tracking or out right searching for where I was supposed to be. Seems the regular postie uses the odd sneaky path and stuff.

[Exrep]

If your a new recruit they may send you around with another postie for a day or so but thats as far as it goes.

You are booking the extra hours you work ?

[Pat Ostman]

For regular, walking routes, you are expected to do the walk without training. At least in my DO.

Cut off or lap up the overtime. If they say you are too slow, then you know what to say. (Put me on a f***ing round that I know instead of making me work blind)

Or words to that effect

[George door to dawes]

I also did this when i first started but was working on different divisions as well in a large town. I was never on the same walk for more then 2 days in a row for 5 months!!!! Not fun.... Make sure you buy a map local OS map book at the first opportunity you get it really is a life saver!

[spen]

think this happens in most depots, occasionaly,there isnt allways a weeks vacant duty, so youyl be covering peoples rest day,i usually get it 1 or 2 weeks like this every couple of months

[97gaz]

T

[George door to dawes]

This doesn't happen at our place. They'd be completely lost in minutes because we have a massive ammount of house names with no street names. New starters get at least two days training.

we have lots of council estates with xxx Walk and xxx Ave etc with all the houses mixed up so its like maze the first few times you do them. Then we have a few huge caravan sites as well with numbers all mixed up... People are normally just sent out without any help or maps at all. Its not really suprising why our new starters turnover is so high!

[brykins]

Happens to me every day. I am used as a cover for whoever is off/ill/lazy so I end up on something different each day. Sometimes prep a frame then have to take out a different one. Sometimes start at nine and take out something already prepped by someone else. Often find I am given half of one round and half of another, or packets and then cut-offs.

Annoyed me to start with but have just got used to it now and am sure to point out each time I am asked to do something new that I am going to be probably 30% slower than the regular guy so they have to take that into account when allocating hours.

[POSTMAN]

Sounds like he's covering a 'rest day cover' duty.

[enzio]

i have just been made spare after 22 years and it with out a dout is the worst job in royal mail but i will not work past my time i just bring mail back every day as my line manager say all i want you to do is work your hours so that all i work

[97gaz]

[

[George door to dawes]

Then we have a few huge caravan sites as well with numbers all mixed up... !

Why are you delivering to caravan sites? I thought we didn't deliver to caravans. Are these calls on your APlus ? They've just sent letters to some of our caravan site residents to tell them they can't even have their mail delivered to the site office now. They've had to set up PO Boxes at our DO and pick up their own mail.

On the Aplus? That the walk log sheet? Didnt hear that we wernt supposed to be delivering to caravans maybe they are classed as something else? Some of them are more like building site huts in their appearance, like chalets type things. All i know is i did a walk recently with a huge site and there was around hundred of the buggers on one walk! That site is even called '(area name) caravan park'. There is also another walk ive done close by that also has about 20-30 residents all definitely living in caravans....

[Judgee]

Only on specialist walks are you shown/guided by someone else in our office. It's just one of the shitty aspects of being a reserve. You will get the odd good week on a nice round [if they still exist] but for the most part you are just there to do whatever crap needs doing.

I've said it before but I WILL say it again, we all been there and done that when we started. You either have to grit your teeth and put up with it until you get your own walk or leave.

I do think it is bang out of order that with these bloody revisions going on, long serving postmen are being forced back into doing this crap having already had a turn at it when they started. But for new reserves it's your turn and no one walks straight in and gets it easy!

[pokos27]

its a bad situation to be in, i hope you have a good rep
you will not have any more training as well.

[hampshireman]

Only on specialist walks are you shown/guided by someone else in our office. It's just one of the shitty aspects of being a reserve. You will get the odd good week on a nice round [if they still exist] but for the most part you are just there to do whatever crap needs doing.

I've said it before but I WILL say it again, we all been there and done that when we started. You either have to grit your teeth and put up with it until you get your own walk or leave.

I do think it is bang out of order that with these bloody revisions going on, long serving postmen are being forced back into doing this crap having already had a turn at it when they started. But for new reserves it's your turn and no one walks straight in and gets it easy!

Tota;;y agree. I spent most of the last three years as a reserve. Different walks most weeks. Funnliy enough , when you get over the angst of it it is okay. Just do the walk ; go over and claim or cut and it is all okay. Also, when you become familiar with soem of the more 'difficult' (villiages , hard to prep , High Streets etc) you tend to get them to cover for Hols and sickness. Repeat brings benefit ....

The upside ; when you have learnt enough walks the picking of a bit of overtime becomes somewhat easier.