New starter question

[twangy1]

Hey, I have recently started working for Royal Mail as a Postman and have a few questions for everyone and what they would do in this situation.

I have been there for a week and my coaching 'buddy' is really nice, however the advice he gives me makes me really weary as to whether it is the job for me or not. He is saying that as a new person it would be best not to write down overtime as it will annoy managers and other people in the sorting office. He has also suggested I come in over an hour early (unpaid) so I can get a head start. I see where he is coming from because every day last week I was last out and finished over 2 hours after my official end time- and that was with my coaching buddy there to guide me whilst prepping and doing half the round whilst I did the other half. God knows how this week is going to pan out as I am going to be on my own from now on.

The official training person has said to me to write down all overtime, but my buddy has said not to. I don't want to annoy the people who I am going to be working with but at the same time I do not want to work 10 hour days but only getting paid for 6 hours.

Has anybody else experienced this or does anyone have any advice for when they first started? How long was it before people were getting their deliveries completed on time?

Thanks!

[NewPostieUK]

The manager knows you are new, knows you will struggle to finish on time and knows you will be claiming overtime.

Claim it all and don't go in early. Let the manager manage, if he doesn't want you claiming overtime, he should make sure your walk is prepped for you and you get out the door on time.

[Stormproof]

Your 'coaching buddy' is talking out of his arse. Don't come in before your time and make sure you book every single minute you work over. Also make sure you take your break, you are entitled to it.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Ignore the coaching buddy and listen to the trainer. It is expected that you will claim overtime or be unable to complete when you first start this job. Of course if there no improvement in timings they may question it, but thats a fair way down the line and as long as you don't take the mick it will be fine.

What your coaching buddy may not be aware of is that there is usually a training budget in most offices and your bedding in period may be accounted for in that. That's at least how it worked when I started.

If you do follow his advice I would say that you are building problems up for later.

Another point is that the coaching buddy should not have given you half the delivery to do and left you too it, unless you are doing a style of delivery called Park and Loop. They should have been training you on the whole delivery not just half of it each day. Looks like they want the easy life not your.

[twangy1]

Cheers for the advice guys.. I'll let you know how this week goes. Hoping that I get to grips with the job- I can't believe how naive I was about being a postman before becoming one. It is a hard job

[doorstepped]

I have only trained one person on a walk and I trained them the same way I was trained. ( I am not a trainer by the way, just a normal posty in a very small DO )
day one, I followed the trainer on the walk and did not deliver anything
day two, I delivered everything with the trainer walking round with me.
day three, out on my own on the same delivery walk.

this was four years ago though and it has all changed in that time.

you will get faster week by week, the worse part about a new walk is finding the doors ( we can all find roads on maps but some have side door, front door etc ) once you have that sorted you will be flying.

claim for every minute you work end of, dont come in early and give your coaching buddy a slap from me for being a numpty. :)

yes it is a hard job sometimes, wait until November and december lol, but it is a rewarding job sometimes

[Island991]

Chin up twangy. I started in December. Took me about 2 weeks to start getting close to being ontime, but that was at Xmas time. Like others have said don't go in early, do book your overtime. Make sure once you are on your own you keep DOM informed how its going so they know if you need overtime/to cut off. I'm in a very small office, with good DOM who was asking me how it was going frequently. And I knew it was fine to do overtime as I was learning and it was Xmas pressure.

As far as I can see, do it all by the book and you'll get on fine.

[krussel]

Welcome Twangy

As others have already said your coaching buddy does sounds like much of a buddy at all and to me it seems his just trying to get an early day.

Long term you will find it beneficial to listen to your trainer and do the job properly by not starting before your time and booking any extra. The Managers will expect you to be slow at first and make a few mistakes.

You will get quicker (esp if your left on the same round) on your own accord as your fitness and coordination improves.

When I started 24 years ago the guy who was showing me round had me doing an extra half a walk on overtime (which he was booking) and I did not even know till someone spotted it.

Dont forget to come on here after a hard days slog on the streets and bitch about it with the rest of us

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

RM colleagues handing out advice like your training buddy need a slap round the face with a large wet fish!

Do not start early unpaid, if you get asked to come in early by managers officially for paid overtime, that is your call.
You get a PAID break of at least 20 minutes per shift (providing your shift is >2 hours), you get more PAID BREAK if you work past 5/7/9/11 hours. You always have time to take this!
It is expected that during your early days as a postie it will take you longer, claim the overtime on the "pressure overtime" sheet with a "cause" of "training." This bedding in period does not come out of the normal depot budget, just like when old timers learn new roles after a "re-sign."

[Duffman855]

If you are only doing 6 hrs a day, your shift should consist of coming into a prepped frame, doing re-directions, sorting packets, tying up then out.

[NewPostieUK]

If you are only doing 6 hrs a day, your shift should consist of coming into a prepped frame, doing re-directions, sorting packets, tying up then out.

No. It depends on the duty. Some might be like this, some will need to be fully prepped, most will have some prep done for you.

[Duffman855]

I`m fairly new also but in my office it`s the full timers that prep. On occasion that I`ve to do it I always go over my time.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I`m fairly new also but in my office it`s the full timers that prep. On occasion that I`ve to do it I always go over my time.

Depends on delivery span - I bet yours is after a DM revision and you are delivering from Vans and or trolley for 5 hours. My office is pre DM and 6 hour PTs do everything we FTs do except IPS - our current span is planned at 3.5hrs.

[krussel]

Welcome Duffman

On occasion that I`ve to do it I always go over my time

Do you book it as overtime ? Is there any trouble claiming OT ?

[twobags]

If you are only doing 6 hrs a day, your shift should consist of coming into a prepped frame, doing re-directions, sorting packets, tying up then out.

No. It depends on the duty. Some might be like this, some will need to be fully prepped, most will have some prep done for you.

the duties in our office of 30 hrs or less are not prepped at all you get 1and a 1/2 hours to do all prep incl tying up approx 4 hr delivery with breaks into a 26 /27/28 hour del