Prioritising Tracked parcels over Mail?

[edward918]

I (including many others I'm sure) have been struggling to complete the workload in my contracted hours (25 hrs). Managed to clear all the mail from a walk today, had to bring back well over 20+ Tracked parcels though. Now Managers are telling me that I should prioritise Tracked parcels over normal parcels and mail. Why wasn't I made aware of Royal Mails new priority list sooner!?

More importantly, lets say I deliver all of the Tracked/Specials/Normal Parcels, but bring back 3 bags of mail due to the workload being too much, why am I then expected to pick up the pieces the next day and allow the volume of work to increase?

Feel like I can't win. Deliver ALL parcels, bring back mail. Deliver ALL mail, bring back parcels. Deliver 50/50 mail/parcels, still bring work back. Part of me wants to just complete everything and claim the overtime, however, I do not want to put myself under more ever increasing pressure again.

[cahill17]

Yep this is the new normal I'm afraid same in our office double and triple bags of mail to be delivered tomorrow. The job is becoming impossible now no way would this have been allowed a few years ago all mail had to go.

[TheoF95]

Yes this is normal. Tracked take priority over mail

[noggin1969]

Just do what they ask you to do, their problem not yours. If it builds up it builds up, they get paid to make the decisions.

[Joe4567]

I’m surprised you’ve only just realised this lol. Been going on in my office for about since March/ first lockdown. They don’t care about mail anymore just tracked

[Pikeman180]

and if the mail stays so does the D2Ds, which firms are paying for!

[hans solo]

should be informing mps and news of what rm are up to
corporate fraud asking people to pay for a 1st class postage fee for items to be left in frames

[SpacePhoenix]

It's been normal for many years:

SDs > Tracked > Parcels > other mail

[robbertwhitton]

God it’s laughable! And a sad state of affairs,are there any offices being run and managed properly,and good morale etc? I somehow doubt it,this way of working and the stories you here is simply soul destroying in a job I’ve been in for nearly 40 years,a shame the bosses simply don’t get it,as to why you challenge things that simply aren’t right,and for them to keep saying the jobs not for you anymore is a pretty poor and tasteless as they can’t engage in meaningful conversation,very sad,

[CLINTEASTWOOD1]

Hello,Tell you the truth this is this best christmas ever for me!!for last 25 years over Christmas time i have been slogging my guts out !!absolutly knackered.Now management tell us to priortise tracked over mail i am finished on time everey day,

[edward918]

Guess I may have to bring back loops for the rest of the week then! If only RM would increase the contracted hours for everyone over the busiest periods of the year so that most or all deliveries can get completed. The trouble with booking overtime is the constant battle for it and being short-changed (in my experience, hence why I don't bother anymore). 8 hours of work simply can't be done in 4.5/5 hours. Surely, higher Management are clearly admitting that this is the case, hence putting Parcels over Mail and not treating everything with an equal amount of importance.

It'll mean a longer working day yes, however, people will be able to go at a steady, reasonable pace all day, actually have a proper break and not feel so physically exhausted constantly due racing around! But hey, I get it, it probably won't happen for a while, if at all so, I'll stick to my guns, do my best in the time given and go home

[koolishy67]

Yep that's normal nothing new

[markarronsmith]

I’m on a 1-7 shift. Have been since I started in August. Most days I don’t get out till 3pm after the other posties have come back from the morning shift (as we can’t van share) so I’m constantly waiting for a van.

I do what I can of mail whilst it’s light outside then when it gets dark I just do tracked parcels and packets. Head back at 6:30pm leave what I can’t do.

Had my long weekend last week and came back to 4 days worth of mail and packets because my walk hadn’t gone out

[edward918]

I’m on a 1-7 shift. Have been since I started in August. Most days I don’t get out till 3pm after the other posties have come back from the morning shift (as we can’t van share) so I’m constantly waiting for a van.

I do what I can of mail whilst it’s light outside then when it gets dark I just do tracked parcels and packets. Head back at 6:30pm leave what I can’t do.

Had my long weekend last week and came back to 4 days worth of mail and packets because my walk hadn’t gone out

This highlights the fact of how deliveries, especially at this time of year in my opinion are going to take around 7/8 hours to complete. The problem here is bagging up, loading and organising everything into the van and driving to your first loop takes around 1hr 30 minutes maximum, therefore you're already behind schedule. Having around 4 hours to complete everything can't be done.

[SpacePhoenix]

I’m on a 1-7 shift. Have been since I started in August. Most days I don’t get out till 3pm after the other posties have come back from the morning shift (as we can’t van share) so I’m constantly waiting for a van.

I do what I can of mail whilst it’s light outside then when it gets dark I just do tracked parcels and packets. Head back at 6:30pm leave what I can’t do.

Had my long weekend last week and came back to 4 days worth of mail and packets because my walk hadn’t gone out

This highlights the fact of how deliveries, especially at this time of year in my opinion are going to take around 7/8 hours to complete. The problem here is bagging up, loading and organising everything into the van and driving to your first loop takes around 1hr 30 minutes maximum, therefore you're already behind schedule. Having around 4 hours to complete everything can't be done.

Normally they'd probably flood sections like IPS and packet sorting with lots of staff to get it done. This year they can't because of covid, they might even have to have less staff on them sections because of covid