Substantive managers are generally not eligible, especially if they have the authority to hire, fire, or carry out disciplinaries. Acting managers who are still technically in postman roles are eligible.
Don’t over‑interpret what you’re seeing. With all the changes happening, it’s natural that reps and line managers will have more conversations. That said, keep an eye on what’s going on in the office, and there’s nothing wrong with politely asking the rep for an update — or asking why the manager is around so often.
If the manager is acting up from a postie role, they can absolutely seek advice from a rep. If they’re a substantive manager, then they can’t. But unless you’re actually in the room, you can’t know whether they’re discussing unit issues, asking for guidance, or just having a friendly chat. None of those things are inherently inappropriate.
Ultimately, the decision about how to view this is yours — but be careful not to harm the unit. No one wants a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” culture, but a constructive working relationship between a rep and a manager can genuinely help posties when problems arise.
Without being in your office or knowing the personalities involved, it’s impossible to give a blanket yes or no about whether anything improper is happening. The optics might look off, but there may be nothing wrong at all. Only you and your colleagues can judge the situation on the ground.
