Surveillance of Delivery Drivers

[weather1]

Hello RM Chat
Please could you help. I was followed by a surveillance team last week and will now be reprimanded. Please can you tell me if you are under surveillance by Royal Mail - is this allowed without any warning? I thought you had to be advised if you were under any kind of surveillance? My work record is clean so it is not based on any previous problem? Feeling very singled out. Other workers were alerted to the presence after I called in the situation to my office and I am therefore the only one.
Kind regards
Lee

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Unfortunately, they can surveil you without any warning , in fact I don't think they even have an obligation to warn the management team when they are in their areas although in most cases they do as a matter of courtesy.

At a guess is the reprimand for insecure vehicle because a fair few posties have been both suspended and sacked for this when IB caught them.

In a way I am lucky, on a council estate delivery the surveillance teams stick out like a sore thumb with their clean cars, and clean shaven non surly manner, the few times I have been watched I have spotted them. They have never approached me, except once when they showed me an RM ID and wanted to know what procedure I had with my prios, and we warned before that this was a possibility.

[weather1]

Thanks for the reply. I feel disadvantaged while others were warned I was not. There is a massive amount of unfairness in that. I am still working however and was not suspended. I feel so singled out it is awful. It was not conducted under fair conditions, the message should not have been relayed is my thinking. I am really sad .

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thanks for the reply. I feel disadvantaged while others were warned I was not. There is a massive amount of unfairness in that. I am still working however and was not suspended. I feel so singled out it is awful. It was not conducted under fair conditions, the message should not have been relayed is my thinking. I am really sad .

Its a sad fact that the first person who gets watched/caught is usually the one that gets the warnings out to the rest of the office. I have beaten the jungle drums once or twice in my time at RM.

[Jefferson Starfish]

There were 3 people recently 'watched' by the IB from my office, non were pre-warned and non were doing anything wrong. Surely if you're doing the job properly, you have nothing to worry about?

[TrueBlueTerrier]

There were 3 people recently 'watched' by the IB from my office, non were pre-warned and non were doing anything wrong. Surely if you're doing the job properly, you have nothing to worry about?

In any other job I would agree with you. However, this is RM where the petty is spectacularly overblown, and questionable stuff is kept quiet.

[weather1]

What does IB stand for?
Thanks TrueBlueTerrier.

[dvbuk55]

There were 3 people recently 'watched' by the IB from my office, non were pre-warned and non were doing anything wrong. Surely if you're doing the job properly, you have nothing to worry about?

Well yes and no - what you or your office consider acceptable practice may well not be in the guidelines for the remit of IB surveillance - if I put it this way, lets say your driving down an unfamiliar road and you THINK it's 40 mph limit and you go round the corner just as mr plod catches you with a speed gun by a 30 mph sign - you haven't knowingly done anything wrong but you still get a ticket - likewise the guy following you whizzes by at 50 and because you're getting a ticket he slips the net.

[weather1]

Yes I thought what I was doing was correct.
Thank you Dvbuk55.
Lee

[chrisj]

It is strange that the OP is using the 'unfair' argument when in fact, he/she was the one that warned the office and then the others.

This things happen! Lesson should be learned. However, I noticed a postie that left his van open (driver door and engine running) whilst delivering a parcel last week. the same postman had been suspended before for losing a van; the same way

[TrueBlueTerrier]

What does IB stand for?
Thanks TrueBlueTerrier.

IB = Investigation Branch - The RM police. (oldest investigation branch in the world)

Its name has changed over the years but this is the usual name for them. They are also known as Security Desk, POIB, etc

[weather1]

I did not ring to warn others I rang my boss to let him know what had happened, he then relayed the info to the rest, his decision not mine!
Lee

[TrueBlueTerrier]

It is strange that the OP is using the 'unfair' argument when in fact, he/she was the one that warned the office and then the others.

This things happen! Lesson should be learned. However, I noticed a postie that left his van open (driver door and engine running) whilst delivering a parcel last week. the same postman had been suspended before for losing a van; the same way

I would judge that he's a gonner then when caught, especially if he's had previous. Not good.

[chrisj]

More than 30 years service and should be wise enough. He should have been a goner the first time round and definitely should have been suspended from driving duties for at least 1 year or 2 years. And was not even totally honest about things... Police involved and the rest...

[dvbuk55]

Yes I thought what I was doing was correct.
Thank you Dvbuk55.
Lee

Don't sweat it weather if you've survived for a week without being suspended then it's pretty likely it'll be a smacked wrist - you did right to inform the DOM and he did right to warn the other staff. There's little point in putting your staff in jeopardy if you can avoid it.