New seasonal worker looking for tips/help

[richietns]

Thank you to all who have replied to my posts, i appreciate your time and thought.

Well, seeing as i thought this was an opportunity to get my foot in the door of one of Britain's last great institution's i have witnessed management of the lowest level.

I have been working every day since the start of November (pertemps) and despite the lack of training and lack of interaction from managers.

WELL, Today i found out there were two jobs going for parcel delivery drivers after the xmas period (oh how i wanted this job) Turns out the reason i have been waiting at the depot after numbering up my parcels, 65-80 usually, and then waiting over an hour for a van to start my round, i learnt that the managers sons mate was after a job so he's been given a van held back for him and his maximum parcel number is 45? Both of us in a six hour shift, i asked a different manager why the difference in treatment, well,well,well she had been setting the lad up to look mint, easy routes, low number of parcels, and a van and tech waiting for him on arrival!! I start at 2pm and have had over 70 parcels to be delivered by 8pm, only waiting for a van till 3.45pm.

Utterly disgusting behaviour from a manager, although no surprise in the modern age of fk everyone.

Thing is i've found out she's married and shagging her superior, i found this out as i bumped into an old childhood pal 37 years in, he told what was going on between them.

After xmas and my time finishes i will send all an email to the relevent debt as this S/O is like a YTS year one shop floor.
She's been out of order by a large margin. she will find out in the new year that it takes two to play a game.

I'm gutted though.

She can't give both jobs to her sons mate who's being lined up for the other one? Not really sure delivering 45 parcels in a 6 hour shift is going to impress anybody other than your manager!!

Apart from the whole sickening issue of managers giving their son, his dog and his mate’s mate a job, this highlights the issue of DPR drivers not being held to SISO like us posties are. If the parcel delivery drivers were all actually working their hours, there wouldn’t be such a backlog of parcels.

The new-contract posties and DPR drivers more than pull their weight.

It’s us that finish the IPS and parcel sorting when you bugger off for your break and call it a day with sorting,

It’s us that stay behind to clear up all the crap you bring back as you have Saturday football plans and refuse to complete.

It’s us sorting your Monday parcels and getting them ready for you.

In short, it’s us — and only us — working 11-hour days to keep the cogs turning.

Maybe if you lot pulled your weight we wouldn’t have such a backlog of parcels and mail.

By “you lot”, I am not referring to longstanding staff at large — I am referring to those of you among the Old Guard who, like Barnacle, view us new entrants as inferior and substandard. Funny how once they see just how proficient we are at things like IPS that they feel threatened and suddenly want to stay on to help us sort, scared we will usurp their roles (and early morning Ot with it).

With respect smooth I think your looking to hard into things the old guard have just learnt not to be took for granted,if you want to be a hero and run the office thats up to you.

[Smoothbackground]

With respect smooth I think your looking to hard into things the old guard have just learnt not to be took for granted,if you want to be a hero and run the office thats up to you.

Appreciate your viewpoint even though I profoundly disagree. The sentiments expressed by Barnacle are precisely the same as those we encounter in DOs on a daily basis — things like, “Oh, maybe if the DPR drivers pulled their weight we wouldn’t have a backlog”, “Oh, maybe if we went back to the halcyon days of real postmen we wouldn’t be in the state we’re in”, etc, etc. It is irritating, disrespectful, etc, etc. Sometimes (in real-life exchanges) it can be rude, disparaging or belittling.

A real-life example. My 67-year-old colleague is 22 months in. He is on a 40-hour contract. He normally does a full walk in the morning, followed by cut-offs/lapsing in the afternoon. He puts men half his age to shame in terms of fitness, attitude, work ethic. Never moans, always gets it done. Wouldn’t say boo to a goose. Sometimes he does two whole walks a day. A true gent.

Said colleague was stood loading his van the other day when an Old Guard postie loading alongside hi, was moaning, effing and jeffing to nobody in particular about his workload. My colleague jokingly said, “Well, you could try retiring like I tried to”. This prompted an aggressive outburst, “You’ve been here six months. What the fu** would you know? You don’t know my walk or the work I have to do. You’re not one of us so keep out of it.” My colleague then pointed out to this rude postie that he had covered his round for six weeks while he had been off and then gone on to do a second walk in the afternoon, also pointing out his longer service (22 months, not six months), to which the reply was, “Oh, 22 months then. But you still can’t do the job how I do it because you’re a plastic postie, I’m a real one.”

As for me,I have no desire to enter the fray as a manager or to run the office, and to be honest, nowadays I probably lack the tact and diplomacy needed for a job as an RM manager (though some might say my stubborn and outspoken ways are just the ticket!), but I have no problem being paid £18.58 for each and every hour of hard work (overtime) I do. Who wants to be stuck behind a desk when you can be out and about and be pretty much your own boss? And the job as a mere postie, even a plastic one, is well paid too — albeit caning the old OT, i have earned almost a grand this week before tax -£958.80 to be precise. Quite happy with my lot, thanks.

[Barnacle]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

[Smoothbackground]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

If you are referring to casual DPR drivers (Angard/Pertemps), then yes, I would completely agree with you. We do have some good ones, but we also have a load of casual staff getting away with taking outright liberties yet somehow they still turn up the next day.

[Barnacle]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

If you are referring to casual DPR drivers (Angard/Pertemps), then yes, I would completely agree with you. We do have some good ones, but we also have a load of casual staff getting away with taking outright liberties yet somehow they still turn up the next day.

We don’t have any agency staff.

[menditsa]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

"DPR" drivers employed by RM are subject SISO because they are employed as Postperson With Driving, there is no such employment status within RM as "DPR".
So I assume as a Postie you are employed to deliver shed loads of mail on your regular walk and clear each and everyday ?

[Barnacle]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

"DPR" drivers employed by RM are subject SISO because they are employed as Postperson With Driving, there is no such employment status within RM as "DPR".
So I assume as a Postie you are employed to deliver shed loads of mail on your regular walk and clear each and everyday ?

I am held to SISO. If that’s where you are headed.

[postslippete]

I think humility is a good character trait. I'm not bothered what any other posties earn or whether they are working 11 hour days. It is their choice and imho it is not particularly good for their own health and wellbeing to be working an excess amount of hours every week nor is it particularly good management either. Many of us longstanding posties have realised this in the past when the business was both profitable and a public service.

[Smoothbackground]

Respect and courtesy are also essential traits in any working environment, and with those things come the humility that you reference, Pete, as well as the equally vital characteristics of empathy, friendliness, etc. Most important is the good will between colleague that ought to exist but which sadly doesn’t in some cases. It is a two-way road though. Legacy staff can’t demand respect etc if they themselves refuse to give it.

Unfortunately, a small but sizeable minority of the legacy staff have created a toxic and aggressive working environment — the hallmarks of which can be found on this forum, amply demonstrating that this forum is totally representative of the RM workforce — whereby newbies are disregarded and disrespected, where posties wager on who will come to physical blows with whom, all the while stirring up the pot, and spending more energy on work politics and being workshy than doing any real work.

[Barnacle]

Respect and courtesy are also essential traits in any working environment, and with those things come the humility that you reference, Pete, as well as the equally vital characteristics of empathy, friendliness, etc. Most important is the good will between colleague that ought to exist but which sadly doesn’t in some cases. It is a two-way road though. Legacy staff can’t demand respect etc if they themselves refuse to give it.

Unfortunately, a small but sizeable minority of the legacy staff have created a toxic and aggressive working environment — the hallmarks of which can be found on this forum, amply demonstrating that this forum is totally representative of the RM workforce — whereby newbies are disregarded and disrespected, where posties wager on who will come to physical blows with whom, all the while stirring up the pot, and spending more energy on work politics and being workshy than doing any real work.

That may be what it is like in your office but I don’t recognise the toxic division you describe.

[Smoothbackground]

Respect and courtesy are also essential traits in any working environment, and with those things come the humility that you reference, Pete, as well as the equally vital characteristics of empathy, friendliness, etc. Most important is the good will between colleague that ought to exist but which sadly doesn’t in some cases. It is a two-way road though. Legacy staff can’t demand respect etc if they themselves refuse to give it.

Unfortunately, a small but sizeable minority of the legacy staff have created a toxic and aggressive working environment — the hallmarks of which can be found on this forum, amply demonstrating that this forum is totally representative of the RM workforce — whereby newbies are disregarded and disrespected, where posties wager on who will come to physical blows with whom, all the while stirring up the pot, and spending more energy on work politics and being workshy than doing any real work.

That may be what it is like in your office but I don’t recognise the toxic division you describe.

That’s because, being part of it yourself (as amply demonstrated by your earlier comment in this thread vis DPR drivers, not to mention countless other slurs elsewhere, on other threads, re new-entrant posties like myself), you can no longer see the wood for the trees. You have lost all perspective.

[Barnacle]

Respect and courtesy are also essential traits in any working environment, and with those things come the humility that you reference, Pete, as well as the equally vital characteristics of empathy, friendliness, etc. Most important is the good will between colleague that ought to exist but which sadly doesn’t in some cases. It is a two-way road though. Legacy staff can’t demand respect etc if they themselves refuse to give it.

Unfortunately, a small but sizeable minority of the legacy staff have created a toxic and aggressive working environment — the hallmarks of which can be found on this forum, amply demonstrating that this forum is totally representative of the RM workforce — whereby newbies are disregarded and disrespected, where posties wager on who will come to physical blows with whom, all the while stirring up the pot, and spending more energy on work politics and being workshy than doing any real work.

That may be what it is like in your office but I don’t recognise the toxic division you describe.

That’s because, being part of it yourself (as amply demonstrated by your earlier comment in this thread vis DPR drivers, not to mention countless other slurs elsewhere, on other threads, re new-entrant posties like myself), you can no longer see the wood for the trees. You have lost all perspective.

It isn’t a slur if it is true. I have never made any secret of my disdain for ghosting so I will criticise those who do it whoever they are and in whichever department they happen to lurk for the hours they actually do work.

[menditsa]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

"DPR" drivers employed by RM are subject SISO because they are employed as Postperson With Driving, there is no such employment status within RM as "DPR".
So I assume as a Postie you are employed to deliver shed loads of mail on your regular walk and clear each and everyday ?

I am held to SISO. If that’s where you are headed.

Not where I was going at all.
I was calling you out for the false statement that "DPR" drivers are not held to SISO and your assertion that "DPR" should deliver "Shed Loads" which you very nicely side stepped to respond to.
Are you employed by RM in a time and motion capacity or to deliver mail and parcels ?
I crack on and get the job done that I'm paid to do and pay zero attention to what others do within the DO.

[Barnacle]

Bitter much.

Anyway, I was referring to my office where DPR drivers are not held to SISO and will ghost hours everyday. They are employed to deliver shed loads of parcels, especially during Christmas Pressure and that is what they should be doing until the end of their shift otherwise, there is no point in their existence because they aren’t helping to clear.

These will be the people let go in the New Year.

"DPR" drivers employed by RM are subject SISO because they are employed as Postperson With Driving, there is no such employment status within RM as "DPR".
So I assume as a Postie you are employed to deliver shed loads of mail on your regular walk and clear each and everyday ?

I am held to SISO. If that’s where you are headed.

Not where I was going at all.
I was calling you out for the false statement that "DPR" drivers are not held to SISO and your assertion that "DPR" should deliver "Shed Loads" which you very nicely side stepped to respond to.
Are you employed by RM in a time and motion capacity or to deliver mail and parcels ?
I crack on and get the job done that I'm paid to do and pay zero attention to what others do within the DO.

I was referring to MY delivery office and what goes on there so there is absolutely no need for you or anyone else to take offence.

If DPR are ghosting then they aren’t taking the volume of parcels they ought to and then that clogs up the office and there is a domino effect during high volume periods.

Feel free to ignore this.

[Smoothbackground]

Barnacle, are they all called Casper?!