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Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Forum for info, hints and tips about working for us through Royal Mail not Angard.This is an open forum.
ronaldinho0097
Posts: 46
Joined: 05 Aug 2021, 15:32
Gender: Male

Re: Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Post by ronaldinho0097 »

fb1969 wrote:
12 Aug 2021, 15:49
Definitely try and speak to a postie at the office you are looking at, some offices are far better (or worse) than others. I have only known maybe two managers who were capable of managing people, and a lot of the problems are caused by or made worse by managers!

At our place overtime is fairly freely given as long as you get the delivery completed. Once you have a bit of experience you are often asked to work your day off. We have had 3 or 4 new starters in the last few months and every one of them is now asked to start early every day. A lot of the rounds, especially the van shares, are too big so if you are happy to stay out then the overtime is usually there. If you are not prepared to stay out, then be prepared for a conversation (or argument) with a manager about why you won't complete the delivery.

I have seen good newbies leave after a few months because they got fed up with being messed about all the time. Told one week their day off next week was the Thursday, then going in the following Monday to find the day off was now the Tuesday - that sort of thing every week. Being put on one duty and preparing it, then being moved to another duty - one person just walked out when it happened for the third time in a week, and some mornings they were moved two or three times!


Like about the job = the outside element of the job, despite the weather at times.
Hate about the job = the inside element of the job, toxic atmosphere at times and very poor management.
So managers are the biggest negative. Its a recurring theme throughout these forums. To be honest I'd hate to be moved about constantly. How as a new start especially are you meant to gain confidence and learn your route if your constantly moved about?

The overtime thing doesn't bother be as I'll be taking as much as I can to make up for the fact it's only a 20 hour contract, but at the same time I want to be given the choice.

In terms of days off, do we only get one a week? What about Sundays as posties, I can't see there being much to do on a Sunday seeing as there's no rounds to do.. Or is there? I haven't been made aware of it thus far anyway.

As I'm starting on a temp contract for 6 months it looks like I'm going to have to put up with all of this s**t if I want a permanent position :confused

fb1969
EX ROYAL MAIL
Posts: 1587
Joined: 29 Aug 2012, 08:38
Gender: Male
Location: hiding on the backstreets

Re: Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Post by fb1969 »

ronaldinho0097 wrote:
12 Aug 2021, 19:28

So managers are the biggest negative. Its a recurring theme throughout these forums. To be honest I'd hate to be moved about constantly. How as a new start especially are you meant to gain confidence and learn your route if your constantly moved about?

The overtime thing doesn't bother be as I'll be taking as much as I can to make up for the fact it's only a 20 hour contract, but at the same time I want to be given the choice.

In terms of days off, do we only get one a week? What about Sundays as posties, I can't see there being much to do on a Sunday seeing as there's no rounds to do.. Or is there? I haven't been made aware of it thus far anyway.

As I'm starting on a temp contract for 6 months it looks like I'm going to have to put up with all of this s**t if I want a permanent position :confused
From my experience most managers cannot manage people, they can only manage workload - which is why you can get conflict over not being able to complete your duty. It can be very obvious some days that you have far too much, but when you tell a manager you won't be able to complete the only reply will be "why not". But there are some reasonable managers out there, and as a newbie you shouldn't be expected to complete your duty at first. You should be paired with a Workplace Coach at first, and then it is more likely you will be on a van share - meaning you should work with a fixed partner for a while. All of that is an "ideal world" situation - different offices vary.

Sunday will depend firstly on your contract - some of the current ones say you will work Sundays. Assuming Sunday isn't in your contract, you will work five days out of Mon-Sat. If you have a specific fixed duty then your day off rotates each week, Mon one week, then Tue, then Wed etc. Meaning you get Sat and Mon once every six weeks. If you are on random duties, you get the day off that that duty is due that week. As a newbie you should be on a fixed duty for around 6 weeks at first.

RM are bringing in Sunday parcel deliveries. I am part time (I have been full time) and recently got a letter offering me an increase in my hours in return for working every Sunday at a premium rate, because Sunday isn't in my current contract. The job is over a wider postcode area and covering parcel deliveries for what would normally be about 20 or so delivery offices - so not very local.
Royal Mail
failing the workforce, failing the public and deliberately failing mail on a daily basis for too many years.
yellowbelly
Posts: 2649
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Post by yellowbelly »

ronaldinho0097 wrote:
12 Aug 2021, 12:29


The walking bit is something that actually attracts me to the role although 20K seems like a whole lot of walking. I am young and relatively fit and I do expect to be fatigued for the first while.

Regarding the overtime, is it forced upon you? How exactly does overtime allocation work? Is it something that gets put on the rota or are you asked on a day-day basis could you do this could you do that etc etc? I'm all for overtime to be honest as long as its not taking the piss
Overtime:

First scenario - it is probably not achievable to complete the walk you're on within your contracted
hours ie you'll be put on a walk that is contracted for more hours than you've got in
your contract - so basically you'll almost be on 'compulsory' OT to finish the duty.

If you don't want the OT then speak to the manager before the day if you can. He/she will then say
'OK it'll all be prepared ready for you when you come in, so you'll be alright to complete it in your contracted
hours' - in my experience it never is. And as a 'newbie' you'll feel under pressure to finish the duty.

Second scenario - some offices have an OT list, which you can put your name down on. This is often
to work your days off or more recently work a 'parcels' Sunday, this scenario is where it's your choice.

If as a new starter you get put in the RM Defined Contribution Pension Plan be aware that OT above
38hrs does not go towards your pension and you don't get any delivery supplement payment on it
either. This is a big money saver for RM - to your detriment.
ronaldinho0097
Posts: 46
Joined: 05 Aug 2021, 15:32
Gender: Male

Re: Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Post by ronaldinho0097 »

yellowbelly wrote:
13 Aug 2021, 17:49
ronaldinho0097 wrote:
12 Aug 2021, 12:29


The walking bit is something that actually attracts me to the role although 20K seems like a whole lot of walking. I am young and relatively fit and I do expect to be fatigued for the first while.

Regarding the overtime, is it forced upon you? How exactly does overtime allocation work? Is it something that gets put on the rota or are you asked on a day-day basis could you do this could you do that etc etc? I'm all for overtime to be honest as long as its not taking the piss
Overtime:

First scenario - it is probably not achievable to complete the walk you're on within your contracted
hours ie you'll be put on a walk that is contracted for more hours than you've got in
your contract - so basically you'll almost be on 'compulsory' OT to finish the duty.

If you don't want the OT then speak to the manager before the day if you can. He/she will then say
'OK it'll all be prepared ready for you when you come in, so you'll be alright to complete it in your contracted
hours' - in my experience it never is. And as a 'newbie' you'll feel under pressure to finish the duty.

Second scenario - some offices have an OT list, which you can put your name down on. This is often
to work your days off or more recently work a 'parcels' Sunday, this scenario is where it's your choice.

If as a new starter you get put in the RM Defined Contribution Pension Plan be aware that OT above
38hrs does not go towards your pension and you don't get any delivery supplement payment on it
either. This is a big money saver for RM - to your detriment.
Thanks for that.

If I'm expected to complete a duty in say 6 hours, what happens if I run over the 6 hours which I fully expect to do when starting out. Rome wasn't built in a day after all. Do I get penalised for that in any way or is it just a simple case of signing on the OT sheet?
yellowbelly
Posts: 2649
Joined: 23 Jun 2015, 15:51
Gender: Male

Re: Joining RM on a 6 month temp contract or staying at my current job?

Post by yellowbelly »

ronaldinho0097 wrote:
13 Aug 2021, 23:20
yellowbelly wrote:
13 Aug 2021, 17:49
ronaldinho0097 wrote:
12 Aug 2021, 12:29


The walking bit is something that actually attracts me to the role although 20K seems like a whole lot of walking. I am young and relatively fit and I do expect to be fatigued for the first while.

Regarding the overtime, is it forced upon you? How exactly does overtime allocation work? Is it something that gets put on the rota or are you asked on a day-day basis could you do this could you do that etc etc? I'm all for overtime to be honest as long as its not taking the piss
Overtime:

First scenario - it is probably not achievable to complete the walk you're on within your contracted
hours ie you'll be put on a walk that is contracted for more hours than you've got in
your contract - so basically you'll almost be on 'compulsory' OT to finish the duty.

If you don't want the OT then speak to the manager before the day if you can. He/she will then say
'OK it'll all be prepared ready for you when you come in, so you'll be alright to complete it in your contracted
hours' - in my experience it never is. And as a 'newbie' you'll feel under pressure to finish the duty.

Second scenario - some offices have an OT list, which you can put your name down on. This is often
to work your days off or more recently work a 'parcels' Sunday, this scenario is where it's your choice.

If as a new starter you get put in the RM Defined Contribution Pension Plan be aware that OT above
38hrs does not go towards your pension and you don't get any delivery supplement payment on it
either. This is a big money saver for RM - to your detriment.
Thanks for that.

If I'm expected to complete a duty in say 6 hours, what happens if I run over the 6 hours which I fully expect to do when starting out. Rome wasn't built in a day after all. Do I get penalised for that in any way or is it just a simple case of signing on the OT sheet?
If you're willing to do the OT make sure you claim it - again be aware the OT claim procedure differs from office
to office. Some managers will insist you estimate before you go out how much OT you'll think you'll claim and
then adjust accordingly when you get back and if you don't might not pay it or only pay some of it (cos they've
got an OT budget). Other managers just let you claim however much you've done when you get back.
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