One of the major drivers for disengenuis sick absence is Royal Mail's inflexibile and outdated annual leave system.
A lot of this absence is actually things like last minute weddings, funerals of friends, appointments and unforseen family commitments.
If you have a flexible annual leave system and people know they won't get a flat refusal every time they ask then those one, two and three day absences decline dramatically.
Unfortunately managers are hard wired to say no first then check afterwards so members will not ask knowing it will flag up the fact that they need this time off and look suspicious if they then suddenly go sick.
The introduction of an ad hoc leave request option on the app seems to have made no difference to the overall mindset of management.
If we're supposed to be moving towards a more flexible business then we also need a far more flexible leave system, the idea that you have to book annual leave up to 18 months in advance and that is then carved in stone is laughable in 2022.
Spot on, especially when often the only choice given to you for a short term request for time off is to take it as unpaid Special Leave - which obviously means you don't get paid, but it also has the knock on effects on your pension and your bonus (any special leave gets pro-ratad off).
If you have a choice between trying to book annual leave you know won't be approved, taking it as unpaid....or self certifying to have the time off with no issue, and get paid?
One of the major drivers for disengenuis sick absence is Royal Mail's inflexibile and outdated annual leave system.
A lot of this absence is actually things like last minute weddings, funerals of friends, appointments and unforseen family commitments.
If you have a flexible annual leave system and people know they won't get a flat refusal every time they ask then those one, two and three day absences decline dramatically.
Unfortunately managers are hard wired to say no first then check afterwards so members will not ask knowing it will flag up the fact that they need this time off and look suspicious if they then suddenly go sick.
The introduction of an ad hoc leave request option on the app seems to have made no difference to the overall mindset of management.
If we're supposed to be moving towards a more flexible business then we also need a far more flexible leave system, the idea that you have to book annual leave up to 18 months in advance and that is then carved in stone is laughable in 2022.
This, 100%
The leave system is insane. Even if we were a blue lights service it would be too restrictive.
There's so much misinformation on here it's ridiculous.
I overheard someone at work saying they're taking the delivery supplement away and we end up with a pay cut.
Actually had a conversation with another who was adamant RM had taken the 2% payrise back out of wages so that's not included in any pay deal.
Tried to explain and he clearly didn't get it, so I left it- he still thinks we haven't had a 2% pay rise already.
People will think what they believe to be true no matter what.
Totally agree. Misinformation is a key tactic if you want to cause doubt in a group. Manager's posts??
One of the main drivers for sick absence is stress due to harassment. Stop harassing posties and sick absences will go down.
Sometimes I think to myself that I should go off sick to make up for all the times managers have screwed me over. I have never done this though. People get treated badly - then they will treat the company badly.
The culture never ends at Royal Mail. It's always 'do more, more, MORE!'. You end up taking all these shortcuts which means you get 20minutes more work done a day and managers will still claim you haven't done enough. It's infuriating. At some point people are going to want to make up for all the rushing about and stress they have been forced into suffering with.
You really do end up having a bitter attitude towards this company when they bully you.
The union have got the strategy all wrong,should of gone in hard at the beginning and carried it through october,November, December but sadly yet again let them off the hook,happens time and time again ,thomo is laughing he just has to keep his job for 3 more weeks after the 24th and he's won.Sadly to say we are ust all going to have to suck it up,the union even struggle to get anyone off a stage now.There is only one way to get what you want these days and that is all out stay out,anything less is just pointless.
One of the major drivers for disengenuis sick absence is Royal Mail's inflexibile and outdated annual leave system.
The main reason why the annual leave system is inflexible for staff wanting odd days off is because the company simply does not employ enough staff!
The business is obsessed with employing the least amount of staff on the least amount of hours to try and do the maximum amount of work. And the fact that Royal Mail are even thinking about annualised and Flexi hours is imho just going to make a bad situation even worse.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
One of the major drivers for disengenuis sick absence is Royal Mail's inflexibile and outdated annual leave system.
The main reason why the annual leave system is inflexible for staff wanting odd days off is because the company simply does not employ enough staff!
The business is obsessed with employing the least amount of staff on the least amount of hours to try and do the maximum amount of work. And the fact that Royal Mail are even thinking about annualised and Flexi hours is imho just going to make a bad situation even worse.
And yet when it suits them they want you to work all the hours under the sun. If you just demand to work your hours (which I do), then when it’s a busy period or sickness is high they nag you to do extra, work days off.
I’m big enough to stand up for myself but I know a lot of new starters who don’t actually want to work extra but they almost without fail always give in.
The day is gonna come when we’re all gonna have to testify.
