RMCtv : Message from Martin Seidenberg and Grant McPherson: Delivering a great Christmas, including one-off quality of service incentive scheme

[Valentina@1]

There’s gotta be some h&s issues with this incentive,how much can 1 person physically do?
Work load gonna be unbearable

[Mickeybrowneyes]

We consistently meet those targets in our office, so I guess at least we will be able to achieve them locally.

How big is your office and have you had revisions?

120+ staff and yes we had a revision this year which has been surprisingly successful. Last time I checked, we were in the top 10 performing offices in the country, because we have decent managers and achievable rounds. Funny how those two things can make an office productive.

Ok. What happened in the revisions? How many extra calls were made on each duty? What are the duty sizes?


Before the revisions our office would generally lapse 2 or 3 duties and quite often those duties would not get delivered - which is why I don't understand the powers that be thought it would work if they got rid of the same amount of duties. And sure enough it hasn't. It has been a catastrophic failure on their part in doing this. Almost deliberate I would say and now they are paying the price with staff leaving - something which you have mentioned in your previous posts.

I can only speak for my own round, but it has about 700 calls on it. The revision was done, in office by a postie hence it seems relatively stable. I believe we were left to our own devices because we operate efficiently as I mentioned before, and our management and staff actually collaborate as they appreciate that it serves us both better, hence why we have achievable rounds. An easier life for us and them.

There were rumours of wanting more rounds taken out, which will indeed make things more ‘interesting’ but I’ve heard nothing on this for a while now. As mentioned, we do have quite a high number of staff turnover right now, but I am seeing new faces every other day right now, and we have even turned away agency staff for Christmas pressure as we expect to be staffed adequately.

People believe that I work in some Trumpton-esque dream office, but there are those out there that are run properly, just you don’t hear much from staff on these forums, as the tendency is to use forums like this to post the negative aspects of the job, not the positive.

This is exactly why this incentive scheme is the worst of both worlds.
People who would easily complete, especially with extra Christmas resources, will get the bonus for doing exactly what they normally do.
Posties who have had their round hammered with extra work could potentially be working harder and under more pressure than most will get diddly squat.
Managers are in the same scheme too so let the bullying ensue.

Isn’t there both a national and local element to the scheme though? In that local offices can earn it if they meet the criteria and it doesn’t matter what the office down the road is doing? That seems fair to me.

Yeah but if offices are chronically understaffed then they have zero chance of meeting the targets so it is unfair on them.

[LouBarlow]

We consistently meet those targets in our office, so I guess at least we will be able to achieve them locally.

How big is your office and have you had revisions?

120+ staff and yes we had a revision this year which has been surprisingly successful. Last time I checked, we were in the top 10 performing offices in the country, because we have decent managers and achievable rounds. Funny how those two things can make an office productive.

Ok. What happened in the revisions? How many extra calls were made on each duty? What are the duty sizes?


Before the revisions our office would generally lapse 2 or 3 duties and quite often those duties would not get delivered - which is why I don't understand the powers that be thought it would work if they got rid of the same amount of duties. And sure enough it hasn't. It has been a catastrophic failure on their part in doing this. Almost deliberate I would say and now they are paying the price with staff leaving - something which you have mentioned in your previous posts.

I can only speak for my own round, but it has about 700 calls on it. The revision was done, in office by a postie hence it seems relatively stable. I believe we were left to our own devices because we operate efficiently as I mentioned before, and our management and staff actually collaborate as they appreciate that it serves us both better, hence why we have achievable rounds. An easier life for us and them.

There were rumours of wanting more rounds taken out, which will indeed make things more ‘interesting’ but I’ve heard nothing on this for a while now. As mentioned, we do have quite a high number of staff turnover right now, but I am seeing new faces every other day right now, and we have even turned away agency staff for Christmas pressure as we expect to be staffed adequately.

People believe that I work in some Trumpton-esque dream office, but there are those out there that are run properly, just you don’t hear much from staff on these forums, as the tendency is to use forums like this to post the negative aspects of the job, not the positive.

This is exactly why this incentive scheme is the worst of both worlds.
People who would easily complete, especially with extra Christmas resources, will get the bonus for doing exactly what they normally do.
Posties who have had their round hammered with extra work could potentially be working harder and under more pressure than most will get diddly squat.
Managers are in the same scheme too so let the bullying ensue.

Isn’t there both a national and local element to the scheme though? In that local offices can earn it if they meet the criteria and it doesn’t matter what the office down the road is doing? That seems fair to me.

Yeah but if offices are chronically understaffed then they have zero chance of meeting the targets so it is unfair on them.

I agree it is unfair. They should be focussing on addressing productivity throughout the year, not just at peak, but surely they are going to flood offices with agency workers to meet demand at Christmas in those that are understaffed?

[Valentina@1]

Peak….he’s even talking like a manager

[LouBarlow]

Peak….he’s even talking like a manager

Still living rent-free inside your head? Nice try with your sock puppet account yesterday btw in the direct message you sent me. If there was any actual moderation done on here it would have been addressed, alas.

[Valentina@1]

You what!!

[Mickeybrowneyes]

We consistently meet those targets in our office, so I guess at least we will be able to achieve them locally.

How big is your office and have you had revisions?

120+ staff and yes we had a revision this year which has been surprisingly successful. Last time I checked, we were in the top 10 performing offices in the country, because we have decent managers and achievable rounds. Funny how those two things can make an office productive.

Ok. What happened in the revisions? How many extra calls were made on each duty? What are the duty sizes?


Before the revisions our office would generally lapse 2 or 3 duties and quite often those duties would not get delivered - which is why I don't understand the powers that be thought it would work if they got rid of the same amount of duties. And sure enough it hasn't. It has been a catastrophic failure on their part in doing this. Almost deliberate I would say and now they are paying the price with staff leaving - something which you have mentioned in your previous posts.

I can only speak for my own round, but it has about 700 calls on it. The revision was done, in office by a postie hence it seems relatively stable. I believe we were left to our own devices because we operate efficiently as I mentioned before, and our management and staff actually collaborate as they appreciate that it serves us both better, hence why we have achievable rounds. An easier life for us and them.

There were rumours of wanting more rounds taken out, which will indeed make things more ‘interesting’ but I’ve heard nothing on this for a while now. As mentioned, we do have quite a high number of staff turnover right now, but I am seeing new faces every other day right now, and we have even turned away agency staff for Christmas pressure as we expect to be staffed adequately.

People believe that I work in some Trumpton-esque dream office, but there are those out there that are run properly, just you don’t hear much from staff on these forums, as the tendency is to use forums like this to post the negative aspects of the job, not the positive.

This is exactly why this incentive scheme is the worst of both worlds.
People who would easily complete, especially with extra Christmas resources, will get the bonus for doing exactly what they normally do.
Posties who have had their round hammered with extra work could potentially be working harder and under more pressure than most will get diddly squat.
Managers are in the same scheme too so let the bullying ensue.

Isn’t there both a national and local element to the scheme though? In that local offices can earn it if they meet the criteria and it doesn’t matter what the office down the road is doing? That seems fair to me.

Yeah but if offices are chronically understaffed then they have zero chance of meeting the targets so it is unfair on them.

I agree it is unfair. They should be focussing on addressing productivity throughout the year, not just at peak, but surely they are going to flood offices with agency workers to meet demand at Christmas in those that are understaffed?

They may try to but some offices have huge amounts of vacancies.
Will they fill all the spaces with new recruits and agency and then clear the office everyday over Christmas?
Unlikely.
People are leaving too.
Some offices will piss it and meet the targets, others will fail letters probably everyday.

[postslippete]

There were rumours of wanting more rounds taken out, which will indeed make things more ‘interesting’ but I’ve heard nothing on this for a while now. As mentioned, we do have quite a high number of staff turnover right now, but I am seeing new faces every other day right now, and we have even turned away agency staff for Christmas pressure as we expect to be staffed adequately.

People believe that I work in some Trumpton-esque dream office, but there are those out there that are run properly, just you don’t hear much from staff on these forums, as the tendency is to use forums like this to post the negative aspects of the job, not the positive.

The tendency for me is to tell the truth whether that's positive or negative. A high number of staff turnover is certainly not a positive outlook for the company.
However, we have now been promised that there will be another revision after Xmas which will 'possibly' look at putting duties in. However, the only way we will hit the service targets is if there is more staff right now and it looks like they've started bringing in agency to help clear the mess that they've created

[Mickeybrowneyes]

It's only £250 pound as well.
The national target is pie in the sky.
Works out about £28 a week.
Just do half a walk on overtime.
Shouldn't be living and dying by this poorly thought out scheme in my opinion.

[josetork]

I work as hard as I can every day, I can’t go any quicker, already cut every corner I can and I’m nowhere near clearing my frame. Had so many packets and parcels today, only completed three loops of mail out of nine and finished half an hour over, so bonus, or no bonus, makes no difference to me - I’d be working till 5pm to complete and that’s now, let alone Xmas!

[RTP]

The tendancy for this website to multiple quote everything is tiresome so I won't go there, as is the LouBarlow bashing and vice versa, but I would just like to add this.

Lou has stated that his office is run properly etc. That's fine and happy days. However it's a bit like if you have never been skint, out of a job or on the bones of your arse . Not the same as....but If you haven't experienced such things or are not experiencing such things, then to get up on a soapbox and diss those that are down, then that's not right.

[LouBarlow]

The tendancy for this website to multiple quote everything is tiresome so I won't go there, as is the LouBarlow bashing and vice versa, but I would just like to add this.

Lou has stated that his office is run properly etc. That's fine and happy days. However it's a bit like if you have never been skint, out of a job or on the bones of your arse . Not the same as....but If you haven't experienced such things or are not experiencing such things, then to get up on a soapbox and diss those that are down, then that's not right.

I’m not dissing anyone. I can only comment on my experiences. Nobody would be fool enough to say there aren’t major failings elsewhere and I have every sympathy for people suffering. I feel lucky to work in my office compared to the horror shows you read about on here.

[guardianangel]

I certainly wont be working myself to death for this or any company offering this miserly bonus,if they didnt lower our working conditions,and paid time and a half and double time overtime rate,bully ,harass and talk to us like shite i may think about putting some effort in. When will companies realise its the workers that make the profits not some numpty in an office coming up with hair brained schemes to work the people to death,it has the opposite effect.

[DD12345678]

The tendancy for this website to multiple quote everything is tiresome so I won't go there, as is the LouBarlow bashing and vice versa, but I would just like to add this.

Lou has stated that his office is run properly etc. That's fine and happy days. However it's a bit like if you have never been skint, out of a job or on the bones of your arse . Not the same as....but If you haven't experienced such things or are not experiencing such things, then to get up on a soapbox and diss those that are down, then that's not right.

I’m not dissing anyone. I can only comment on my experiences. Nobody would be fool enough to say there aren’t major failings elsewhere and I have every sympathy for people suffering. I feel lucky to work in my office compared to the horror shows you read about on here.

Didnt stop you calling people idiots for voting no on here though did it?

[LouBarlow]

The tendancy for this website to multiple quote everything is tiresome so I won't go there, as is the LouBarlow bashing and vice versa, but I would just like to add this.

Lou has stated that his office is run properly etc. That's fine and happy days. However it's a bit like if you have never been skint, out of a job or on the bones of your arse . Not the same as....but If you haven't experienced such things or are not experiencing such things, then to get up on a soapbox and diss those that are down, then that's not right.

I’m not dissing anyone. I can only comment on my experiences. Nobody would be fool enough to say there aren’t major failings elsewhere and I have every sympathy for people suffering. I feel lucky to work in my office compared to the horror shows you read about on here.

Didnt stop you calling people idiots for voting no on here though did it?

I didn’t call anyone an idiot for voting no. Anything else you want to pluck out of your arse while we are here? I’ve never even noticed you post before. No offence.