Being moved to parcel delivery

[Zed123]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of advice. - I've been a postie for around 5 weeks now and have been really enjoying the role. I've been moving between different walks and have been growing in confidence in the role, however I was told that I'll be doing parcel delivery from next week all the way through until Christmas, which I'm not the biggest fan of, as part of what drew me to the job was the exercise and outdoors aspect. The manager who told me this seems to have come up with this plan on their own while my regular manager is on holiday. Any ideas what I can do? Say no politely or just suck it up and respect the status quo?

[BenacreNick]

Definitely open some dialogue with this guy. Ask the questions that you need answers to, and ask colleagues for their opinions as well.

Ask if it's just you and why. Also let them know you are enjoying the walking exercise.

It might just be that you are require to fulfill this role as all the walks are taken up with regular staff ?

Perhaps when your regular manager returns, they have a different role in mind for you to fulfill.

[SpacePhoenix]

It's Xmas Pressure from now till Xmas so there won't be any staff on holiday

[Woody84]

I’m sure I read another recent thread that mentions this and when I met my manager last week (I’m due to start next week) she pretty much alluded to something similar; that’ll be on parcel delivery until after Christmas.

Sounds like it could be something across the board?

[Zed123]

Thanks for the replies, makes more sense to me now, everyone else being in + increased Xmas pressure. Cheers all

[fb1969]

As mentioned above, with no leave allowed in the Christmas Pressure period RM will have more staff in and more duties covered. So the people without their own duty, mainly the newer staff, are often assigned to afternoon packet duties. Fairly normal, the biggest issue is waiting for the vans to come back so you can go out!

[SMS1969]

Yeah as stated on here, apart from illness it will be a full house in DO’s, so they’ll want parcel drivers to take the pressure off the duties. Get the manager to show you how to set up the PDA so that you can load them up and deliver them in order as you go around with them. It’s easier work than walking and you’ll stay drier if it rains.

[fadetogrey63]

Yeah our office started parcel only routes for the new contracts, we're doing 1pm till 7pm till Xmas, we didn't really have a choice to say no

[Woody84]

Hope you don’t mind me asking, Will it be until 7pm on Xmas eve or have they mentioned if your times will change that day?

I’m starting this week and was told I’ll be doing the driving assessment in my second week so I’m expecting I’ll be on parcel deliveries on the afternoon shift. I’m just curious if Xmas eve is a write off.

[fadetogrey63]

Hope you don’t mind me asking, Will it be until 7pm on Xmas eve or have they mentioned if your times will change that day?

I certainly hope by Xmas eve it will be either back to normal postal delivery or the very least a early fin on parcels, the manager did say by Xmas eve it's more or less died down by then, they won't have us out till late on Xmas eve

[Playmail]

Last year was a Sunday so it was just job and knock was only ment to be one wave but we ended up with 2

[Barnacle]

Hope you don’t mind me asking, Will it be until 7pm on Xmas eve or have they mentioned if your times will change that day?

I’m starting this week and was told I’ll be doing the driving assessment in my second week so I’m expecting I’ll be on parcel deliveries on the afternoon shift. I’m just curious if Xmas eve is a write off.

You will have to ask at your particular office but at ours, Christmas Eve is usually a doddle and you don’t work late because everyone wants to shut up shop.

But check with someone at yours to be sure.

[SpacePhoenix]

Hope you don’t mind me asking, Will it be until 7pm on Xmas eve or have they mentioned if your times will change that day?

I’m starting this week and was told I’ll be doing the driving assessment in my second week so I’m expecting I’ll be on parcel deliveries on the afternoon shift. I’m just curious if Xmas eve is a write off.

You will have to ask at your particular office but at ours, Christmas Eve is usually a doddle and you don’t work late because everyone wants to shut up shop.

But check with someone at yours to be sure.

Xmas eve will be partly down to if a shitload of mail suddenly gets released to MCs from wherever it gets held upstream of the MCs

[ted_e_bear]

Hope you don’t mind me asking, Will it be until 7pm on Xmas eve or have they mentioned if your times will change that day?

I’m starting this week and was told I’ll be doing the driving assessment in my second week so I’m expecting I’ll be on parcel deliveries on the afternoon shift. I’m just curious if Xmas eve is a write off.

Xmas eve is usually very quiet despite sometimes not showing signs of slowing down until very close, practically everyone wants to get off home, so I really wouldn't worry about it at this stage.