Do the mangers really report back on computer how much mail we leave behind or which walks don’t go out or are they fobbing us off ?

[funkflex55]

The other day my phone detected an air tag and warned me that it was with me. I assumed it was in a parcel but maybe it was actually in a letter.

[Mickeybrowneyes]

What they normally do, differs from office to office no doubt, is get you to prep and take out everything so it's a clear-ish office, then obviously later you bring some of it back.

Or tell you not to prep a round so they don't have to report it as failed? Given how grim the figures are RM releases every quarter, then you do wonder how bad they would be if the figures were genuine.

They risk a round still being reported as failed if there's any test letters (ones with RFID tags) in them.

Still supposed to report it next morning if they cut off anyway.

[Kenfandango]

We had a few "snap inspections" at the end of last year where some higher-than-the-COM guy came in at 4-5pm a couple of days a week for a month, making notes of all the walks with mail left in/brought back (we know this as a few people who stayed out saw him doing it.) He then publicly bollocked the COM because it didn't match what was put in the system.

Subsequently managers have to stay and report the stuff that's been cut off (or just guess based on who is likely to)

[Mr Rush]

They used to hand out 2 year serious' liberally for bringing back a single letter without endorsement back in the day, remember willful delay anyone?

Yes, we remember it very well at our office after a colleague was suspended on questionable willful delay charges for cutting off back before the pandemic. It's been a complete volte-face on every level since then.

So desperate is the company to retain people that we've seen new starts get away with conduct that would have taken them to the brink of being sacked little more than five years ago (or right now if 'legacy'). And it's not like management can appeal to a sense of public service to get the best out of staff when it's so obvious the company doesn't care. For flinging packets around all day for minimum wage, the most they can expect from people is that they turn up... maybe.

[yellowbelly]

The other day my phone detected an air tag and warned me that it was with me. I assumed it was in a parcel but maybe it was actually in a letter.

Bit of an insight into the tags RM use on Yorks etc., BIg Brother is watching you!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KmbSMF1oE0

[TopperGas]

That was recorded 10 months ago and I can't see anything has changed since? The only data it really gives is "Parcel A" was put into a york and sent to "DO A" if the parcel then disappears nobody will still know where it's gone until it's ever scanned again by somebody in the business, or declared as lost.

[comeracing]

Think about It, a manager will fiddle the numbers for eg 3 duties did not actually go out , but in reality it will be 1 duty nudge nudge wink wink did not go out , to achieve there BONUS .

[John Gaita]

Then they lie on the reporting as they claim walks are cleared. Then RM cuts the office hours as the work is getting completed. This has been going on for years. Each manager screwing their successors a little bit harder.

This is exactly what happened in my office! Had a new COM coming in, cutting walks left and right, making them so big they could only be fully prepped and completed on overtime. Still, whenever it got busy, posties would cut off. No one in the office believes that he reported any failed walks. Gets a really nice bonus and is promoted to a bigger office. The COM that replaces him immediately faces a cut on overtime, half the walks can't be completed. Only lasts a couple of months The next COM gets even less overtime to the office, walks fail even more. But they are STILL reported as complete and the USO reform will be made with this fake data reporting our walks completed everyday

LTB 078/17 - Royal Mail & CWU National Joint Statement Avoiding Delay (Commit to Deliver) and Reporting Standards

This Commit to Deliver agreement is very clear:

Any delivery route, which is less than 100% complete must be accurately reported as a USO failure via Delivery Office Daily Reporting (DODR)

Not sure how many posties know that if we do not deliver to one or more addresses in a walk, COMs need to report it as either a part or full delivery route failure. They do it in an app. If you fail post, either by leaving behind or bringing back, managers should be asking you how many loops were failed. They would have to report a part failure in the app. They would have to say how many loops were failed, and give an estimate of how many letters were failed. Then, the next day, managers would be telling you to prioritise those letters that were failed the day before.
Does this happen in your office? Not in mine.

[Mr Rush]

But they are STILL reported as complete and the USO reform will be made with this fake data reporting our walks completed everyday

That's what I believe is happening. The board told EP Group they could make £300m in savings by ceasing to over-provide an outdated USO... except, how often do offices clear anymore in the last five years? We already deliver on alternative days at best, every day is musical chairs, callrates on an individual day might be 20% but there's always three days stuff in the frame so it may as well be 2010, and we don't have 10,000 staff sitting idle (that aren't managers) to make redundant. This is the sand that is the foundation of the ODM.

And yet I can't believe senior management don't know this, or are they genuinely bewildered year on year when Ofcom fines the company for failed QoS targets?

[oypostie]

And yet I can't believe senior management don't know this

They know but until OFCOM up their game and start massively increasing the fines, it is cheaper for them to pay the fine and save the staff costs. Sadly it's all about money now and service has to be forced on the company

[TopperGas]

But they are STILL reported as complete and the USO reform will be made with this fake data reporting our walks completed everyday

That's what I believe is happening. The board told EP Group they could make £300m in savings by ceasing to over-provide an outdated USO... except, how often do offices clear anymore in the last five years? We already deliver on alternative days at best, every day is musical chairs, callrates on an individual day might be 20% but there's always three days stuff in the frame so it may as well be 2010, and we don't have 10,000 staff sitting idle (that aren't managers) to make redundant. This is the sand that is the foundation of the ODM.

And yet I can't believe senior management don't know this, or are they genuinely bewildered year on year when Ofcom fines the company for failed QoS targets?

Senior management at RM may know the true picture but have they told the EP Group the true position, although does anybody know the true position if local managers are hiding the true picture to try and protect their own jobs?

If EPG/RM want the true picture when don't they put barcodes on 1c mail so they can them accurately track when it's being delivered?

[funkflex55]

Then they lie on the reporting as they claim walks are cleared. Then RM cuts the office hours as the work is getting completed. This has been going on for years. Each manager screwing their successors a little bit harder.

This is exactly what happened in my office! Had a new COM coming in, cutting walks left and right, making them so big they could only be fully prepped and completed on overtime. Still, whenever it got busy, posties would cut off. No one in the office believes that he reported any failed walks. Gets a really nice bonus and is promoted to a bigger office. The COM that replaces him immediately faces a cut on overtime, half the walks can't be completed. Only lasts a couple of months The next COM gets even less overtime to the office, walks fail even more. But they are STILL reported as complete and the USO reform will be made with this fake data reporting our walks completed everyday

LTB 078/17 - Royal Mail & CWU National Joint Statement Avoiding Delay (Commit to Deliver) and Reporting Standards

This Commit to Deliver agreement is very clear:

Any delivery route, which is less than 100% complete must be accurately reported as a USO failure via Delivery Office Daily Reporting (DODR)

Not sure how many posties know that if we do not deliver to one or more addresses in a walk, COMs need to report it as either a part or full delivery route failure. They do it in an app. If you fail post, either by leaving behind or bringing back, managers should be asking you how many loops were failed. They would have to report a part failure in the app. They would have to say how many loops were failed, and give an estimate of how many letters were failed. Then, the next day, managers would be telling you to prioritise those letters that were failed the day before.
Does this happen in your office? Not in mine.

I think it has happened right across not only Royal mail offices but across business in general. The continuous drive for more billions, putting pressure on management and cash incentives for being deceitful all lead to where we are.

That's why you see 3 members of staff in a whole supermarket and rather than rotate the food properly, they understaff and that leads to more waste than what staffing would cost!

[yellowbelly]

I think it has happened right across not only Royal mail offices but across business in general. The continuous drive for more billions, putting pressure on management and cash incentives for being deceitful all lead to where we are.

That's why you see 3 members of staff in a whole supermarket and rather than rotate the food properly, they understaff and that leads to more waste than what staffing would cost!

I've a feeling that those supermarkets might be able to write that waste off against profits/taxes or some other business cost, which makes it cheaper than hiring the extra staff. Disgusting waste of food though if it's just skipped!

[Mr Rush]

I've been thinking about the DODR today.

Management are begging everyone to fill in the employee survey. Nothing unusual there - behind every desperate act is usually a bonus. What's unusual is that they are also begging everyone to tell it like it is. Fill it in and tell the company the truth about how the service is in freefall, and particularly tell them we need to recruit a lot of people so they'll bequeath a suitable budget to fulfill that objective.

Given all the data being acquired and funneled to the bean counters and the company's all-encompassing disdain for what its workforce ever thinks about anything, it seems odd to have a shred of hope that this is what's going to disuade senior management from continuing to steam into an ice field.

Some possibilities:

• The DODR is being filled out... in a manner that conveys more what was intended to have been done rather what was necessarily actually done. Allegedly. Thus decisions being made at higher levels are being formulated on an increasingly flawed perception of reality.
• The DODR is being filled out flawlessly and senior management do not give a f**k what it indicates. We're locked-in on the Blue Riband.
• This is a management gambit preying on rockbottom morale to get that sweet participation bonus.

Special option: it is being fudged, senior management know and still don't care, and local managers still get those bonuses.