Why MDEC?

[POSTMAN]

Just curious,we roughly know what you guys do and tbh as i'm a 2 finger typeing kinda guy i wouldn't last 5 mins at an MDEC.
So what made you go for the job,could you type before,was the training hard,you get the jist,just give us the full shabang.

[evilc]

Just curious,we roughly know what you guys do and tbh as i'm a 2 finger typeing kinda guy i wouldn't last 5 mins at an MDEC.
So what made you go for the job,could you type before,was the training hard,you get the jist,just give us the full shabang.

I personally used to perform the duty when it was done at mc's, you never get wet, can listen to music on ipod's, beats being treated like a donkey like on deliveries, do not get filthy on old mail bags etc.
I am sure there other points of view I will leave these down to other mdec keyers.

[Shiggaddi]

Well, the reason I applied to work at the MDEC, is cos I had just been bullied out of my old job, and Reed wanted people to do the job for Christmas. I then applied for a permanent job cos I did a good job as a temp and felt it was better than most other jobs on offer in Plymouth.

[xxxx]

I got in after being a reed xmas temp, was kept on luckily. The training initially seems hard as there are so many things you can do with each mail piece, more to do with software issues than actually determining where the item is going, that's easy. But once you've gotten the grasp of the rules, you just try and challenge yourself to go faster and faster, obviously without ruining your QA!

It is cushty most of the time, you do get to listen to your own music if you so wish, you get to have an eye break of ten minutes after 60 minutes of processing, there's the chance of half day holiday's on quiet days. But there are downsides, the job can be quite isolated, there are long term health issues of RSI, carpel tunnel syndrome, DVT etc, just from sitting down and keying.

Not sure how that fits in with you guys at the Mail Centres, delivery offices and call centres but that's the way we roll!

[CM106]

i too started as a Christmas temp five years ago... applied for a contract and got it the following april.
i had been sacked from retail-management because apparently i wasn't good enough and MDEC seemed a fairly good option.

this is mainly why i chose it though, rather than another retail job:
http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthin ... hobia.aspx

[Jessika]

when i started i had to do a typing test and score 40wpm to get a royal mail conract (rather than be agencey employed). after about 7 attempts (no joke) and a good few hours i managed to get the balance of speed and accurracy but when i actually started work i was really slow. couldnt touch type and only used 2 fingers. but when you do the job for 7hrs 20 a day 5 days a week (plus overtime) you soon learn to type relitively well (still cant spell though!) and new starters are (or were then) given plenty of time to reach gateways.

i took the job because i had just finished my final exams at uni and didnt want to move back to mum and dad, so the bills would need paying somehow and since i didnt understand a thing about the uni course i'd just completed it seamed like as good a job as any until somehting better came along. i only ment to stay for a year max, 5 years on i'm still there

[evilc]

when i started i had to do a typing test and score 40wpm to get a royal mail conract (rather than be agencey employed). after about 7 attempts (no joke) and a good few hours i managed to get the balance of speed and accurracy but when i actually started work i was really slow. couldnt touch type and only used 2 fingers. but when you do the job for 7hrs 20 a day 5 days a week (plus overtime) you soon learn to type relitively well (still cant spell though!) and new starters are (or were then) given plenty of time to reach gateways.

i took the job because i had just finished my final exams at uni and didnt want to move back to mum and dad, so the bills would need paying somehow and since i didnt understand a thing about the uni course i'd just completed it seamed like as good a job as any until somehting better came along. i only ment to stay for a year max, 5 years on i'm still there

HAHA, they have got you there is no escape now.

[tim253]

Im the same as most of you i started as a temp last year on nights unfortunatley i was not offered a permanant position but i wasnt surprised as there were more than 600 temps to choose from.
Working in an mdec is fun i supose like everyone says its quite laid back you get to listen to your ipods and chat and more importantly you get an eye break (fag break) every hour.
Again this year i am working at the same mdec i completed my refresher training two days ago and start on monday, with any luck maybe this time ill be offered a permanant position...?..?

[POSTMAN]

Welcome Tim and good luck mate.

[Magnus]

Like most (unskilled) jobs, MDEC work has its pros and cons.

These are the basics at Stoke MDEC.

Pros:

- Its fairly easy to pick up, especially if you are already a decent typist.
- You do get more than the minimum wage (not bad for Stoke-on-Trent wages, I suppose)
- Good hours if you are a student or you just want a bit of extra work.
- Its fairly laid back, they allow a reasonable amount of quiet chat as long as it doesn't affect your stats.
- They have dropped the stupid seating plans (once, this led to some trouble when a group of people starting having a go at someone they didn't like).
- Eye break every hour.
- You can have a drink at your desk.
- You can simply turn up, do your 4 hours, and then leave.
- It's a fairly new building.
- It's got a nice big car park.
- The security staff are friendly.
- They sometimes let you go early (10 minutes) if we have cleared the mail.
- Toilets cleaned often.

Cons:

- You learn no new skills, except how to type really quickly.
- You have no transferable skills (you don't even use any Windows software, for example)
- It's very difficult to become a coach or manager if you don't belong to "The Clique", although if you apply, I'm told you have a fair chance. Saying that, you can usually "guess" who the new coach will be.
- You get the feeling you're "Second Class", i.e. the Day Shift workers are far more important.
- Booking holidays (even six months in advance) can be impossible. Sometimes, you will try to book a day off and it is rejected on the grounds that it is "full up" and we need keyers to clear the mail. Then, on the night, the mail runs out with half an hour to go...... Somebody is having a laugh.
- The management have a nerve trying to get people to use up remaining holidays post New Year, before April. Of course, the fact that everybody has holidays denied means lots of people have spare days in February/March. Not our fault, guys.
- Got a birthday in the Summer and want to book it off? Forget it!
- Some people seem to be able to get special leave for trivial reasons, others not.
- All the shifts are at unsociable hours.
- Despite what I said above, the wages are not fantastic, but it's better than Maccie D's.
- Almost no chances to improve your training, prospects, etc.
- Somebody on the Left of the Bell Curve removed all the arms off the chairs, meaning you get arm ache after 30 minutes. Six months on, nothing has changed.
- The aircon in the building used to be useless, meaning it was either too cold or too hot, but it has improved recently.
- You have to tell the manager you need to go to the loo, but at least you don't carry a "brick" in with you.
- There was quite a bit of bullying and harrassment a couple of years ago, but the place has improved since then.

[booboo]

Add to the cons:

d**kheads that can't manage and make procedures up as they go along.

[Magnus]

I knew I'd missed a couple of points out.

Also, we have recently had forms telling us which days we can book off as annual leave until the end of March. Bottom line is, it looks as though they are desperate for people to take some time off in February. Stuff that.

Oh, and a little birdy told me recently that somebody tried to book a day off in the summer (GIVING THEM SIX, YEP "SIX", MONTHS NOTICE) and a BIG company such as the Royal Mail can't even organise their huge workforce to cover them for that day. They had it rejected. What is the betting that we run out of mail half an hour early on that day?

Take care, folks.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

6 months - that is late for a DO I was booking my breaks for 2010 up to April in October 2008. Different jobs and different rules though in this case.

[DGP1]

6 months - that is late for a DO I was booking my breaks for 2010 up to April in October 2008. Different jobs and different rules though in this case.

Same here, although I still dont know what they are, too much managers sitting around

[Magnus]

6 months - that is late for a DO I was booking my breaks for 2010 up to April in October 2008. Different jobs and different rules though in this case.

I would disagree with six months notice to get a day off "being late". For most companies six months is more than enough, especially for large companies. There is no excuse.

I appreciate your ability to plan ahead that far, TrueBlueTerrier, but the fact is, we have only just being given the forms to book off floating days for next year. We had the chance to book block weeks several months ago, but I would point out, that you don't always get your first choice. So, booking ahead far in advance is not always a guarentee of getting the days off you want. It is a bit of a lottery, I'm afraid.

Take care.

PS - I wonder if Leighton and Crozier have trouble booking their days off?