Part time

[SF]

I'm new to Royal Mail, working a supposedly 9-2 contract.

Now, it's my second week and naturally I'm struggling to finish by 1.30 (lunch break 30 mins), or even 2.00pm (no meal break). They said I can start at 8 (overtime paid) so that I have more time to bundle and bag up. So I did this today, only to find that half of my mail and all of my packets hadn't been thrown into my frame. So instead of using that hour to put my packets in order, do my redirections, deads, bundle, and bag up, I had to use it sorting half of the mail (probably more) mail into the frame.

I know it's probably because im slow, but it seems like it's impossible to get out the door in time and complete my round to get back by 1.30/2.00 ish.

Today I got back from my round (walking back from walk as included) at 3.00pm.

So what I want to know is what am I supposed to be doing prior to my actual walk? It seems like there is only time to bundle and bag, yet i'm sorting packets, doing redirects, deads and in todays case throwing mail into my frame before i'm even bundling up.

Another thing, how long should the average walk take? On a good day it's been taking me about 3 and a half hours , some days about 4 hours?..

Advice?

[Pat Ostman]

You are doing all you can, it is almost impossible to work a 9-2 contract and complete and they know it.

[Exrep]

Your walks just about rite on time scale.

From what i beleve to be true is that when you come in you should only have to mark up your packets ,get your regs tie up and go.

Is your Dom saying to you that your O/T is from 08.00-09.00 or is he adding this on at the end plus what you go over

This a common problem rite across R/M and its rife in our office .

Book what you work and dont let your DOM tell you other wise.

If your in the union speak to your rep.

[torapeach]

Hi SF I was in the same boat when I first started I was supposed to start at 9 and all the walk was supposed to be thrown in however it never was,
I was doing a full time walk covering for sickness and was then asked to start at between 7.30 and 8 so that i could throw it in no IPS and then out on shift.
Most walks take about 3.5 hrs although some times they can go over that on a heavy day. I was claiming the actual time i finnished whether o/t or not, some days when going back to the office after the walk the manager would ask me to do a bit of overtime and again i put down what i actualy worked.
I was then informed by an old sweat that I should have been paid 3hrs o/t for 1/2 a walk and 6hrs for a full walk needless to say I had been shafted and will never be again now I know the score and I'm never asked to do overtime anymore but that suits me fine let them dare ask for me to work my day off or o/t over the xmas pressure period I will have a good laugh before saying

[SF]

They said they'd pay me for the 8-9 start, but I need to start booking OT for the time I go over at the end. It just seems so hectic fitting evrything in right now.

If your in the union speak to your rep.

That reminds me, I really should have been introduced to a rep by now. Add that to a list of things I need to inquire about.

It's just a mixture of me being a bit slow, and RM asking me to fit too much IMO into part time hours. Because I'm rushing like a lunatic prior to my walk, I've been missorting a couple packages into the wrong bags, therefore bringing them back as it would take too much time to go back on myself. That's not good I know, but today I had soo many packages it was unreal. At least it seemed. Any advice for sorting and keeping a mountain of packets in the right order/bags? This seems to be an error I keep making for some reason.

[shadow]

Hi SF you probably won't ever get all of your walk thrown in unless you start cutting off. But I wouldn't recommend doing that as your just in the door and you don't want them to find any reason to boot you back out of it. I would have a word with the union rep see if he/she can get something sorted but don't hold your breath too long. Good luck.

[Richie89]

They said they'd pay me for the 8-9 start, but I need to start booking OT for the time I go over at the end. It just seems so hectic fitting evrything in right now.

If your in the union speak to your rep.

That reminds me, I really should have been introduced to a rep by now. Add that to a list of things I need to inquire about.

It's just a mixture of me being a bit slow, and RM asking me to fit too much IMO into part time hours. Because I'm rushing like a lunatic prior to my walk, I've been missorting a couple packages into the wrong bags, therefore bringing them back as it would take too much time to go back on myself. That's not good I know, but today I had soo many packages it was unreal. At least it seemed. Any advice for sorting and keeping a mountain of packets in the right order/bags? This seems to be an error I keep making for some reason.

Write up a 'sorry you were out' card (dont know the proper name) and put it in the frame for your packers. I found this quite useful when I first started, I used to forget about them all the time.

[Pegman]

They said they'd pay me for the 8-9 start, but I need to start booking OT for the time I go over at the end. It just seems so hectic fitting evrything in right now.

If your in the union speak to your rep.

That reminds me, I really should have been introduced to a rep by now. Add that to a list of things I need to inquire about.

It's just a mixture of me being a bit slow, and RM asking me to fit too much IMO into part time hours. Because I'm rushing like a lunatic prior to my walk, I've been missorting a couple packages into the wrong bags, therefore bringing them back as it would take too much time to go back on myself. That's not good I know, but today I had soo many packages it was unreal. At least it seemed. Any advice for sorting and keeping a mountain of packets in the right order/bags? This seems to be an error I keep making for some reason.

Write up a 'sorry you were out' card (dont know the proper name) and put it in the frame for your packers. I found this quite useful when I first started, I used to forget about them all the time.

Another way to remind you if a house has a packet, is to put a cross on a letter for teh same house, if that house has no letters, use a P739 as above. this can get a bit time consuming though I had 79 packets today.
Another tip I would give is to do smaller circles especially on heavy days, it also means you are carrying less weight, some of our really experienced posties are zig zagging at this time of year, leaving packets they don't need on the bike

[SF]

I tend to flip letters that have packets.

I have bag drops, 2 at a time. I keep putting packets that are meant to be in bag 2 in bag 3 for example. So it's too late to go back by the time i find the packet.

Really dumb mistake, but I did it a couple of times today.

[morleyposty]

im on the same contract

most days most of the walk is thrown in.
i do the re-direct, missorts & arrange the pkts, tie up, bag up and then on my bike.

most days on different walks so it takes time to get upto speed.

Hang in there.

[pinstripe]

Some good advice so far. A few bullet points to remember:
1. Claim for all overtime worked(right up until you return to the office)
2. If your delivery is taking you about 3.5 hours, then you are not slow
3. Ask questions, your workmates have all been in the same boat and there won't be a problem they haven't had
4. It takes time to get up to the old hands speed, so don't worry
5. If you do have any problems, see your manager and make a note of it (it also would be a good idea to inform your union rep as well, management have a habit of 'forgetting')
6. You will make mistakes, I've done 9 years + and I still make them ( missing packets usually). The rule about that is, if you have time you go back and deliver them, if you don't, bring them back to the office and endorse them as missorts.
7. Use this site. We have all sorts on here and someone will gladly help.
8. Join the union, think of it as insurance you hope you never need. On a 25 hour contract it will cost less than £2 a week.

[krussel]

As the others have said it sounds like your doing fine. Its a bad time to start really with loads of packets to sort out. I am doing a round i know backwards and starting at 6am getting out about 9 am but not getting back to around 2pm, so your doing better than me and i have a van

[Pegman]

Some good advice so far. A few bullet points to remember:
1. Claim for all overtime worked(right up until you return to the office)
2. If your delivery is taking you about 3.5 hours, then you are not slow
3. Ask questions, your workmates have all been in the same boat and there won't be a problem they haven't had
4. It takes time to get up to the old hands speed, so don't worry
5. If you do have any problems, see your manager and make a note of it (it also would be a good idea to inform your union rep as well, management have a habit of 'forgetting')
6. You will make mistakes, I've done 9 years + and I still make them ( missing packets usually). The rule about that is, if you have time you go back and deliver them, if you don't, bring them back to the office and endorse them as missorts.
7. Use this site. We have all sorts on here and someone will gladly help.
8. Join the union, think of it as insurance you hope you never need. On a 25 hour contract it will cost less than £2 a week.

Great advice that, You will learn who to talk to and who not to, first stop should be the union rep.
Don't lose sleep over mistakes, talk to one of the old hands, it's surprising how many will tell you stories of them doing exactly the same things.
When you make a cock up, tell someone, thats the best way.

[smokerjim]

I tend to flip letters that have packets.

I have bag drops, 2 at a time. I keep putting packets that are meant to be in bag 2 in bag 3 for example. So it's too late to go back by the time i find the packet.

Really dumb mistake, but I did it a couple of times today.

Try using the top of your frame for your packets - ie 1st bag drop in the first section, 2nd bag drop second section, etc, then at each bag drop spend a few moments getting the right packets into the right bags - it might sound like a pain in the arse at the mo, but after a few weeks on one walk it will be second nature

[NewPostieUK]

Don't forget, any packets you can't manage, give to your driver. I made that mistake when I started - tried to take too many out. If you've got more than one for one address, look at the total size and decide if you can manage them, don't be frightened to give the driver three smallish ones for the same address.

For comparison: I worked 6 hours today (25 hr contract, extra hour some days), and did everything myself. Nothing at all thrown in. I got my own trays, threw them up, went round getting my stuff from IPS a few times, got my flats then finally 2 packet bags. Sorted all that, did redirections, killoffs, packed my bags, weighed them and gave them to the driver. Walk took 3 1/2 hrs, pouched off and went home. That all took 5 1/2 hrs, and I get 30 mins break which I add on the end.

When I started, all that would have taken me at least 7, maybe even 8 hrs, so it sounds like you are managing fine.

You'll get people coming on here asking whats meant to be already done for a part timer, when they get in, but it's different for each walk. I do 5 different walks, some have a lot more houses, so those walks get help with prepping, ie some days some prepping will have been done when I start. Some walks will have more houses but you can still do it in 3 1/2 hrs as they are closed together (terraced houses, flats etc). One walk I do only has about 300 houses, so is dead easy to prep (so get no help with prepping), but still takes at least 3 1/2 hrs as houses are spaced out (meaning i walk a lot more miles).