Knackered and concerned.

[pony]

Just got back today after a nice break.
Took me 4 hours on delivery and i was sweating and felt like i was going to collapse for the last 2 hours :)
My walk is very hilly and you have many steps which often give you that leg burn feeling.
Now i'm not as fit as i could be but not stupidly unfit.My back always aches a little but thats just part and parcel of carrying bags.
If walks go over 4 hours i really do not see me being physically capable of doing them.I usually struggle for the last hour and feel if i was out for even another 15 mins i'd be ready to drop.Might not be so bad on flat rounds but mine is quite a workout.
I'm very concerned when i hear all this talk of 5 hour duties.People say there will be job loses but i'm sat here with sore heels,aching back and warm knees :) and i know if this goes ahead i will lose mine anyway.
Does anyone think these stupid ideas will go ahead? What about health and safety issues and is the union really backing this?

[not me]

Just got back today after a nice break.
Took me 4 hours on delivery and i was sweating and felt like i was going to collapse for the last 2 hours :)
My walk is very hilly and you have many steps which often give you that leg burn feeling.
Now i'm not as fit as i could be but not stupidly unfit.My back always aches a little but thats just part and parcel of carrying bags.
If walks go over 4 hours i really do not see me being physically capable of doing them.I usually struggle for the last hour and feel if i was out for even another 15 mins i'd be ready to drop.Might not be so bad on flat rounds but mine is quite a workout.
I'm very concerned when i hear all this talk of 5 hour duties.People say there will be job loses but i'm sat here with sore heels,aching back and warm knees :) and i know if this goes ahead i will lose mine anyway.
Does anyone think these stupid ideas will go ahead? What about health and safety issues and is the union really backing this?

the truth? if you eased off the pace a bit you would probably not hurt as much
sore heels indicates you are striding on and slamming your heels down
now to the real nitty gritty,i take it you are working past your time?

[smelly_cat_lady]

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. All the salty water and walking/carrying techniques won't help you. The only thing that will is..............CUTTING OFF! When will you ever learn......(see previous posts for usual rants..)

For goodness sake people....!

[krussel]

The use of the honey/salt/lemon solution will supply enough calories and energy (honey being a triple releasing carbohydrate were as a Mars bar is a simple/single fast acting piece of man made death in a wrapper) to help stave off drops in blood glucose levels which lead to to the huge energy debt that so many suffer with, the salt will help to balance out the bodies mineral levels and stop it attacking other sources (bones, connective tissues, muscle, organs) for a supply, all of which lead to problems in later life, by combining all together this allows the mixture (namely water) to stay within the stomach longer and be better absorbed, leading to less likelihood of severe dehydration which normally manifests itself (or how most people interpret it) as hunger and later on as obesity and/or diabetes through excessive eating.

Thats really intresting i might give it a go I tend to eat fruit and water/orange juice on the way round. I also stop for about 15 mins to eat sarnies.

I ve given up working at a fast speed as my legs were aching badly at night as ive got plenty of hills, so now i just go steady . Today took 4.45 min in total from the office which included 20 min absorbtion. Your most likley pushing yourself too hard just to get around.

[fishtank]

The use of the honey/salt/lemon solution will supply enough calories and energy (honey being a triple releasing carbohydrate were as a Mars bar is a simple/single fast acting piece of man made death in a wrapper) to help stave off drops in blood glucose levels which lead to to the huge energy debt that so many suffer with, the salt will help to balance out the bodies mineral levels and stop it attacking other sources (bones, connective tissues, muscle, organs) for a supply, all of which lead to problems in later life, by combining all together this allows the mixture (namely water) to stay within the stomach longer and be better absorbed, leading to less likelihood of severe dehydration which normally manifests itself (or how most people interpret it) as hunger and later on as obesity and/or diabetes through excessive eating.

Thats really intresting i might give it a go I tend to eat fruit and water/orange juice on the way round. I also stop for about 15 mins to eat sarnies.

I ve given up working at a fast speed as my legs were aching badly at night as ive got plenty of hills, so now i just go steady . Today took 4.45 min in total from the office which included 20 min absorbtion. Your most likley pushing yourself too hard just to get around.

If your delivery took that long,why the absorbtion?

[krussel]

The use of the honey/salt/lemon solution will supply enough calories and energy (honey being a triple releasing carbohydrate were as a Mars bar is a simple/single fast acting piece of man made death in a wrapper) to help stave off drops in blood glucose levels which lead to to the huge energy debt that so many suffer with, the salt will help to balance out the bodies mineral levels and stop it attacking other sources (bones, connective tissues, muscle, organs) for a supply, all of which lead to problems in later life, by combining all together this allows the mixture (namely water) to stay within the stomach longer and be better absorbed, leading to less likelihood of severe dehydration which normally manifests itself (or how most people interpret it) as hunger and later on as obesity and/or diabetes through excessive eating.

Thats really intresting i might give it a go I tend to eat fruit and water/orange juice on the way round. I also stop for about 15 mins to eat sarnies.

I ve given up working at a fast speed as my legs were aching badly at night as ive got plenty of hills, so now i just go steady . Today took 4.45 min in total from the office which included 20 min absorbtion. Your most likley pushing yourself too hard just to get around.

If your delivery took that long,why the absorbtion?

I took out just 26 calls of absorbtion today and finished at 1.45 pm. If you add my 15 min stop my finishing time would have been 1.55pm

[pony]

Well it was snowing so i don't think i was slamming my heals down.
I must just be unfit but 4 hours is about my maximum before i feel like i am fatigued.
I really don't think i could do 5 hours every day.
No i wasn't over my time.The thing is they let you out early now and you have 4.5 hours or more till finish time.So i can't really cut off and its not really possible to take 40 mins break out in the rain or snow.
I know 3.5 is whats banded about but can i go back at 1pm and say "right i'm jiggered,done mi 3.5 now i'm off home"?
Like today it was 4 hours again but i finished 10 mins early.I was really exhausted cos of the foot deep snow but i just kept going cos i knew gaffer would point at his watch and tell me it wasn't time to knock off.
Is there any health and safety in this job ?

[theeggster]

Nope only when it suits managers. Oh and the union is s**t.We are f****d

[smelly_cat_lady]

Unfortunately you typify the usual blinkered narrow minded attitude that is out there.

Dear Dr Hilary Jones (for you must be a medically trained individual and not a postman)

Should you have raised your head out of your a*se for half an hour, you might have caught Panorama which featured a former Marine (highly trained and physically fit fighting machine trained by the British Army) that could not complete a walk on time delivering just one leaflet to each of his delivery points. I like to think he would know how to keep hydrated and how to carry weight. So if he can't do it...

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for keeping healthy and looking after my body and I do my best to drag my 40 year old sorry carcass around walks 5 days a week come rain or shine but due to the disgusting way I'm continually treated by the management at RM, I will not do anymore than what I am paid to do. Unlike you I will not bust my balls for a company that care not for me or the effort I am preparing to expend to swell their profits. Call it narrow minded if you like.

Now then, if you want to chomp on energy bars, slurp salt water and scoff half a kilo of fruit over the course of 5 hours for this company then fill your boots. The more you do, the more you will be ask to or expected to do and you will get no thanks for recognition for it. So when you are bent double with fused vertebrae and limping towards your union rep with your ailments don't be surprised if he tells you 'I told you so...'

Yours grumpily,

Your humble postie

[Judgee]

Don't panic! Split your bags up and pace yourself. Give yourself lots of breaks, sit down and eat some fruit or a snack regularly. Most importantly DO NOT BE BULLIED INTO RUSHING. If your done on time great, if not then take it all back to the office. Just work your time and relax. I was was worried about being able to cope with the new round sizes, they havent got around to carving up my section of the office yet we only get crap loads of absorbtion.... which rarely gets completed. But when the time comes I have no intention of upping my pace to keep those numbnut dictators happy. I guarantee none of the management could get the new work load done on a regular basis, most couldn't manage doing the old workload . If they harrass you for not completing on time, go off with stress for a month! :cfo

[krussel]

I prefer to eat a dried fruit and nut mix, easy to carry in bag and nuts are calorie dense for such a small amount.

Thats great advice i will deffo try some of that

[POSTMAN]

Well it was snowing so i don't think i was slamming my heals down.
I must just be unfit but 4 hours is about my maximum before i feel like i am fatigued.
I really don't think i could do 5 hours every day.
No i wasn't over my time.The thing is they let you out early now and you have 4.5 hours or more till finish time.So i can't really cut off and its not really possible to take 40 mins break out in the rain or snow.
I know 3.5 is whats banded about but can i go back at 1pm and say "right i'm jiggered,done mi 3.5 now i'm off home"?
Like today it was 4 hours again but i finished 10 mins early.I was really exhausted cos of the foot deep snow but i just kept going cos i knew gaffer would point at his watch and tell me it wasn't time to knock off.
Is there any health and safety in this job ?

Get your rep involved,no walks should be above 3-30hrs unless agreed with your office.Get the walk tested,although now the snow is here they will try and hoodwink you.
But i'm guessing that the walk was too big anyway and is well documented.

Stand your ground,if it's a regular thing,it needs to be sorted.

[fishtank]

pony wrote
"I know 3.5 is whats banded about but can i go back at 1pm and say "right i'm jiggered,done mi 3.5 now i'm off home"?"

Yes you can say you have done your 3.5 hr delivery.

No you can't say you are off home but you can say you will do indoor work and take any break you are due until your finishing time.