Rules on days off after holidays

[nadnerb99]

It is very unusual for someone to walk in the door and be on a delivery for 15years.
Usually they have done their stint as a reserve as well.
Reserves are not a new thing in this business...i started as one and that was many years ago.

Yes unusal but does happen, the figure used was just something out of the air .Basically what i wanted to know was what is the difference between someone doing posting duties for 1 yr to 5 yrs so on, apart from you have learnt what the management can be like .The job is the same once you have mastered throwing out and got general knowledge of the aera ,surely.... I am very well aware reserves are not new to the job that is not the question.

The question is clarify what you think an experienced postman is ?for someone who as been doing the job from 1yr or someone who as been doing it for 15 years?

[clashcityrocker]

can you clarify what you call an experienced postman is ? Has if a postman who as been on one round for 15 years ,then they are offered the reserve job what would make them any different to a reserve who as been doing the job for 12months or more.

An experienced reserve (12 months) would be as good, probably better as a reserve than a postie who has spent the last 15 years on one round.
Obviously not all floaters make a lot of mistakes but in a lot of DO's they get a weeks training and then they become a reserve.
It is a ridiculous situation. They need time to get used to the physical demands of the job as well as the routine of the job - the basics are hard enough to remember if you are tired and rushed but then there is stuff like Do Not Redirect (and the test ones) and remembering not to 739 jury citations etc.
In order to get this sort of stuff right you need an experienced postie.
Then there is knowing where your drop boxes are, how to tie down, knowing who to ask and having the confidence to ask when problems arise. (The drop box keys have gone missing. The safe drop is shut on Saturday etc...)
I doubt if many f/t posties would want to go back to being a reserve but a financial incentive might make a difference.
Like I said - my guess is most of the pressure o/t goes to reserves. We pay them extra to do the job badly (not all) instead of paying people to do the job well.
A good reserve should be paid an allowance - and normally that would be a time served professional (like me)

[nadnerb99]

An experienced reserve (12 months) would be as good, probably better as a reserve than a postie who has spent the last 15 years on one round.
Obviously not all floaters make a lot of mistakes but in a lot of DO's they get a weeks training and then they become a reserve.
It is a ridiculous situation. They need time to get used to the physical demands of the job as well as the routine of the job - the basics are hard enough to remember if you are tired and rushed but then there is stuff like Do Not Redirect (and the test ones) and remembering not to 739 jury citations etc.
In order to get this sort of stuff right you need an experienced postie.
Then there is knowing where your drop boxes are, how to tie down, knowing who to ask and having the confidence to ask when problems arise. (The drop box keys have gone missing. The safe drop is shut on Saturday etc...)
I doubt if many f/t posties would want to go back to being a reserve but a financial incentive might make a difference.
Like I said - my guess is most of the pressure o/t goes to reserves. We pay them extra to do the job badly (not all) instead of paying people to do the job well.
A good reserve should be paid an allowance - and normally that would be a time served professional (like me)

Yes thats all i got was one week training then thrown on to 3 different rounds the following week.I think you have to be strong minded and thick skinned to be a successful postman at first .Especially what RM expect of you. You do talk sense .I do see certain points.I just think most DO blame reserves for mistakes etc because it is easy to do so... I blame the management for not giving enough training & support at the begining... I love my job but some managers spoil a good job! Thank you for the discussion being a constructive one. :)

[clashcityrocker]

I blame the management for not giving enough support and training at the beginning.
I also blame the Work Place Coaches who pocket £30 and don't take their resposabilities to their new charges seriously enough (not all)
The agreement allows for a 12 (?) week bedding in period but even that isn't enough. It takes a bit of time to become a good postie.

[Straight4ward]

Ease up on the generalizations, Clash. LOL

[POSTMAN]

While being a reserve is a pain it can be not so bad if the duties are allocated properly.

Say 5 reserves,4 jobs are coming up,you start with the senior reserve and then you carry on down the list.
Now how hard is that,even if you have 20 reserves it's still a f***ing list!

Days off,the reserve should get the days off of the duty he/she is covering,end off!

Another list now,all reserves should have a list of what days they have had off so if reserve 10 has not had a sat off for a while that reserve should get 1st pic of the walk that has a sat off.
You would keep an average so all reserves get a fair share.Again,it's a f***ing list!

Reserves floating as there are no duties to cover,that is pot luck with the days off.

Now how hard is all of the above,the rep should be making sure this is done anyway!

[trythat]

Are you not the walk holder?, and day off on rotation. If so, you should know what your day off is week to week! I go away on holiday in a fortnight, and my day off is Thursday when i get back, then back into work on the Friday.

No not a duty holder hence why i dont know which day i have off.

I don't really see how it makes any difference whether you are a duty holder or not, do you not have days off in order? we have a few who still take a day off rather than a week off every 6, and they just have a rolling day off, so it doesn't matter what duty you're on you get your day off when you should, and it means you get your long weekend of when you're supposed to.

That made me smile .I once ended up having 7 tuesday off in consecitive weeks . I got fed up complain not fair having easiest day off...I mainly get mondays,tuesdays off. Why is it i read on here so many offices have different rules for each DO but we are all RM

What can I say, but thats not how it works in my office, as I say if you're not on 1 in 6, then a rolling day off means a rolling day off, whether a reserve or duty holder.

[POSTMAN]

While being a reserve is a pain it can be not so bad if the duties are allocated properly.

Say 5 reserves,4 jobs are coming up,you start with the senior reserve and then you carry on down the list.
Now how hard is that,even if you have 20 reserves it's still a f***ing list!

Days off,the reserve should get the days off of the duty he/she is covering,end off!

Another list now,all reserves should have a list of what days they have had off so if reserve 10 has not had a sat off for a while that reserve should get 1st pic of the walk that has a sat off.
You would keep an average so all reserves get a fair share.Again,it's a f***ing list!

Reserves floating as there are no duties to cover,that is pot luck with the days off.

Now how hard is all of the above,the rep should be making sure this is done anyway!

You always assume that every office has a rep that takes an active interest. I can't remember the last time our rep ever organised a meeting with us about anything.

Yes,you're right,i always assume.

I always assume that 'some' of the c***s that want the days off,the release time for this and that,the status,the i am the rep and i am the man,would actually do something for their members.

[TeeferTiger]

I blame the management for not giving enough support and training at the beginning.
I also blame the Work Place Coaches who pocket £30 and don't take their resposabilities to their new charges seriously enough (not all)
The agreement allows for a 12 (?) week bedding in period but even that isn't enough. It takes a bit of time to become a good postie.

Yes easy up!

I don't get paid £30 but I do look after my charges! When I get them anyway... Sometimes I'm not told until the day they're starting in the office that they're actually starting!

[BlueEspresso]

I don't have a fixed duty but its mainly the same and I always have the same day off, they once tried to change it as never looked at duty rota, called their bluff, now never change day without asking me first, they even phone me in a morning if they change the duty I'm doing as some duties I come in to work in the car and others I bike/walk in. I can't criticise my office as thats one thing they are good at.