Can you be sacked if you are slow?

[byford]

I have been with Royal Mail nearly 2.5 years as a casual. At that time the office has taken on around a dozen casuals on the rolling three month contract.

Now I take around 4 hours, sometimes 5, to fully throw of and prep a frame. In my office we use the old fashion frames and not the newer green slot versions. It is often the case i am the last to leave the office and most of the staff arrive back before i left the office. I take around 4 hours to do the walk. So I often work to the full 8 hours or longer. I should add that i do a different walk daily. I once did the same walk for a month and by the third week i was as fast as everyone else. The more you do it, the better you become. So as a casual, they are not obliged to give you the same walk are they, which would help build up your speed? This is not a deliberate go slow on my part. I have always been very slow at anything involving sorting. When i was at school i was hopeless at assembling puzzles, mechano sets, wood work, model making, etc.

The other casuals are up to speed with the regulars, and a few of them have been made permanent. I wont ask or wonder why I havent. Maybe their face fits, or they are quicker? so could RM use that as a block to make you permanent?

One bloke said they could sack me cos Im so slow. Is that is a load of rubbish? Ive been here all this time and complete, if was going to get sacked they would have given me ample written warnings etc by now, but i have not had any. I said in my defence, I am not short changing RM, Im working my full quota of hours. the guys who finish before I go out, that is before noon, some are back in before 11! RM still pay them the full shift, even though the complete the work in half the time? They dont pay them less for working less do they? So arent I cost effective despite my speed? So how can I be sacked, or disciplined or not being made permanent for completing the work? Or is getting the mail out to customers as early as possible and around the same time as the other posties the priority and grounds for any action by management?

[beinspired]

I don't think you've got anything to worry about. As you say, they would have said something in the 2.5 years you've been there.
I'm sure the DOM realises that you're going to be slower than the rest if you are on different duties.
As long as you don't bring work back/be rude to customers/steal etc etc. you can relax - plus Royal Mail like casual contracts.

[arnold cheshire]

I have been with Royal Mail nearly 2.5 years as a casual. At that time the office has taken on around a dozen casuals on the rolling three month contract.

Now I take around 4 hours, sometimes 5, to fully throw of and prep a frame. In my office we use the old fashion frames and not the newer green slot versions. It is often the case i am the last to leave the office and most of the staff arrive back before i left the office. I take around 4 hours to do the walk. So I often work to the full 8 hours or longer. I should add that i do a different walk daily. I once did the same walk for a month and by the third week i was as fast as everyone else. The more you do it, the better you become. So as a casual, they are not obliged to give you the same walk are they, which would help build up your speed? This is not a deliberate go slow on my part. I have always been very slow at anything involving sorting. When i was at school i was hopeless at assembling puzzles, mechano sets, wood work, model making, etc.

The other casuals are up to speed with the regulars, and a few of them have been made permanent. I wont ask or wonder why I havent. Maybe their face fits, or they are quicker? so could RM use that as a block to make you permanent?

One bloke said they could sack me cos Im so slow. Is that is a load of rubbish? Ive been here all this time and complete, if was going to get sacked they would have given me ample written warnings etc by now, but i have not had any. I said in my defence, I am not short changing RM, Im working my full quota of hours. the guys who finish before I go out, that is before noon, some are back in before 11! RM still pay them the full shift, even though the complete the work in half the time? They dont pay them less for working less do they? So arent I cost effective despite my speed? So how can I be sacked, or disciplined or not being made permanent for completing the work? Or is getting the mail out to customers as early as possible and around the same time as the other posties the priority and grounds for any action by management?

thats slow

[clashcityrocker]

How many hours/week are you contracted to work?
Why isn't the frame prepped for you?
Where's the rep? (Postman would be proud of me)

[andy2007]

First of all: If you're on 3 month contracts, then you're no longer a Casual, you're an FTC (Fixed Term Contract). So why haven't they told you that yet?
Secondly: They can't just sack you for being too slow. They have to take you down the Conduct Code, which means that you'd have to be disciplined more than once for being too slow, before you're at any risk. However, they can simply decide not to renew your contract when it expires.

As Clash said: You need to get your Rep involved ASAP if you're worried, or if you're threatened with the Conduct Code. Don't worry if you're not in the CWU yet, it only takes a few minutes to join. That way, if your Manager decides to go down the Conduct Code route, you've got someone to fight for you. And also, your Rep might be able to preempt this, by arranging some retraining, to try to get you up to speed (it'll show you're trying to improve, rather than being complacent). Also, I'm quite sure you're not the only one who struggles with an unfamiliar round. So your Rep will be able to use that as a defence for you.

Good luck.

[Dorset Plodder]

Good Luck Byford.....we're all in the same sinking boat...being steered by a Bunch of Idiots! DIMs always telling people in our Office that they need to go faster and...they don't do it as fast as the Regular Postie. I asked the Regular Postie how long he took and ...Surprise he doesn't do it in the allocated time either! It's just a Bullying Tactic they like to use...Just say, "OK I'll try and go a bit faster...and then ignore him".

[skull]

Everyone works at a different pace but as long as your pace is consistent every day of the week you should be ok . A manager could soon find out which posties are taking the p*ss by watching them through the week and then watching them on a Saturday , so many posties give themselves away on a Saturday .

If anyone can pass a message on to Moya , tell her to divert the funds from modernisation to sponsoring a big football game everyday of the week . Make sure it's a three o'clock kick off every day of the week and you will never see RM run in a more efficiant way . FA cup day was the day a lot of RM workers showed how efficiant RM can run .

[fishtank]

Everyone works at a different pace but as long as your pace is consistent every day of the week you should be ok . A manager could soon find out which posties are taking the p*ss by watching them through the week and then watching them on a Saturday , so many posties give themselves away on a Saturday .

If anyone can pass a message on to Moya , tell her to divert the funds from modernisation to sponsoring a big football game everyday of the week . Make sure it's a three o'clock kick off every day of the week and you will never see RM run in a more efficiant way . FA cup day was the day a lot of RM workers showed how efficiant RM can run .

I understand the point you are trying to make skull but there is a difference between knocking yourself out to make the football on a Saturday and trying to achieve that level of performance day in,day out.
And just before anyone jumps in..i work to time every day.

[comeracing]

you cant be as slow as one of the collugues i work with,if he aint munching chocolate bars hes got a mobile phone stuck to his ear

[Lounge Lizard]

I have been with Royal Mail nearly 2.5 years as a casual. At that time the office has taken on around a dozen casuals on the rolling three month contract.

Now I take around 4 hours, sometimes 5, to fully throw of and prep a frame. In my office we use the old fashion frames and not the newer green slot versions. It is often the case i am the last to leave the office and most of the staff arrive back before i left the office. I take around 4 hours to do the walk. So I often work to the full 8 hours or longer. I should add that i do a different walk daily. I once did the same walk for a month and by the third week i was as fast as everyone else. The more you do it, the better you become. So as a casual, they are not obliged to give you the same walk are they, which would help build up your speed? This is not a deliberate go slow on my part. I have always been very slow at anything involving sorting. When i was at school i was hopeless at assembling puzzles, mechano sets, wood work, model making, etc.

The other casuals are up to speed with the regulars, and a few of them have been made permanent. I wont ask or wonder why I havent. Maybe their face fits, or they are quicker? so could RM use that as a block to make you permanent?

One bloke said they could sack me cos Im so slow. Is that is a load of rubbish? Ive been here all this time and complete, if was going to get sacked they would have given me ample written warnings etc by now, but i have not had any. I said in my defence, I am not short changing RM, Im working my full quota of hours. the guys who finish before I go out, that is before noon, some are back in before 11! RM still pay them the full shift, even though the complete the work in half the time? They dont pay them less for working less do they? So arent I cost effective despite my speed? So how can I be sacked, or disciplined or not being made permanent for completing the work? Or is getting the mail out to customers as early as possible and around the same time as the other posties the priority and grounds for any action by management?

thats slow

How about going to bed earlier an having a couple of strong cups of coffee when you start sorting ?
It works for me.

[DGP1]

4 or 5 hours to prep a frame that will be 1500 letter per hour and even allowing 30 minutes to tie up that would be over 6000 letters on one delivery
So TBH if you where in my office you'd have been let go a long time ago but then we have to work to a much higher standard than the rest of RM.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

but then we have to work to a much higher standard than the rest of RM.

Incoming ..............................

[kendo1]

Are you reliable,ie have little time off and good time keeping,that counts for a lot .

You could get flyers who could do the same round as you in half the time.

But do they do the job right or cut loads of corners,that could come back and bite them if they loose something.

No good being being able to do a round in recod time 2 days a week and then being off sick the rest,so who is the quickest more efficent then ?

If managers wanted to get rid of you i am sure they would have done it by now.

As for permanent contracts ,you do not seem to understand the World of RM/CWUfavouritism.

In my office take driving Dutys ,know guys been their years never get offered Driving ,yet new face can come in and they are a Permanent Driver,RM holds the world record for favouritism.,so this is why some guys are ahead of you ,especialy if you supourt the same team as Manager ,that goes a long way to !

[labbloke]

First off, the best advice so far you have received is to join the Union, just in case.

We have a similar case in my DO and to be honest the gaffers arent worried about it, because of a number of factors.

1 the OPG never claims any extended duty

2 The gaffers know (no complaints) that every single piece of mail is done each day.

Know the situation would rapidly change if you started to cut-off daily, then they would probably conduct code you, although to be honest its easier not to renew you.

I would normally advise members to cut-off each day(in my presence) but that is because of inability to complete the round in time allotted and to highlight to the Dom that the duty is to big

But to be honest you are a different case and I would advise that you keep your head down and say nowt.

Good luck and dont forget Join up

[clashcityrocker]

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