New Starter

[rsrdodge]

Hi all. I'm starting as a opg on 25 hours a week at a delivery office just after xmas with a start time of 9.15 am till 2.15 pm and was just wondering what exactly my daily routine will be? Thnx in advance.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi all. I'm starting as a opg on 25 hours a week at a delivery office just after xmas with a start time of 9.15 am till 2.15 pm and was just wondering what exactly my daily routine will be? Thnx in advance.

25 hours in my office normally:

1. Finishes off prep - sorts remaining mail into delivery order.
2. Kill Offs and Redirections - Endorse mail that is being returned to sender. Send mail to new address for customer who have paid for it.
3. Turns for packets/specials - marks mail for an address to remind them of a packet for it.
4. Bags Up - sorts mail into bags ready for delivery.
5. Starts delivery.

[muzzy]

Not forgetting prepping the door2 doors :-(

[BillyPosty]

Regarding TrueBlueTerrier's point 1: Finishes off prep - sorts remaining mail into delivery order. Be very careful from the start here, I used to get in to find 1/3 of the mail in the frame if I was lucky and the rest left for me to do. By the time I'd done it all myself (while the Fred who was on more hours than me who meant to do it was left to get on and leave well before his time) I would go over my time every day but feel too nervous to say anything because I was new.

Then they've got you where they want you and just say "it's because you're new". It's not because you're new it's because you're doing more work than you should be doing. When they say Fred prepped your round and his round and still didn't go over it's because he was left to do half a job as no manager wanted the agro of saying anything to him. My advice would be to get in exactly on your start time - 9.15 and no earlier. If you still have lots left to prep yourself work until 2.15 and cut off. They need to know you wont be messed around from the outset.

Apart from that good luck and I hope you enjoy it!

[IloveMYredTROLLEY!]

A few things to remember when you start...

Overtime is always voluntary. If you do not want to work past your contract finish time or there is a limit on how much overtime you want to do, inform management before you leave the depot.
If you arrive to an partially unprepped frame, including the marketing leaflets still needing to be prepped, this needs to be completed before you go out on delivery. If this means there is not enough time to deliver all the mail and you are not wanting to do the PAID overtime, inform management and let them sort out what to do with what you feel is unachievable in your remaining time.
Royal Mail pays you during your break, unlike many companies! You are automatically entitled to 30 minutes on a five hour contract (0915-1415), if you work past 7/9 hours you get an extra 10 minutes break per extra two hour period.
Don't be tempted to "help customers" by leaving parcels with neighbours or in "safe places" if nobody answers to door, unless their is something written on the item or there was a special instruction card back at the depot.
Ensure you are instructed about the delivery equipment assigned to your duty, with special attention to security of the mail eg. A High Capacity Trolley should not be left unattended for more than 10 minutes in a "low risk area," even if it is locked to an unmoveable object.

[Pokermon]

^
^ @sime..nice advice but easier said than done?

I assume he will be on a fixed term contract with no guarantee of it being extended? If cut off at exactly 2.15 every day (especially busy Wednesdays) then would this not reduce his chances of being kept on? It is tough out with not many jobs, tough to work from x-y and no more when in the back of his mind he could be worrying that they could easily replace him doing the minimum with some monkey that will come in early/work over/kiss ass etc

[BillyPosty]

^
^ @sime..nice advice but easier said than done?

I assume he will be on a fixed term contract with no guarantee of it being extended? If cut off at exactly 2.15 every day (especially busy Wednesdays) then would this not reduce his chances of being kept on? It is tough out with not many jobs, tough to work from x-y and no more when in the back of his mind he could be worrying that they could easily replace him doing the minimum with some monkey that will come in early/work over/kiss ass etc

Very true, I'm on a temp. contract too but anyone can work for nothing. I give them lots of unpaid overtime over the week, but when they're obviously trying it on with new starters to see how far they can push them it's just not fair.