2nd spell at Royal Mail or is it Angard?

[pacificstreet]

Hi there, first time poster. I worked at Royal Mail shortly after I left school, and worked for 2 and a half years as a postman. I had the usual routine of being shafted for a few months before being given a full walk. The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it! However I did, at times, love the job.

Fast forward 3 years and I am applying again, and have a few questions I'd like to ask if fellow postman could help me out!

Firstly. I notice that there are two areas with which to apply on the RM Jobs section. The normal RM and the Angard section. Obvious as it may seem, I take it that any positions applied for in the Angard search box are subject to their own conditions i.e. the vastly reduced hourly rate (Is it really down to £6.08 during the day Mon-Sat). Also, if working as a casual for Angard, what sort of hours are you likely to get in a week? And how much notice to you get for a shift? Can you tell me, if when working as a casual postman for angard, you need to do the full routine of a normal postman i.e, sorting, bagging, d2d's, gone-aways and delivaries? Crucially if we need to do door to doors do we get paid?

I know there's a lot there but I would be grateful for any responses!

Thank you

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi there, first time poster. I worked at Royal Mail shortly after I left school, and worked for 2 and a half years as a postman. I had the usual routine of being shafted for a few months before being given a full walk. The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it! However I did, at times, love the job. Fast forward 3 years and I am applying again, and have a few questions I'd like to ask if fellow postman could help me out!

I'll give it a go

Firstly. I notice that there are two areas with which to apply on the RM Jobs section. The normal RM and the Angard section.

Yes RM is usually for the fied term or permanent contracts. Angard are the short term casuals.

Obvious as it may seem, I take it that any positions applied for in the Angard search box are subject to their own conditions i.e. the vastly reduced hourly rate (Is it really down to £6.08 during the day Mon-Sat).

Yes - and Yes £6.08 is correct

Also, if working as a casual for Angard, what sort of hours are you likely to get in a week?

It depends some have been getting 40+ hours and some only a few - thats the nature of casual employment unfortunately.

And how much notice to you get for a shift?

Angard are not very organised, some people report getting a shift when the shift has started - most of the switched on casuals keep their ears to the ground and arrange shifts through the local managers.

Can you tell me, if when working as a casual postman for angard, you need to do the full routine of a normal postman i.e, sorting, bagging, d2d's, gone-aways and delivaries?

Again depends if your on deliveries - but it can be all of them, some of them, or even just collecting the bags and going straight out on delivery.

Crucially if we need to do door to doors do we get paid?

No - even RM posties don't get D2D money any more and there is no longer any limit on how many we get.

I know there's a lot there but I would be grateful for any responses!

Thank you

Be prepared there are massive changes from when you left even if that was only a few years ago. However, depsite the pettiness its still a pretty good job.

[pacificstreet]

TrueBlueTerrier, many thanks that is appreciated.

If I could ask another query.. Will a position as a casual increase my chances of getting shifts with the 'real' RM i.e. the better paid hours of a normal postman? I was thinking of just applying in writing to my old office to see if they needed cover but thought that applying for anything, including the Angard positions, might be my best bet.

Thanks again!

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I would go with the contacting your old DO and see if they have anything.

The Angard casuals, seem to be a separate part of the business with little contact beyond official ones so if you did go down that route you would probably have to make unofficial approaches to the RM managers to get any decent chance. It would still be a foot in the door, but with your previous experience and knowledge at your former office I think thats your better option.

[krussel]

Will a position as a casual increase my chances of getting shifts with the 'real' RM

I think the fact that you will be "up to speed" very quickly will massively increase your chance's as you will usefull straight away. As Teebs says approach the Dom direct to find out.

Best of luck.

[Stormproof]

The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it!

If you did'nt like a 3 and a half hour walk then you're not going to like it now, since you left nothing has changed......for the better

[pacificstreet]

Thanks everyone for the words of advice and knowledge about what the job currently entails. Actually not had any word back from Angard regarding the job. Might try to apply straight to be old delivery office.

The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it!

If you did'nt like a 3 and a half hour walk then you're not going to like it now, since you left nothing has changed......for the better

My walk was well over the 3 and a half hour mark as I said, probably takes about 5 hours now! The walk was never fully sorted for me in the morning so, I did the d2d's, gone-aways, re-di's and alot of sorting plus the walk, despite being on a 25 hour contract However I did manage to get alot of overtime from the job. Some days (like Saturdays) I had other things on and wanted to finish in my 'time', this became impossible after a while, despite coming in a good bit before my shift.

Anyway, thanks again!

[redneck]

Thanks everyone for the words of advice and knowledge about what the job currently entails. Actually not had any word back from Angard regarding the job. Might try to apply straight to be old delivery office.

The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it!

If you did'nt like a 3 and a half hour walk then you're not going to like it now, since you left nothing has changed......for the better

My walk was well over the 3 and a half hour mark as I said, probably takes about 5 hours now! The walk was never fully sorted for me in the morning so, I did the d2d's, gone-aways, re-di's and alot of sorting plus the walk, despite being on a 25 hour contract However I did manage to get alot of overtime from the job. Some days (like Saturdays) I had other things on and wanted to finish in my 'time', this became impossible after a while, despite coming in a good bit before my shift.

Anyway, thanks again!

Another gentleman carving the job up

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Thanks everyone for the words of advice and knowledge about what the job currently entails. Actually not had any word back from Angard regarding the job. Might try to apply straight to be old delivery office.

The job had its bad moments for sure, and I think i was over worked with a walk that was way over the 3 and a half hours mark, plus a refusal by the management to ever time it!

If you did'nt like a 3 and a half hour walk then you're not going to like it now, since you left nothing has changed......for the better

My walk was well over the 3 and a half hour mark as I said, probably takes about 5 hours now! The walk was never fully sorted for me in the morning so, I did the d2d's, gone-aways, re-di's and alot of sorting plus the walk, despite being on a 25 hour contract However I did manage to get alot of overtime from the job. Some days (like Saturdays) I had other things on and wanted to finish in my 'time', this became impossible after a while, despite coming in a good bit before my shift.

Anyway, thanks again!

Another gentleman carving the job up

Not carving - he left and wants to come back, so its more accurate to say carved. Hopefully he won't this time.