Threatening with prep test.

[Jenny Manchester]

Threatening with prep test.

Managers are threatening a colleague with prep testing his walk because he can’t get out in time and can’t complete so he decides to cut off rather than go over, manager says “it’s the postie who is at fault” but he refused to prep test all the other walks that are going over by a hour or two everyday, surely if these walks are going over they have a issue as well, it’s a bullying tactic.
If a guy cuts off and other go over by a hour or two it’s the same thing am I right?

[fishtank]

In recent months there has been an increase in the number of reports/queries coming into the department regarding bullying and harassment of our members in delivery offices. Stories of members feeling intimidated on a regular basis with most of this centring on members being forced to work beyond their time in order to complete deliveries or being accused of under performing or being slow. This type of approach will not be tolerated and we are currently gathering evidence from around the Country to raise this with Royal Mail at the highest level. If you have been or are subject to this or know someone who has or is please let the dept know by letter, or phone call or preferably by email to outdoorsecretary@cwu.org
Bob Gibson – CWU Assistant Secretary Outdoor

[SF]

When they say you are slow, just point to the yorks of packets that are most likely piled up in the corner of your office.

[fng]

Whats wrong with being prep tested, if he is slow it will show up and the manager will have a point.

If he passes then the manager can shove his point up his ....

Nothing to hide nothing to fear. Work to time at a steady pace and bring it back time after time after time

[fishtank]

Whats wrong with being prep tested, if he is slow it will show up and the manager will have a point.

So if you happen to fail a 1 minute prep test it explains why someone can't complete a duty?
That's the point the manager is trying to prove but it's a bit of a leap of faith isn't it?
I've absolutely destroyed the 1 minute prep test..something like 50 odd in a minute...and i've also "failed" it with 18.
What management point does that prove?

[NWpostie]

I've been prep tested, it never bothered me, I just crack on as per usual, its not me that is stressing, its them

I acted like I didn't give a fvck and I don't really give a fvck, I am past caring, not much you can do to a man in that state of mind.

[fng]

Threatening with prep test.

Managers are threatening a colleague with prep testing his walk because he can’t get out in time

The point it will prove is whether the guy is up to speed on prep or not and thats it. That's all thats being tested and so that's the only bit of the managers complaint it deals with, as for the rest of the complaint ie not completing, that is a seperate issue.
It may be connected to the well over sized round or it may be connected to any poor prep but it will need to be investigated seperatly from the prep test.

My point being, if you play by their rules, you can stand there, hold your hands up, shrug your shoulders and say I do it by YOUR book, start on time, finish on time, prep to time and walk to time, don't cut corners use trollies etc etc etc .

They give us enough rope to hang them with , but all too often we end up hanging ourselves , well some do .

I'm not saying that is the case in this thread, i'm just saying a standard by the book prep test shouldn't be a thing to fear but to be embraced as it maybe shows the fault lays elsewere, yorks of packets, waiting at the cage, tooooo large a round..... I know they wont listen but that's nowt to do with us .

[clashcityrocker]

What prep test do they have?
If the only recognised prep test is the 1 minute test, surely even that has been rendered meaningless by sequenced mail?

[dazzlin72]

The prep test being referred to is being timed from min in, till min out, how long it takes to throw all mail, pkts, tracked, etc, off going to cage for SD items, PDAs, keys etc, bagging up loading van & leaving office. Or, that is what should be factored with the new P&L method. Basically it is a test designed to fail.

[POSTMAN]

Any reps in the house while all this bollox is going on?

[clashcityrocker]

The prep test being referred to is being timed from min in, till min out, how long it takes to throw all mail, pkts, tracked, etc, off going to cage for SD items, PDAs, keys etc, bagging up loading van & leaving office.

So they are using an unagreed performance standard.
The IWT "should take" timings are not individual performance standards.
This is just harassment and should be flagged up as such.

[dazzlin72]

A similar thing is happening at our office. Some of the wlks are unachievable with the amount of pkts & tracked that are being expected to be delivered and mail & pkts are being left by some. Unfortunately management are singling out individuals as being the problem not the wlks. They are then insisting on these individuals working to their time which is correct and in their right to do, but are allowing the rest of the office to go home early when there's all this work still to do that has been left. They are also going out doing checks to see what time these people are finishing and making notes, but again, not noting all the others that are finishing early.

[taurus88]

I was ear-wigging on a conversation between a postman and a manager in our office a few days back, and the issue of prep rates arose, with said manager suggesting that he would be checking what the expected prep rates were and relating them to the individual in question. Unsurprisingly, said person is a cutter-offer.

Thankfully, I don't do prep. I was chatting to a mate of mine, another part-timer, who has been one of many part-timers coming in early on prep to try and keep the office afloat in the early stages post-revision. He was telling me that a manager had been coming around that morning telling him that his prep needed to be quicker.

I said to him, "you know what the answer to that is mate, don't ya?"
"What?"
"Don't come in on prep any more!"

So the only area they're going to get me on is walk-testing. They can all come out, we can have a party! I'm sure I'm as slow as a decapitated donkey but I don't give a f*ck! I've got the knees of a seventy year-old and the get-up and go of a seventy stone lump of sh*t. And I'm still usually quicker than my partner! What difference does it make? It's all crap. People work in different ways, from one man to another, from man to woman, from old to young. Royal Mail just don't seem to get that.

The day they show me the manager who can do the job to the standard I do is the day I hold my hands up - and walk out the f*cking door.

[fng]

The day they show me the manager who can do the job to the standard I do is the day I hold my hands up - and walk out the f*cking door.

You're in the job for life then my friend.

[P13]

Threatening with prep test.

Managers are threatening a colleague with prep testing his walk because he can’t get out in time and can’t complete so he decides to cut off rather than go over, manager says “it’s the postie who is at fault” but he refused to prep test all the other walks that are going over by a hour or two everyday, surely if these walks are going over they have a issue as well, it’s a bullying tactic.
If a guy cuts off and other go over by a hour or two it’s the same thing am I right?

You are right Jenny , your manager is bullying your colleague because he won't work overtime. you should email Bob Gibson at CWU headquarters. The email address is in Fishtank's post