Advice FROM new starters

[fb1969]

I started in September and have picked up a fair bit from here and also from a few of the more friendly posties. My "workplace coach" talks to me when he feels like it and has bitten my head off a couple of times when I've asked a question at the wrong moment. I agree about everyone using terms that mean little to me, and some of them aren't the ones used on here - "d2d" are known as "neighbourhoods", the place where the special deliveries and the like are logged is "the cage". Managers only seem to notice me when they are looking for someone to do overtime. This is going a bit off thread so I'll leave it there

[SpacePhoenix]

Even when I first started with RM, apart from specialist jobs like mech or rle training after the H&S stuff consisted of, "here's the frame, here's the work, get on with it"

[GoingPostal86]

Good thread! I'm waiting on the security checks to go through then I'll be joining the ranks!

[JP1]

It would be nice if duty holders kept a sheet of paper showing how the duty is done on the frame. Especially with firms since they're all over the place. Town walks you can do just by bundling up by street and following it around, especially with a HCT, but otherwise it would help a lot.

One of our duties with firms on a piece of paper saying where to park. To pull things out the frame in reverse. Where to take certain mail; to the reception or to individual floors. Keys for gated areas are left hanging up.

The rest of them have none of this, and if you ask someone, they'll say they don't know it either, or they're too busy so they'll "come back soon" and rarely do. If they do help, sometimes it's still hard because keys aren't left etc. And on Saturday it's even worse as you don't know which firms are open. And you can't always as the duty holder beforehand because if you're new and part time, you don't know what you're doing until the morning when you show up at 6am.

[Robtor]

You might know your frame which doesn't go in the right order at all, but the reserve trying to cover the duty does not. I know this could be put on managers more but it's also a general courtesy of helping others, for you to fill in the sheets and get the frame put in the right order.

Bundles ending at the end of each road often isn't a good thing, especially if bundling up for a van share partner. If a bundle ends at a cross roads, then we have 3 options for what the next bundle could be, 2 of them being wrong! When bundling a frame I dont know I go a couple of addresses past the turning before ending the bundle.

There's actually very little I can think of for this thread, everything's the other way around.

[TheCobra]

Ha , it took me ages to know what door to doors were. I used to call them my 'leaflets' or 'advertising' or whatever. The term 'Door to doors' flew over my head for weeks before I knew what the hell people were on about.

What would be really nice would be for the people around you to actually help you, amazingly simple, but didn't happen very much for me. There is an every man for himself culture at times in Royal Mail and it can be pretty overwhelming for a newbie.

Other thing is the cliquey groups that form, the 'old-timers' who stand in their little groups during breaks and just talk to each other, and ignore any newbies, I've even heard them having little group chats saying who the newbies look like, taking piss out of newbies, but not actually SPEAKING to the newbies!

Agree also about the people shooting off out the door and you get to your frame as a part-timer and it isn't done properly. Pretty shocking really, management issue AND an issue for those posties who were meant to be sorting that frame, end of the day you can walk away and say 'it's not my problem', but you are then shitting on a co-worker. At some point SOMEONE has to take responsibility!

Final thing I think ROyal Mail could do to help new starters is to have a meeting room/work time learning set aside, maybe 30 mins every few weeks for newbie people to talk to each other and chat with other newbies. Obviously only really relevant for bigger offices, but would help a lot to compare notes with other newbies and maybe find any common issues and make some friends in the office who are in the same boat as you.

[meercat]

when I was new I could go days without anyone talking to me. it was very isolating and demoralising. in a large office its easy to be forgotten about when every one is in a mad rush so my advice is talk to the newbies even if its a quick couple of words.

[hampshireman]

Not a newbie any more. Nearly five years in..... but some thoughts from my first few months.

!. Newbies need help. The training is poor to say the least. And as others have said getting your head round the terminology is a nightmare.

It's not just the workplace coach that should help. It's everyone.

Please say hello when they come in.

Please , if you know the walk they are on , offer help and advice. e.g ; how to bag up , where to leave the bike / van.

If they are struggling take a couple of minutes to help ; rather than ignore them and rush out of the door.

If you are showing a newbie a new walk. Then please actually show them ; rather than wait at the end of each road moaning that they are too slow (this happened to me )

It's really all about being friendly , not selfish with your time and actually looking out for a workmate.

But a DO is an odd place where the inhabitants mostly only care about themselves

[spoodoo]

A few of us take time out and help new starts etc,but a lot of people in this company are selfish ,ignorant me me me people never lifted a finger to help anyone in there lives. Makes me sick.

[newtimes]

A few of us take time out and help new starts etc,but a lot of people in this company are selfish ,ignorant me me me people never lifted a finger to help anyone in there lives. Makes me sick.

The more time I spend on this forum, the more I realise I am not alone with my views, what you have said is what I have found working at RM. At one point I thought I had a major problem with my views till I started reading other peoples views here. Has the whole working environment changed, not just at RM or is it a RM disease. I have worked in many different environments at different levels, I have never ever came across such a toxic environment. Why do I stay, planning to leave in just over two years when all kids have left school. The best part of the job is being out side, which is really great, inside is the total opposite, hell.

[Lincox]

I think newtimes that this is a syndrome of the capitalist society/agendas that the rich are hellbent on entranching on the world. Each second of working time has to be assessed, accounted for,managed and in their world there is no time for workplace banter, team building, workplace enjoyment. Another short sited ideal in order to achieve,maintain bottom line profits for their greed for larger houses, more cars, exotic homes abroad etc etc. They do not have the capacity to see that a happy workforce, working together, the banter and all that goes with working in factory conditions will provide the same results without all of the aggression that is imposed by the heavily paid gestapo like operations that they have forced into their workplaces in order to obtain battery chicken results.

[Spanishsteve]

I've been with RM for 4 months now and can't believe how many times I've been blanked by 'old timers ' when I've said good morning or held doors open or been friendly. Now I don't bother. If I was 18 and green behind the ears I would expect it But I'm 50.
Some really are dinosaurs, manners cost nothing.

[twobags]

i was told this year that i was still classed as a newbie by a longer serving postie ive been there 5 years

[JiminyBillyBob]

Being in that office for the first hour of the shift with the old timers is horrible, apart from one or two who will say hi or give you a bit of small talk. But i think its just how the job is, apart from the guys next to you on the frame when are you gonna get the chance to have a convo with anyone? plus this job attracts probably not the most social of people?

[flaminmoses]

We are known as chisels if we have under 10 years service.

Tends to take newbies a few months before more than a handfull speak to them.....unless they are talkative

That can be hard with trying to get up to speed on different walks.

Hated the job for the first 6 months but then it got easier