Female Posties

[dunlop]

OK I'm a female postie and I'm not being sexist. I'm just wondering what you all think about this job. Is the job too physically demanding? If so, why do Royal Mail employ female posties??? Should we be given easier rounds?
I've been employed with RM nearly a year and so far I've suffered from Tennis Elbow, Lower Back Strain and Sesamoiditis of the foot. I am constantly knackered!
How do you other women manage?
What are your rounds like? Give me an idea what you do all day. I.E -when do you start, finish, how big is your round, etc?
I've heard more women than men are leaving RM. Any women out there have any idea why????
Do you use a trolley? How many women are there in your delivery office?
I work with a complete idiot who loads the bags too heavy and doesn't tell me so I don't take a trolley. If I do, he complains that it slows me down. He also makes the bundles massive even though I have told him I can't carry such big bundles.
He is so neurotic about finishing on time that as soon as we get out the office we don't sit or stand still until we finish. It's non stop all the way. And I mean non stop!!!! And still we don't finish on time!! The round is too big.
Do you have problems with customers? I've had a few guys say 'Oh! A female postie' when they see me. When I deliver a heavy parcel to some of them they look genuinely shocked! Oh my god dear - how did you manage to carry that up the stairs! I've even had colleagues tell me this job is too physically demanding for a woman and women shouldn't be doing such a job.
I'm just wondering if any other women out there are experiencing similar problems to me

[wacko74]

I don't think being female has any bearing on your ability to do the job and certainly doesn't warrant being entitled to easier rounds, it's all about the individual persons fitness and stamina regardless of their sex.

There are females in my small office who cope differently with the job... one who I feel genuinely sorry for, she obviously has quite a weak immune system and a number of minor long term health issues and you can see the job leaves her absolutely drained, then there's another female the same age who is incredibly fit and active and does a huge amount of physical activity and exercise in her free time, far more than I could manage and I'm a male 10 years her junior!

[spiderj]

Tell him again
With a witness
Weigh the bags...use a trolley

He sounds like either he is a sexist person or may not understand out that regardless of being male/female..some folk are built for carrying more weight than others.or some folk still think its OK to damage yourself so you can cut corners to save time

Seems to be some kind of dubious badge of honour with some Postie's to see how much they can fit in a bag.

I watched one park and loop oppo try this with me one day.
Waited till he had stuffed the last packet in the bag until I said"no way is that going on my back"

I'm 6ft but won't damage my back etc for the sake of someone saving a minute on their shift.

Don't let it continue
A firm no sounds warranted

Probably not the advice you were looking for
But hope its cool I threw in my tuppenceworth

Do the job properly using the correct equipment....how many actually do though?

[Himaggen]

Weigh the bags...use a trolley

He sounds like either he is a sexist person or may not understand out that regardless of being male/female..some folk are built for carrying more weight than others.

Also please remember that Royal Mail quote maximum weights, not targets. You are entitled to carry anything up to those maximums depending upon your own capabilities and comfort levels. Any person who cajoles, begs or wantonly forces you to exceed your personal limit is a bully and must be dealt with as such.

[Rumple]

Don't stress. Use your trolley, don't buckle to pressure of your p&l partner. Work at your pace and only work over if YOU want to. I promise you'll feel the physical benefits straight away and the stress relief will follow.

[Loopylau89]

Hello, im also a female postie :) im my offices theres max of 20 women compared to 100+ men! I do a P&L round with around 1100 calls spread over two new housing estates! Im very lucky to be van sharing with another female postie, we always communicate with each other on weights of bags and whether or not we need to use the trolley! As for big heavy parcels we tend to knock on the doors before taking them out of the van, if we feel they are too heavy or the distance to the door is too far we asjpkmthe customer to assist us (if were on our own at the time) if were doing the parcel together we carry it together! dont let him bully you into carrying heavy bags, you will do yourself some serious damage! Cant you just use the trolly of your own accord? Sometimes my coworker makes the bundles too big, i just use spare bands to make the bundles smaller :)

[spiderj]

Hello, im also a female postie :) im my offices theres max of 20 women compared to 100+ men! I do a P&L round with around 1100 calls spread over two new housing estates! Im very lucky to be van sharing with another female postie, we always communicate with each other on weights of bags and whether or not we need to use the trolley! As for big heavy parcels we tend to knock on the doors before taking them out of the van, if we feel they are too heavy or the distance to the door is too far we asjpkmthe customer to assist us (if were on our own at the time) if were doing the parcel together we carry it together! dont let him bully you into carrying heavy bags, you will do yourself some serious damage! Cant you just use the trolly of your own accord? Sometimes my coworker makes the bundles too big, i just use spare bands to make the bundles smaller :)

I nominate you to retrain all the nuggets at our do who think its manly to have big bags


Seriously though isn't this how it should be done?
Teamwork a swear word some places?

[Jpro747]

We have a few women in our office and their rounds are easier, having said that they have a lot of seniority and are also buddies with the manager.

I am young and fit, but this job still drains me at the end of the day. I used to go out friday and saturday night but now I barely have the energy . I wonder how some of the older guys still cope with it all, some in their 60s still pushing HCTs!. I'm normally on a town round in a van with 500+ calls, sometimes do rurals too. In my experience rural rounds are just as draining, more mentally draining because of all the driving and concentrating. I always try to make the job as easy as possible for myself, small bundles and leave big parcels in the van and drive up to the house with them at the end of loop. Always take food and drink as well, a lot of my colleagues go without

[Tuffers1875]

Never seen a fit female postie. Why is that?

[postypie]

I have been impressed with many a female colleague over the years as the ones I have known have always done the same job as their male counterparts...in fact I'd say somewhat better in many respects such as keeping bag weight limits down to the correct weight, never coming in early, having proper breaks, making few if any mistakes on delivery, using the correct tools supplied by the company to do the job properly...they may be physically weaker than their male colleagues(which is open to debate) but most of the girls I have known have done things in an admiral way.

[kirstyx]

ive been a postie for 2 years theres about 13 women in my do but only about 10 doing deliveries my duty is a htc duty that is one of the heaviest in the office for packets dont remember off the top of my head how many calls but the rounds are pretty even im currently off work and have been since june with patellofemoral pain syndrome this is the first issue i have had. i do think for anyone it is a demanding job but definitly dont think that women should have easier rounds its our choice to do this job and there are quite a lot of chances to find out how the job is as we can always talk to our own posties for the real story

[Izzy]

I love my job but agree it is tiring and can cause physical problems as you get older. But that is true for both male and female posties. My only advice to the OP is to do your job properly but I accept this is hard if you have a partner who doesn't share your understanding. Also try and get enough sleep, eat as healthily as possible and drink as moderately as possible. I find one of the advantages of being a floater is that I don't have to work everyday with the same friction with a runner partner. One day a week I work with a driver who is an exemplary 'job properly' postie and it is my favorite day of the week despite being my heaviest day.

So if you feel pressure from colleagues or gaffers just tell them you know how to do your job properly.

[maisymoo04]

Never seen a fit female postie. Why is that?

[maximus12]

I love the job and don't find it too physically demanding, if on a van share i will carry a bag if i can, if not i take a trolley. It doesn't matter to me if the person i'm with is carrying 2 bags at the same time, i take the trolley if i feel i need too. Saying that i've never worked with anyone who had a problem with that. Some rounds are big and i do get tired but i'm sure the guys do too.

As for getting easier rounds, i don't see thag as being fair. We get paid the same so should do the same job.

The only problem i've had is foot pain but i think it was the shoes i was wearing, since i changed shoes it's been fine.

As for customers, i've never received any shocked reaction to them having a female postie, i'd say 90% of the office is male but it's in no way sexiest.

[maisymoo04]

Well said maxi