re: What makes a Good Line Manager??

[Bishbashbbosh]

I think it depends on the overall faith in the member of staff. If your a good employee, managers will go out of their way to help you. That's why you should try and be a generally helpful employee. Because one day, when you find yourself in trouble, it will pay off

Jackpot! Make yourself an asset then the manager will put their neck on the line for you, be the tool who moans about doing their job and goes out their way to get away with not putting a shift in and the gaffers see thru you!

Both of the above quotes, IF ONLY!
I had 5 years of total warfare with a previous manager because I wouldn't put up with his bullsh1t, ie prepare D/D's at home in my own time. Finish throwing a walk in on 24hrs a week so I was out an hour after everyone else but expected to finish at the same time. Not paying money owed for months. Trying to move my start time to one to one and a half hours after everyone else had left the office, to allow time for my walk to be made ready, by who ?
Just a few examples which were all slapped by the area rep. After each slap everything was ok for about a week then he would think of some new and interesting way to shaft me.
I expect to have to earn my money, no problem whatsoever with that but you can only fit a pint in a pint glass. I will not be bullied into doing the impossible to make them look good.
I treat people how I would like to be treated, even now I'm willing to give people benefit of the doubt but Royal Mail management in my experience see goodwill as weakness and something to be exploited. As I refuse to be exploited apparently I have a problem

Not sure I believe this? Why would a manager TRY to screw you for doing a good job? I've never seen it personally

[bandit1157]

I have no need to lie even if you have need to doubt. my integrity, principles and work rate are impeccable, hence the fact I still work for Royal Mail.
Come on an internet forum and make things up, really ? As at work the problem seems to be yours not mine.
Said manager was trying to run the office on less hours than needed and expected everyone to do more than possible so he could rise up through the ranks, which he did.
He has since been demoted back down when he tried his usual ways at his new office. I refuse to play swallow my leader.
For reasons I will not discuss here you are going on my foe's list. Good night.

[Bishbashbbosh]

I have no need to lie even if you have need to doubt. my integrity, principles and work rate are impeccable, hence the fact I still work for Royal Mail.
Come on an internet forum and make things up, really ? As at work the problem seems to be yours not mine.
Said manager was trying to run the office on less hours than needed and expected everyone to do more than possible so he could rise up through the ranks, which he did.
He has since been demoted back down when he tried his usual ways at his new office. I refuse to play swallow my leader.
For reasons I will not discuss here you are going on my foe's list. Good night.

Argument won. I will be more careful in future... Don't want to end up on peoples foe list

[piranha]

Bandit is spot on, the majority of managers I've had the displeasure of working under over the years have been manipulative bullies, if you don't stand up to them they'll walk all over you. It's amazing some of the BS they'll make up to try and get you to work over your time. RM needs proper qualified managers on the front line, not failed postman.

[Exrep]

What makes a good line manager ?

IMHO one that has the good of his office and staff at heart .

One that will stand up to the finance team and the area dsm.

One that will say enough is enough no more.

One who will take persons circumstances into account before issuing stage warnings instead of being as mechanistic as the stage procedure is.

Sadly in 20 years I am still to find one but i will keep looking for the next 20.

[Dorset Plodder]

Unfortunately what Royal Mail want as a "Good" Manager is not what us Posties would consider a "Good" Manager.

Most of us don't ask that a Manager would give us an easy ride, and we're willing to do a fair days work for a fair days wage. However we would like them to stop trying to baffle us with their management BS, Book everyone's Leave in a Fair and Timely manner and Sort everyone's pay out! This mainly consists of paying agreed overtime that's worked promptly without the usual Song & Dance. Delaying Overtime payments and hoping that someone will forget is just a wind up and is so childish.

Royal Mail want Managers to pull all these stunts and delay and provocative. Every pound they con out of a Postie, be it by not paying Overtime, getting lapsing done for free or putting extra loops onto duties is saving Royal Mail money. Posties starting early, prepping mail & households in their own time, not taking (or claiming MR) are conning themselves and still saving Royal Mail money. Why would any Management System try to stamp out practices that are saving them money? Therefore it's up to us to stop them getting away with it!

I suppose the answer to the original question is: A "Good" Manager is one that does his job properly and the same could be said for a "Good" Postie.

[Bishbashbbosh]

What makes a good line manager ?

IMHO one that has the good of his office and staff at heart .

One that will stand up to the finance team and the area dsm.

One that will say enough is enough no more.

One who will take persons circumstances into account before issuing stage warnings instead of being as mechanistic as the stage procedure is.

Sadly in 20 years I am still to find one but i will keep looking for the next 20.

This sort of manager wouldn't last 5 mins

[Bishbashbbosh]

I think most people are just happy with a managers that says hello and treats everyone like human-beings. Not one that sits in his office all day and only comes out when he's got orders to bark, and picks on the weak members of staff

[postslippete]

Got asked if I would like any overtime today


Someone couldn't be bothered to do their lapse again. So what makes them think that I could possibly want to do it??

Er, can we re-negotiate


How about you take a loop off my round as well and then you can ring one of your brown nosers up who's on one of his luxury day/s off if he would like to come in and do overtime that is worth working for???