Revolting reserves!

[wannabeek]

I genuinely love being a reserve. It's not for everyone but I hate plodding the same streets for days on end. Everyone gets the same sort of old toot delivered anyway, at least seeing new faces gives a bit of interest to the day. The only thing I dislike about it is not having the rotating day off as it makes it so hard to make plans. When a duty comes up I'll sign for it just to get the predictable day off, but I'm hoping that because I know so many rounds now I won't get stuck on it too often, that'd drive me bonkers.

Going to Mrs Miggins at no 42 every Tues with her only ever mail of the week, a bit of d2d guff - 'ooh is that all you got? Take it back! Hee hee'. I think I'd lose my marbles after a month! Maybe that's why most of the duty holders are such miserable sods?

[chrisj]

Quick answer for trythat:

It is rare for walkholders to make their official saturday available when they take annual leave... In the majority of cases, reserves are left with a Monday or Tuesday off when walkholders go on holiday and he Reserves have to cover their rota. Just think about this for a while - relate the info to yourself and some the colleagues that you know well.

Saturdays can become available to Reserves if they are covering vacant walks, and when they cover for people on long term sick, or for posties that do not really plan their holidays like new staff and people that are not really sure or do not care...

[wannabeek]

Totally agree with that. If I knew my days off months in advance why on earth would I ever book a holiday week that had a Saturday off? I never would, obviously, nor would most people I reckon.

[jimmynailsalive]

I genuinely love being a reserve. It's not for everyone but I hate plodding the same streets for days on end. Everyone gets the same sort of old toot delivered anyway, at least seeing new faces gives a bit of interest to the day. The only thing I dislike about it is not having the rotating day off as it makes it so hard to make plans. When a duty comes up I'll sign for it just to get the predictable day off, but I'm hoping that because I know so many rounds now I won't get stuck on it too often, that'd drive me bonkers.

Going to Mrs Miggins at no 42 every Tues with her only ever mail of the week, a bit of d2d guff - 'ooh is that all you got? Take it back! Hee hee'. I think I'd lose my marbles after a month! Maybe that's why most of the duty holders are such miserable sods?

I don't mind it either if the duty holder has a grasp of estimating our finishing time.

I'm sick of saying to them when I'm put on a new walk for the first time that

1) We'll lose 20 minutes from me getting out the door with not knowing frame and all the usual deviations in tying up.

2) Each loop requires a quick rundown on directions and doing 8-10 loops can see another 15-20 minutes wasted.

3) I'm obviously not going to be the fastest on first day on a walk so more time lost.

So why the F&%!*^ hell do some of them take lapsing or at least make a point of pointing out we'll be putting in OT.

From now on I'll be letting Lino's know in advance if I'm out past my time they'll be getting billed for it whether my mate wants to claim or not.

[trythat]

Quick answer for trythat:

It is rare for walkholders to make their official saturday available when they take annual leave... In the majority of cases, reserves are left with a Monday or Tuesday off when walkholders go on holiday and he Reserves have to cover their rota. Just think about this for a while - relate the info to yourself and some the colleagues that you know well.
etc.

TBH still doesn't make sense to me, we are an DO of 100+ so have quite a few reserves, but we've been on wallingtons for quite a while now as I said, but reserves are treated the same as duty holders, they have a rota week, for example week 4 out of 6, so they get every week 4 off, it's the same every 6 weeks, so you can plan ahead.

When we did rota days, it was the same, you had a different day off each week, it does mean your reserves need to know a few duties and you still might have to swap some fixed duty opg around, but as can be seen in this thread quite a few opg like a change every now and then.

Of course this does mean more planning for the DOM, but thats why the earn more than me! As I said all the reps we've had just expect this and explain to any new DOMs what the expect and fight the good fight to get it.

I do realise from reading this site that we quite often do things differently in my DO, but I can't do anything about that, as long as the opg in the DO are as satisfied as we can make it all seems to chug along with a few hiccups here and there.

We've been lucky and the last few reps have been strong and have the support of the area rep so together tend to get thins done.

[chrisj]

Well, I tried!

You cannot have something that is not there???

In an office that is deliberately understaffed, it will be hard for many saturdays to be normally available. If you add absence, driver/non-driver, pairing that work and do not work, absence (ad hoc), knowledge of posties, split or merged offices and seniority/special duties (rural, hct, job shares, firms etc) then there is very little room to allow all reserves to get an average of 1 in 6 saturdays. You can also add the fact t hat managers will from time to time give extra staurdays to walkholders and even Reserves for genuine family or other reasons: wedding, funeral, etc) - the effect of these is to further reduce the number of saturdays available to Reserves. This is the situation in my office - nothing we or any Rep can do about it.

[jimmynailsalive]

New tactics to be employed.

Got transferred to another office today, said to partner a couple of times we shouldn't take lapsing if we won't finish on time as we would be later out the office and lose a bit of time with him showing me the loops when out and adding 15 minutes for me getting lost etc.

Well left the office 10 minutes past my finishing time (no breaks) so when I'm going out on a new walk I'll let the partner know right away I'm taking my 10 minute break before I leave and my 20 minute break when out as sick of working with duty holders who can't estimate a finishing time with someone on the walk for the 1st time.

[Postie45]

New tactics to be employed.

Got transferred to another office today, said to partner a couple of times we shouldn't take lapsing if we won't finish on time as we would be later out the office and lose a bit of time with him showing me the loops when out and adding 15 minutes for me getting lost etc.

Well left the office 10 minutes past my finishing time (no breaks) so when I'm going out on a new walk I'll let the partner know right away I'm taking my 10 minute break before I leave and my 20 minute break when out as sick of working with duty holders who can't estimate a finishing time with someone on the walk for the 1st time. :evil/mad :evil/mad :evil/mad

do you only get 30 minutes break ? whats stopping you taking it in one go, or do you really prefer not to?
Also you can demand to be taken back at the right time, if he wants to stay out he has to bring you back 1st then go back out, if he refuses to take you back just sit in the van and wait for him to finish and take you back then file a grievance against him for making you stay out past your time.