Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?

edward_77 · Post by **edward_77** » 01 Jan 2016, 21:03

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me, On Tuesday we were told by our line manager that we had to lapse a delivery and we all had to absorb, it was a heavy day but according to the Iwt it wasn't! he told us all we can flex up over 30 minutes and the time would be given back within the next five days, apparently it is the pay and modernisation agreement, I refused to do it, he told me I had to take out my absorption part and if I couldn't complete then I could cut off. I phoned the office when out on delivery to say I was going bring back the absorption mail, as I didn't want to go over. Nearly everyone else went over by at least 30 minutes.

Then on Thursday someone went sick, again he asked us to absorb the same delivery, again I refused as it wasn't light, he then told me I was slow and I need to start pulling my weight! I worked for Royal mail for 20 years, I am in my late fifties, I would class myself as slow, I not one that races about either. He told me this time that I had to delivery the absorption first, then cut off on my delivery if I had to. In the end I just done it as it isn't worth the hassle, I went over by 30 minutes.

The rep says you don't have to flex up but make sure you work your hours, which I do, the problem is there are to many people coming in early and running around trying get finished. The rep is trying to get everyone to do the job properly and work paid hours but you still get people running about coming in early, This makes the ones who do the job correctly get picked on, most the staff on my section our afraid to cut off,as the manager is so confrontational. What grounds do I have to put in a grievance? and do I have to flex up 30 minutes?
Also the rep said I didn't have to take out the absorption mail, I should just refuse as long as I tell the manager when I tie up, is he right?

Thanks

weary_posty · Post by **weary_posty** » 01 Jan 2016, 21:35

From my understanding you cannot refuse to take any mail out be it lapse, absorb or your own duty. They'll try to do you refusing a managers simple request or their favourite, wilful delay.

They are also within their right to ask you to deliver the absorbed/lapsed mail first, but in most cases if it will take you over your time you should make them aware it would be far efficient to compete your own duty than having to travel to and deliver the additional workload. If they fail to see that, cut off.

The simple answer is to just work your hours. If your manager gives you grief and suggests you are slow then invite them to shadow you on delivery to determine ways to speed you up. That usually keeps them quiet.

Flexing is NOT compulsory. If you do not want to do it you do not have to. By the sound of it your manager wouldn't go out of his way to help you so why should you he?

Scotland1 · Post by **Scotland1** » 02 Jan 2016, 08:28

U have a choice, if u know u r not going to complete then u leave whatever u can't manage in the office, this is proper cut off procedure but if u don't know if u r going to complete and u take out all mail u phone ur Dom and tell him whilst out on delivery at the earliest opportunity that u can't complete and ur going to bring back some of ur delivery, stand ur ground and be strong, don't let ur Dom b & h u, stick in there hope this helps

Whysoslowyehcfc · Post by **Whysoslowyehcfc** » 02 Jan 2016, 12:43

This absorption and lapsing is getting out of control around the country, it's time Bob Gibson got off his backside and starting earning his money, after all was he not part of the Union who negotiated this deal?

Post by **TrueBlueTerrier** » 02 Jan 2016, 12:49

Scotland1 wrote:U have a choice, if u know u r not going to complete then u leave whatever u can't manage in the office, this is proper cut off procedure but if u don't know if u r going to complete and u take out all mail u phone ur Dom and tell him whilst out on delivery at the earliest opportunity that u can't complete and ur going to bring back some of ur delivery, stand ur ground and be strong, don't let ur Dom b & h u, stick in there hope this helps

Sorry but thats wrong and it's also bad advice.

YOU cant leave whatever you can't manage - at least not without the manager instructing you to do so.

Also you cant contact the manager once you have commenced delivery, unless they have instructed you to do so.

The way the overrunning procedure should work is you tell them you can't complete, they tell you what to do (in writing) you follow that instruction.

Only in very rare cases can you contact a manager whilst out on delivery and tell them for the first time you can't complete. The procedure has a clause in it that all mail taken on delivery is expected to be delivered except in exceptional circumstances.

Post by **dodgyinlaws** » 02 Jan 2016, 19:09

I have a related question, once i have informed line manager that i am unable to complete, what is an acceptable or unnacceptable verbal response from the manager. On this particular day i had in my opinion the workload to take me beyond my finishing time, i told him that i also had a D2D which with the bank holidays this week left me with 4 days instead of 6 days to deliver, his response to that was 'is that it'. No matter what i said to him he was'nt interested, at what point if any should a conversation end once i have informed the manager i am unable to complete.

IcanthelpthewayIam · Post by **IcanthelpthewayIam** » 02 Jan 2016, 22:09

dodgyinlaws wrote:I have a related question, once i have informed line manager that i am unable to complete, what is an acceptable or unnacceptable verbal response from the manager. On this particular day i had in my opinion the workload to take me beyond my finishing time, i told him that i also had a D2D which with the bank holidays this week left me with 4 days instead of 6 days to deliver, his response to that was 'is that it'. No matter what i said to him he was'nt interested, at what point if any should a conversation end once i have informed the manager i am unable to complete.

There is no conversation it's a simple question that ends it, "what do you want me to do with the mail I can't complete in my time?" at that point he needs to give you an answer either leave it in take it out and bring it back or offer you ot to complete which you can refuse leaving only the first two options

slinder123 · Post by **slinder123** » 03 Jan 2016, 18:40

this comes up more than a saturday night booze up you sold out for the money with the union just fkn do what your told

meercat · Post by **meercat** » 09 Jan 2016, 23:28

dodgyinlaws wrote: at what point if any should a conversation end once i have informed the manager i am unable to complete.

That's the mistake a lot of people make. You DO NOT need to have a conversation or EXPLAIN yourself. If they drag you into a conversation it will only be with the aim of bullying you into making you rush around or deliver past your time for no pay.

So you simply tell them straight that you can't complete because of a heavy workload. Tell them you can make it to X on the frame and ask them if you should leave the rest in the frame, take it out and see if you find time to deliver it or what. No conversation needed. If they get funny make sure there is a witness and advise your manager they are intimidating you and it's not acceptable under RM policy on bullying and harassment.

meercat · Post by **meercat** » 09 Jan 2016, 23:33

edward_77 wrote:What grounds do I have to put in a grievance?

Thanks

You have little ground at the moment because you manager will use the defense of 'I didn't know I was harassing him I was just trying to motivate him'.

So the first step in any grievance procedure is to warn your manager that he/she is using inappropriate language, is harassing you and that their behavior is unacceptable. Tell them straight that being accused in a n aggressive manner of under performing is stressful and bullying and you will complain if they do it again. Then if they do it again at any point in the future THEN you will have solid grounds for a grievance.

thehobbit · Post by **thehobbit** » 10 Jan 2016, 19:22

a while back I was called in the office by a line manager who told me that 2 weeks earlier he with another manager and a postie sat in there van watching me and he said I was walking to slowly, I asked him how fast I was going and he demonstrated by walking across the office and how fast he wanted me to walk, again a walk across the office ,I asked him were it was he named a road with a lot of long drives to walk up and down which take time and he could not say where i was in the road, I asked him what time of day it was and it was getting to the end of the delivery so I was understandably knackered and slowing down (I am in my late 50s)

i went straight home and wrote to ask moya to see if this was the correct way to coach a postie (would have done a grievance but as we all know they just get ignored , and they hate the ask moyas) and the lino got a minor bollocking although of course nothing was done at least they let me be for a while until the next thing they did me for as i always had a big target on my back after that

meercat · Post by **meercat** » 10 Jan 2016, 20:54

thehobbit wrote: i always had a big target on my back after that

That's why you should write EVERYTHING down in a diary and complain when you need to. You should not accept bullying at work.

edward_77 · Post by **edward_77** » 11 Jan 2016, 20:53

Thanks for all the replies, the absorption hasn't gone away! I don't have a problem with doing it when the traffic is light, We have been told we have got to do it mon, tues, wednesday! and Saturday this week! basically we are running with 3 vacant duties, so when someone goes sick or there is a lot on holiday we can't cover it. He is putting in more overtime early to get some of the I.P.S. done but last wednesday everyone went over by at least 30 minutes and we didn't even absorb! some over an hour.

While everyone just does it, he'll keep doing it. We book the overtime which is paid but its not really the point! problem is no one sticks together, the rep tries but while idiots come in early, rush about what chance do we have. The rounds are not even, mine is one of the biggest and all the reserves agree. According to the computer they are all the same! some of the managers mates rounds are to easy and that's why they keep quiet, when they make a lot of time. Surely it's the Manager's responsibility to make everyone work their paid hours not go home early or start before their start time? take their meal relief, (Heath safety requirement?) keeps banging on about this flexibility, which by the way that week no one got back the time within the first 5 days. They like to make you do extra when it lights, which is fine but when its heavy they won't put in extra hours.

ROYALMAILCHAT

Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?

Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?

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Re: Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?

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Re: Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?

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Re: Manager Told me I am slow Grievience?