Delivery Office Issues

[johnstonsj]

Hi all. I've been a postman with the Royal Mail at a delivery office in Northern Ireland now for 8 months. I must say the experience has been eye opening, the attitude and behaviour of managers questionable and the overall Royal Mail business ethics with its staff fallible. Here are a few issues that pop up time and time again in my office, are these common place across the whole infrastructure in general?

- Summer lapsing occurs year round. We had no lapsing for the three week Christmas period, but it has since resumed. Every day

- Taking meal breaks are often impossible, or shunned open by management. There is simply too much of a workload to fit any substantial meal break time. My van share partner and I occasionally have a 10-20 meal break before we leave in the morning, as is our right, but management question and harass us for doing so, stating we took too long getting out, especially in comparison to our colleagues. Which brings me on to my next point...

- Coleagues start 30/45/60 mins early. Unpaid. When I come in at my 7.15 start time, the majority of other frames are practically thrown out. Sequenced mail, flats and packets are often fully prepped, whilst I am only beginning this whole process. These posture are often out long before me and my ba share colleague, who also starts on time, it's not uncommon some are out over an hour before us if we take a morning break. This of course results in a falsely early finish time l, which management make the target for the whole office. When we fail to make these times, we are harassed and questioned over out finish times and often threatened with counselling and conduct over our "performance". These posites also often fall short of quality measures, speed, doorstep, and some are known to run around their duty.

- management ridicule, threaten and lambast us during huddle time and team talks. The DOM in particular thrives in his position of power and authority, with a "my way or the highway" attitude. Threats of conduct, dismissal and suspension are common.

[IcanthelpthewayIam]

summer lapsing does not occur year round, it's a common misconception, there are two types of lapsing

1 summer staffing, this enables additional leave slots during the summer months, reps should be pushing for this to happen

2 covering for each other, this is the year round lapsing that is used to cover absence or vacancies, this is the one that managers use as it benefits them.

reps should be pushing to use the summer lapsing as it reduces the amount of covering for each other lapsing during summer months, as what would you rather do, your lapsing anyway would you rather do it so you or a mate can get a week off in the summer or to help your manager meet his budget and earn his bonus?

[mudmonster]

Hi all. I've been a postman with the Royal Mail at a delivery office in Northern Ireland now for 8 months. I must say the experience has been eye opening, the attitude and behaviour of managers questionable and the overall Royal Mail business ethics with its staff fallible. Here are a few issues that pop up time and time again in my office, are these common place across the whole infrastructure in general?

- Summer lapsing occurs year round. We had no lapsing for the three week Christmas period, but it has since resumed. Every day

- Taking meal breaks are often impossible, or shunned open by management. There is simply too much of a workload to fit any substantial meal break time. My van share partner and I occasionally have a 10-20 meal break before we leave in the morning, as is our right, but management question and harass us for doing so, stating we took too long getting out, especially in comparison to our colleagues. Which brings me on to my next point...

- Coleagues start 30/45/60 mins early. Unpaid. When I come in at my 7.15 start time, the majority of other frames are practically thrown out. Sequenced mail, flats and packets are often fully prepped, whilst I am only beginning this whole process. These posture are often out long before me and my ba share colleague, who also starts on time, it's not uncommon some are out over an hour before us if we take a morning break. This of course results in a falsely early finish time l, which management make the target for the whole office. When we fail to make these times, we are harassed and questioned over out finish times and often threatened with counselling and conduct over our "performance". These posites also often fall short of quality measures, speed, doorstep, and some are known to run around their duty.

- management ridicule, threaten and lambast us during huddle time and team talks. The DOM in particular thrives in his position of power and authority, with a "my way or the highway" attitude. Threats of conduct, dismissal and suspension are common.

Sounds about right ,These are the idiots who moan when they are given more lapsing to complete,instead of doing what you are doing .IE correct.Managers bullying all the time .

[datasaint]

Sounds like you needer a stronger rep.

Basically your office is a picture of what happens when people try and do what they want. Come in early, make time. Ultimately leads to more hours taken out of the office and more absorption.

[slinder123]

its not about a stronger rep it is the lazy fkn union in london who just sit and let the men fight each other over who does what. and the managers take full advantage of this it is happening and has been a way of life in royal mail for the last few years. the union know this its not about the way forward its about im alright sat here in my warm office fk u just pay your cons and if you get the sack for doing your job right we may help you but dont hold your breath. try asking dave ward a straight question all you will get is see your rep or branch none who either cant help or wont help if it means upsetting royal mail

[toomuchcoke]

- Summer lapsing occurs year round. We had no lapsing for the three week Christmas period, but it has since resumed. Every day

Yeah ... Back when I started (this time around) lapsing went on until October, the following year it was into November, the year after that it was December! To be fair, that was due to staff shortages and they where paying the overtime for it without asking any questions. Then we got a new manager in place who, amongst all of their other questionable decisions decided that lapsing would now be year-round except for the Christmas pressure period! Now we have yet another new manager (we do seem to be going through them almost as fast as we go through new starters!), and the best we can say about them is that they've decided that rurals should be encouraged to take some of the parcels for the lapsed round. (This is at least fairer rather than dumping all the lapsing onto one sixth of the rounds in the office, though it's not proving especially popular amongst the rurals!)

- Taking meal breaks are often impossible, or shunned open by management. There is simply too much of a workload to fit any substantial meal break time. My van share partner and I occasionally have a 10-20 meal break before we leave in the morning, as is our right, but management question and harass us for doing so, stating we took too long getting out, especially in comparison to our colleagues. Which brings me on to my next point...

The 1st new manager above used to moan at people based upon the time they'd put down on the sheet for "time leaving office", if he didn't think it was fast enough. So I switched from listing the time I actually left the office (i.e. after loading the van and bring the York back inside) to the time I pushed the York out the office to load the van! T'was the easiest 15 minute speed up ever! So, in a similar vein could you and your partner take your meal break in the van somewhere away from the office? Management will think you're out the door earlier (which you are), and will therefore believe you're being faster (which you are not!) and will find something/one else to moan about.

- Coleagues start 30/45/60 mins early. Unpaid. When I come in at my 7.15 start time, the majority of other frames are practically thrown out. Sequenced mail, flats and packets are often fully prepped, whilst I am only beginning this whole process. These posture are often out long before me and my ba share colleague, who also starts on time, it's not uncommon some are out over an hour before us if we take a morning break. This of course results in a falsely early finish time l, which management make the target for the whole office. When we fail to make these times, we are harassed and questioned over out finish times and often threatened with counselling and conduct over our "performance". These posites also often fall short of quality measures, speed, doorstep, and some are known to run around their duty.

There's no arguing with them though ... Back in the day when you prepped your own round, and went out the door I could see there being some point to coming in early occasionally. e.g. it's the Friday before your long weekend, come in 15-30 minutes early get a headstart and hence get out the door early, back early and away to whatever you had planned for long weekend. But these days when you're likely either prepping multiple rounds, or having your round prepped by someone else? No point whatsoever!

- management ridicule, threaten and lambast us during huddle time and team talks. The DOM in particular thrives in his position of power and authority, with a "my way or the highway" attitude. Threats of conduct, dismissal and suspension are common.

Alas, it sounds like someone needs to stick their head above the parapet and ask the DOM whether they think their behaviour is in keeping with the Royal Mail's policies on dignity and respect in the workplace? (Or maybe just record him on your smartphone and send a copy of said recording to Moya, your local MP/AM and/or the local press? Not actually advocating this, particularly the press route as I believe recording them would be a policy violation in and of itself.)

[halfull]

dont worry,im sure dingo can tell us all how these issues will be sorted in the next deal

[Postie45]

your office sounds as bad as it gets
if i were you id contact the area rep and tell them pretty much what youve said here

[aiden01]

your office sounds as bad as it gets
if i were you id contact the area rep and tell them pretty much what youve said here

And area rep will do what exactly

[johnstonsj]

I've always suspected itv was a company/country wide issue, the systematic abuse of power and the chipping away of workers rights, bit by bit. Now I can see it's truly endemic! A stronger rep? It would help if we had one. Yes, no rep. The nearest is at an adjoining office, but of course he is never there to witness anything that happens first hand. The Dom has won numerous "manager of the year" awards, which is highly concerning and shows what lengths he will go to in order to meet financial targets and secure his bonus. It's a shame, as the slowest in the office, not necessarily due to efficiency and performance but due to doing the job correctly, are consistently harrassed about times. It's having an effect on many workers, including my van share buddy, who is one of the remaining full time employees and believes he is being coerced out. Despicable and corrupt. It's not a job for life and thank goodness I am not in it much longer!

[Queeg500]

Sounds just like my DO, except I've not had my meal relief break in 2 years (except when working in some other DOs when I was a spare). Almost all of out walks are far too long, when they have been tested by the union rep he goes around the route at full on maximum pace and self signs, doorsteps at takes every shortcut going, reps advice is to come in early and work for free like everyone else. No coincidence that he gets endless favours from the DOM.

My park and loop partner has been raising the issue with the area rep on a weekly basis for the last 10 months (and with the office rep for over a year before that), he was palmed off until the area rep came and tested out walk about 6 weeks ago (just to shut him up), he said our walk was 40 mins too long... Yet still nothing has changed. I used to like this job, now I'm just disillusioned, exhausted and in regular pain. That's before I even get into the bullying, harassment and verbal physical aggression that goes on. Currently looking for other work... had it up to my eyeballs.

[newboy23]

I've not had my meal relief break in 2 years .

WOW, working for free,cheers easy

[FinishOnTime]

Royal Mail have a business model which means that it's impossible for the current number of contracted staff to cover commercial and legal obligations and workloads with their normal hours. This leads to managers having to bully and harass staff otherwise the whole thing would collapse.

It's entirely up to individuals and offices themselves whether they go along with this or stand up to it.