A few months in, I'm finally getting this job.

Post by **woopesh** » 05 Mar 2016, 22:03

I'm a part timer on a 25 our contract. At first, I followed all the rules. I kept going overtime. The DOMS were "resistant" to paying overtime for a single duty. I thought, what a horrible company. They set impossible goals and expect you to work for free!

But now I'm starting to get it.

They well and truly know that following all the rules makes finishing on time impossible. The rules exist to limit Royal Mail's liabilities. For instance, they tell you to never doorstep, when really "Safeplace" on the 739 is a euphemism for doorstepping. If the parcel gets stolen from the "Safeplace" then its your fault because you were told never to doorstep.

All they really care about is that things get delivered as cheaply as possible. So you have to protect the mail from being stolen, you have to stick it in the right letterbox, you have to finish your duty in the allotted time. The rest is noise.

That took me a good few months! I was confused as heck for a while. Now, instead of thinking... is this within the rules, I'll have to start thinking... can I get away with this? Will it get back to me somehow, will someone complain? Is it a good time saver?

Any ideas to save time would be gratefully received.

Post by **POSTWOMAN** » 05 Mar 2016, 22:41

See you have a point. I used to leave my heavy bag on the stairs of 1st floor and just carry bundle up to the 3rd floor & then return. Its very risky as someone may steal or if a manager does surprise check on you then you are busted. But it did save me a lot of energy as carrying a heavy bag going upwards 3 floors is not easy.Its okay until your luck runs out.

Post by **Judgee** » 05 Mar 2016, 23:21

POSTWOMAN wrote:See you have a point. I used to leave my heavy bag on the stairs of 1st floor and just carry bundle up to the 3rd floor & then return. Its very risky as someone may steal or if a manager does surprise check on you then you are busted. But it did save me a lot of energy as carrying a heavy bag going upwards 3 floors is not easy.Its okay until your luck runs out.

Not recommended. Someone in our office did exactly this and the bag went walk about!

Post by **woopesh** » 06 Mar 2016, 06:59

Judgee wrote:
POSTWOMAN wrote:See you have a point. I used to leave my heavy bag on the stairs of 1st floor and just carry bundle up to the 3rd floor & then return. Its very risky as someone may steal or if a manager does surprise check on you then you are busted. But it did save me a lot of energy as carrying a heavy bag going upwards 3 floors is not easy.Its okay until your luck runs out.
Not recommended. Someone in our office did exactly this and the bag went walk about!

Yeah that is risky.

I'm talking about stuff like not bothering to call round the neighbours to check they will take a signed parcel before bunging in a 739. What are the chances anyone will check that you rang round? That will save a couple of minutes a packet, probably saving a good 20 mins to 30 mins per round.

Why bother to fill in the 739 properly if you telling a household about a "Safeplace"? Just write, behind bin or plant pot or whatever. Times 10 packets and thats another 5 mins saved.

Why bother to shut gates if no one complains? It might only take 2 or 3 seconds a gate, but spread over 500 houses, that is 1500 seconds or 25 mins saved.

Why bother to deliver to each flat in a mansion block if there is a communal letter box? Just let them sort the mail out themselves, at least until people start complaining. The manager might say deliver to each flat next time please, but I bet nothing else would happen unless you kept doing it.

Similarly, why bother to stuff a door to door in each pidgeon hole at a block of flats when you can just leave them as a stack on the floor? Why bother delivering them to each house or flat unless you have letters to post there? How will they check? Its not as if households remember each and every piece of junk mail, and they get so many bits of junk mail they will just say... yeah, I can't remember but I probably got one of those, I bin mine straight away.

Low risk time-savers.

terry2972 · Post by **terry2972** » 06 Mar 2016, 07:25

I dont understand the need to save time. Longer it takes more overtime or just cut off I do both depending on what I have planned for the rest of the day

Post by **woopesh** » 06 Mar 2016, 07:42

terry2972 wrote:I dont understand the need to save time. Longer it takes more overtime or just cut off I do both depending on what I have planned for the rest of the day

Don't you get aggrevation for doing this? I have found claiming overtime for a single duty is like drawing blood from a stone (they are generous with overtime for performing extra duties duties though). Every time I cut off there is a "chat" about my performance and commitment to the job.

CAMPINGBLUNDERER · Post by **CAMPINGBLUNDERER** » 06 Mar 2016, 07:45

Problem with low risk time savers is that they can lead to higher risk time savers due to complancy.

In my office the duty holders have a unwritten list of people who it's " ok " to sign for and they have always done it , a low risk time saving .....????

I usually just say it's up to them what they do with the mail but I will do the same and if it upsets the " arrangements " so be it as I'm not putting my job at risk for a £2 packet.

Posties can be their own worst enemies at times thinking somehow they can ignore the rules , all to make 5 minutes.

terry2972 · Post by **terry2972** » 06 Mar 2016, 07:54

woopesh wrote:
terry2972 wrote:I dont understand the need to save time. Longer it takes more overtime or just cut off I do both depending on what I have planned for the rest of the day
Don't you get aggrevation for doing this? I have found claiming overtime for a single duty is like drawing blood from a stone (they are generous with overtime for performing extra duties duties though). Every time I cut off there is a "chat" about my performance and commitment to the job.

I dont get any aggro I know the duty I am on so know if its going to take longer and inform lino who then pays it my problem is I get sent to various offices buts thats another story lol

ziggy · Post by **ziggy** » 06 Mar 2016, 08:37

I never deliver to neighbours and will never deliver to neighbours unless DOM accepts that I'll be bringing mail back if I run out of time. I don't fill out P739 "properly" when item is left in a safe place. I don't cut corners when it comes to D2D or mail, that's too risky. Anytime management has questioned my work rate I've told them to come and show me how I can be more efficient . . . .

motherhubbard · Post by **motherhubbard** » 06 Mar 2016, 08:55

woopesh wrote: For instance, they tell you to never doorstep, when really "Safeplace" on the 739 is a euphemism for doorstepping. If the parcel gets stolen from the "Safeplace" then its your fault because you were told never to doorstep.

You only use "Safeplace" when there is a designated safe place written in the box on the Tracked packet.
Safeplace on the 739 isn't there for about 95% of the packets we deliver.
You never have to make up a safe place.

If you doorstep you will lose your job,
If you sign for items you will lose your job.
If you jeopardise the security of the mail you will lose your job.

Dozen · Post by **Dozen** » 06 Mar 2016, 09:12

Work to rule all day, every day. Don't cut corners, do the job properly. Give your job the respect it deserves. Why would you actively help to devalue the cost of your own labour? View those who cut corners as an affront to your own job security, an insult to those in the past who have fought hard to improve our terms, and a complete lack of respect for future generations of posties coming in to the job. Remember we can shout about it as loud as we want, but at the end of the day we're only really heard through our actions. Walk the walk.

Post by **POSTWOMAN** » 06 Mar 2016, 12:40

woopesh I can understand what you are trying to do given the pressures we work under & how the managers screw us.
My advise would be to fill your p739 correctly, close the gates, deliver letter to each flat etc & basically don't let the customers become the victim because of our battles with managers.

Why its important - when you have done your work correctly you have a strong & confident voice against managers. Once the managers find your weakness when you do a mistake at work then they have upper hand.

What you should do is let the managers know you don't want overtime. I use the numbers below to argue with managers if the walk given to me suits my contract hours.

1.You get 3 minutes per close/house with mostly 3 floors & 6 flats . ( a 4 hour walk should have maximum 80 closes assuming you only have closes in your walk. If you have other points of delivery like shops or single houses then it should have less than 80 closes for a 4 hour walk) 2.You get 15 minutes for pouching off.

When I started new I thought I was guilty as I could not finish a walk in time. I used to run which was wrong.Basically do your work correctly instead of taking short cuts but instead fight with managers about the right amount of work load u should be doing before you leave the office.

Post by **woopesh** » 06 Mar 2016, 14:31

I appreciate some of you come from offices where arguing about what is a reasonable amount of work, or claiming overtime is doeable, but this isn't realistic in the offices I have been sent to. Well, unless that is you fancy "chats" with the managers every single day.

In the offices I have been sent to, the postmen who take pride in their jobs and do their work to the book are laughed at and derided for being slow and square. These guys are always the old guard who were around in the 80's who moan about the job not being what is was.

Out of the newer recruits I have met, they UNIVERSALLY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION take shortcuts. Frankly, after experiencing how taking pride in my work, and doing things by the book has got me treated, I will join the rest. I don't see myself bastion of high behaviour and morality who will stand out against the grain, and stand up to the system.

And the fact is, for me, and for many part timers, a 25 hour contract doesn't pay enough for day to day life expenses. In order to get more lucrative extra duties you have to be seen to be fast by the managers.

And it isn't the managers who screw us. They have their own targets to reach and bonuses to protect and have their own asses on the line. That postie who expects to be paid 5 hours for a "reasonable amount of work" who can't finish a duty increases costs, makes targets harder to reach, thereby makes his own ass a bigger target for the Regional Manager who will in turn have his / her own targets and bonuses to protect...

It's the whole system, its set up for confrontation. Managers weren't born loving stress and "chats" to their staff about performance issues.

salomon2 · Post by **salomon2** » 06 Mar 2016, 15:53

You've been in the job 3 months, one thing they don't tell you is you are on trial for 1 year, don't believe all the shortcuts are carried out by everyone. Personally I do my job to the best of my ability. i'm not the fastest but definitely not the slowest. But I do not take stupid risks with the mail unless I happen to personally know someone. I'm fortunate to do a rural as well as a town round. On a rural you get to know where members of family live etc. yes that saves time but on a town round I don't know them and I would never doorstep.Why risk a job and I'm also on a 25 hr contract but who knows what is round the corner, I certainly wouldn't want the sack with the hassle that can cause getting another job etc.

Chewster · Post by **Chewster** » 06 Mar 2016, 17:42

Never had a problem with claiming overtime at my job. I'm on a 24 hour contract and am regularly claiming 3+ hours overtime, 5+ sometimes if I'm on a vanshare duty with certain slower folk lol.

As for taking shortcuts, go for it, just don't do anything stupid and be prepared to answer for it if you get caught. I personally would never ever doorstep though. I personally don't bother going to neighbours unless I know that they are likely to be in and are happy to take something for them (a lot of people won't give their neighbour the time of day..) P739s I only fill out "properly" if taking item back to the office, no point filling everything in if you're just sticking it in the shed. D2Ds you're better off just doing properly. I got myself in a lot of grief one week for returning over 200 of each D2D we had for that week

And I don't think there's anything wrong with signing for stuff if you know someone is happy for you to do that. I never sign for letters for people, but there are plenty of customers who have explicitly asked that I just sign parcels for them and put it in their safeplace. No point making extra work for yourself when you know that you'd in fact be doing a BETTER service to certain customers by not doing everything the exact prescribed way. Imagine if you actually used your dog peg at every door. You'd be there for ages!

I've always said - work is about investing minimum effort for maximum reward