I only want part-time!!!

deristrong · Post by **deristrong** » 25 May 2016, 19:03

27 hr contract which I'm happy with. 3 years into the job I've rarely cut off wishing to avoid the aggro. Never mind the shambles surrounding the fact most p-timers lose 10 mins break everyday. Plonked in front of a walk i didn't know last week with 2 hours sorting still to do (poll cards) I stood there like a lemon staring at a frame with each letter (the regular guy was on leave so no-one there to give me pointers as to trade button codes / where to leave HCT etc). I stayed out over my time but eventually got pissed off and took a bag back. Next day I'm in the office with the manager saying my performance was to be monitored! On walks I know I'm often the first back ending up putting out D2D's. Apparently I should be experienced enough to "follow my nose" on new walks and I should check out the walk beforehand by driving around in my own time looking at where I'd be going ("going the extra mile" she said). I'm happy to go like the clappers in my time but, jeez, I took the job BECAUSE it's part time and don't want to go the extra mile. How do others on this forum who advocate working to their time avoid the subsequent bullying?

rubberbond · Post by **rubberbond** » 25 May 2016, 19:12

And that my friend is how they treat people who help them out ,it counts for nothing in the end, do what you can do within your time and don't do them any favours.

k979aaa · Post by **k979aaa** » 25 May 2016, 19:13

Sorry for the bullying but they only care the job gets done even if you go over your time they cannot manage to get the job done as staff are injured sacked left the business and the managers cannot manage so you can carry on with your quest or just keep quite and let them brush it under the carpet that has a hump the size of mexico!

DB1100 · Post by **DB1100** » 25 May 2016, 19:44

rubberbond wrote:And that my friend is how they treat people who help them out ,it counts for nothing in the end, do what you can do within your time and don't do them any favours.

I agree 100%,it took me a while to find out but eventually the penny dropped and I work to my time now,despite all the heart rendering plea's from the gaffers.

Acca Dacca · Post by **Acca Dacca** » 25 May 2016, 20:01

Tell your manager to show you round the walk in her own time and see what she says to that.

NewPostieUK · Post by **NewPostieUK** » 26 May 2016, 02:27

deristrong wrote: Plonked in front of a walk i didn't know last week with 2 hours sorting still to do (poll cards) I stood there like a lemon staring at a frame with each letter

I have refused to do walks that I haven't been trained on in the past. On the rare occasion I've done one, I've argued successfully that it will take me longer than normal to do so leave some behind. I'd take out around 75% of the walk on the understanding I can take back stuff if I can find the streets etc. If I knew the town I work in and knew the streets well it might be different, but I had never been before starting as a postman. I've argued that there is no way I could know where certain points are, or even how to get to the start.

Personally, in your case above, I'd want to know why prep hadn't been done, and if I was to do it then obviously I'd be unable to complete.

ThatsNotPlumb · Post by **ThatsNotPlumb** » 26 May 2016, 08:18

deristrong wrote:27 hr contract which I'm happy with. 3 years into the job I've rarely cut off wishing to avoid the aggro. Never mind the shambles surrounding the fact most p-timers lose 10 mins break everyday. Plonked in front of a walk i didn't know last week with 2 hours sorting still to do (poll cards) I stood there like a lemon staring at a frame with each letter (the regular guy was on leave so no-one there to give me pointers as to trade button codes / where to leave HCT etc). I stayed out over my time but eventually got pissed off and took a bag back. Next day I'm in the office with the manager saying my performance was to be monitored! On walks I know I'm often the first back ending up putting out D2D's. Apparently I should be experienced enough to "follow my nose" on new walks and I should check out the walk beforehand by driving around in my own time looking at where I'd be going ("going the extra mile" she said). I'm happy to go like the clappers in my time but, jeez, I took the job BECAUSE it's part time and don't want to go the extra mile. How do others on this forum who advocate working to their time avoid the subsequent bullying?

Sorry to hear about all this, it depends on what type of person you are but personally if I was in your shoes & had a manager somewhat make a subtle attempt of intimidating me with an idle threat, I'd have made it abundantly clear right there & then that under no circumstances would I ever be doing anything remotely work related 'on my own time'. You were doing a walk that you had never done before & so it is completely unrealistic of him/her to expect you to be able to prep & deliver the duty in the same time as the duty holder. Adding on an extra 30 minutes to finish time would be a start maybe more if you are completely unfamiliar with the area.. then maybe another 20 odd minutes to prep time.

wa4jim · Post by **wa4jim** » 27 May 2016, 22:01

As a relative newbie I hardly ever do the same duty from one day to the next. Just today, I did another loop that was completely new to me.
Why isn't there a map of the duty next to each frame and laminated ones for each loop so you can take them out? It's hardly rocket science.
After struggling for some weeks I spent a day's wages on a used Garmin Oregon GPS and then many hours of my own time working out how to download a section of OpenStreetMap onto it. Luckily, this has house numbers for the area I'm working. This has proved invaluable when I'm working on a new duty and has already saved hours of my - sorry, RM's - time.

http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=6/54.655/-4.307" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

salomon2 · Post by **salomon2** » 27 May 2016, 23:22

There's some great phone apps that you can download that have house numbers on but the new pda's have fab navigation on them. To be honest though if you tie up as per the frame it generally takes you where you're meant to go. I've been sent out blind quite a few times and managed ok, I usually make a point of getting rid of specials and large packers to save any stress. When I first started I would ask for a print out of a map of where I've got to deliver and write any info on it, asking for a few pointers from someone that's done it before. If I've got had at least a days warning I've quickly driven round on my way home just so in vaguely familiar.