Getting out.

[Brandy]

I must admit I am in a much better place since I got out

[miles_peters]

I am trying to get out but have applied for jobs doing hospital portering. Full time hours, 3 days a week. Still a lot of walking and talking to the public which i miss in this job. The bonus thing also it's indoors

Quick update got a email today confirming i have got a job interview i can see the light

good luck I hope you get it. RM is a sinking ship. Myself I've never fancied working in a hospital because there's always a higher risk of catching some nasty virus and I hate being sick.

[CPTNemoUK]

Thank you will let you know how i get on.

[baz284]

I got out with IHR lump sum, sold our house and moved to a new house in the Highlands to run a holiday letting.

[baldrick]

I took VR at 62. I had intended to retire at 65, possibly later. I did quite like the job for most of my 32 years at RM. But it got worse over the last few years. More pressure from managers who couldn't do the work themselves as opgs. The decent managers who had come up 'through the ranks' were going, retiring or being 'VRd' though I doubt that it was voluntary. I ended up on worse jobs than when I started, with bullying from incompetent acting managers.

I'm glad I got out, and I'm enjoying retirement. The only thing I miss is my mates at work, but a lot of them will have gone now too. I did get a temp Xmas job with a major retailer, the first Xmas after retirement. The attitude of managers there was completely different to RM. I was one of the oldest applicants,and they got about 20 applicants for every vacancy. I didn't really expect to be taken on. My manager told me they liked former RM staff because they had a good work ethic and were more reliable than the younger people. At the end of the Xmas contract period my manager said I would be taken on permanently, ft or pt, if I wanted to stay on. But I didn't want to, I was enjoying not working after 40 years of employment, and I thought that I should leave the job for one of the younger guys who needed a job.

I don't regret taking VR, if anything I think I should have taken it at 60. The only thing I would say to people thinking of leaving RM is that you shouldn't jump ship unless you can afford to live on your pension, or you have another job offer to go into.

[burtons]

hi there all.i no longer work for rm.unfourtunately,and I say that with a heavy heart as it was not the plan.but I had no choice really.yes I started in the mid nineties in the so called good old days when there was a second delivery.but I was a reserve mainly on rurals so never had the luxury of my own run.i took redundancy in early 2000 after a transfer to a rdc which closed and relocated around 70 miles away so was not a option for most people.i rejoined late 2000 and yes the management had changed and the job not to much except for lapsing and pressure to complete,not paying overtime etc.......but looking back you are lucky too have such a well paid job fairly social hours and good terms and conditions which few people outside the business enjoy.im struggling to find a job that pays even close to what I earnt for a un-skilled job.yes rm treat there staff poorly for such a great job they do.the approach by management in some cases is appalling but not all.a simple thankyou after a hard day goes a long way but I seldom got one.what with the current dispute the staff really do deserve a lot better regarding pensions and hours,having said that I wouldn't want to be working later in the day than it currently is.the grass isn't always greener as I know.its probably not the right place for this post.but with what is happening now,a unjustified attack on terms on conditions as I truly believe you posties are the best in the business and deserve alot better.i just hope you will be all wise enough to stand together when the time comes.....

[Alexei]

I had an epiphany last year and decided to work on my way out, or at least out of delivery. Being on the cusp of turning 30, and already feeling my body deterioate due to the job, I had no choice but to question the future. Do I still want to be where I am in ten years time, furthermore, could I still do the job in ten years time? It's only going to get worse. Having no qualifications, the prospect of employment in a competitive occupation was virtually nill, so I am now embarking on a quest for higher education and qualifications.

IHR would be great, but is unlikely to happen as I have no ailments. IF it were to happen, then I would do a mixture of FT study, PT work & volunteering. Unfortunately, as IHR is a pipe dream, all I can do is use RM to the best of my abilities. Overpay what I can afford to my mortgage, contribute - by way of AVC's - to my pension what I can afford, all while attempting to live a fairly modest lifestyle. I'm very fortunate in that I live in Scotland, so have my tution fee's subsidized by the government.

My plan after graduation - at the minute - is to apply to a RM graduate scheme that sponsors further education, but this is open to change, and may indeed change in the future. Another path I have considered is a role within the CWU, but this is still a good while away.

Despite the caveats involved with being a postman, there are still lots of positives to this job that are frequently mentioned in various threads.We may moan about our conditions, but the reality for myself - and many others in a similar position - is that leaving this job for something better ( financially speaking ) would be akin to catching lightning in a bottle.

If you let someone bully, or take advantage of you, they will keep doing it. If you fear something, then it will always control you. You owe this company nothing. There's more to life than arguing with an under-qualified, middle aged charlatan, masquerading as a manager, about the fact (nb, red herring) your 700 call duty has 1% less mail than the previous year.

I would urge anyone to use this job purely as a means to an end. You just have to figure out what your 'end' is.

I've rambled on, and feel I slightly came off topic, but felt this thread needed some inspiration!

[2214MN]

Brilliant post Alexei. Agree completely with what you say.

I'm set to leave after 6.5 years, due to start a 5 month training course which leads to work for London Ambulance as Ambulance crew. I'm wondering whether I'm crazy for swapping what is really an easy job for something challenging but I need that feeling of being rewarded. I like to help people and it's hard in this job to feel any sense of achievement.

Nevertheless this job has been perfect for me and I've been very fortunate to of had almost 2 years off on a career break to travel and then walk straight back into a job. It's been good for me and I'll always remember my fellow posties but life's too short to settle for something that doesn't truly fulfil you. If you have the opportunity to leave, I really encourage you to do so. I've got another 40 years before I retire, I don't want to spend every year wondering if the job is going to go completely and be left unemployed with no skills when I actually have responsibilities. Sorry bit of a long post!

[CPTNemoUK]

I need that feeling of being rewarded. I like to help people and it's hard in this job to feel any sense of achievement.

This is the main reason why gone for a porters job. I want to help people. Try to cheer them up during a hard time and be somebody to talk to. Plus I love walking so it's a win win.

[Morayman]

I was 9 years at Royal Mail. Left this year back in march to fit smart meters for SSE. Had no qualifications other that high school but got through the aptitude tests and screenings and was put through all the training. 6 months later I am now Gas safe qualified and changing both gas and electric meters.

I was a WPC and had also got a position to be a trainee manager at Royal mail. 2 years I waited for the opportunity to advance myself but it never came. It had got to the point were our office was short staffed and I knew too many duties for them to release me to train as a manager. I got fed up of continually asking and applied for the job at SSE on a whim. Wasn't the easiest of decisions to make but so far so good. Have not regretted leaving so far and cannot see that changing.

Royal Mail has too much s**t to sort out and unfortunately the posties are the guinea pigs.

[sixfoottwo]

I have the chance of an assessment which involves a few hurdles to jump through followed by interview so no guarantee for getting the job on Monday but I can't get the time off as they only rang me yesterday

[CPTNemoUK]

I have the chance of an assessment which involves a few hurdles to jump through followed by interview so no guarantee for getting the job on Monday but I can't get the time off as they only rang me yesterday

Can you not swap your day off even try asking colleagues to swap their day off? Or phone in sick cough cough (I didn't really say That)

[sixfoottwo]

I have the chance of an assessment which involves a few hurdles to jump through followed by interview so no guarantee for getting the job on Monday but I can't get the time off as they only rang me yesterday

Can you not swap your day off even try asking colleagues to swap their day off? Or phone in sick cough cough (I didn't really say That)

I can't get a swap and I considered going off 'ill' but that isn't me really

I have managed to speak to my potential new employers and explained the situation and they said no problem we'll be back in touch to rearrange we shall see.

[CPTNemoUK]

I am trying to get out but have applied for jobs doing hospital portering. Full time hours, 3 days a week. Still a lot of walking and talking to the public which i miss in this job. The bonus thing also it's indoors

Quick update got a email today confirming i have got a job interview i can see the light

Update on the update. Had my interview today think it went well. Found out their is two jobs going,Monday to Friday 12.till 8 and bank holidays off and more holidays off than royal mail. Find out Friday hope I get it

[Ricardo44]

Good Luck

You should be on a right cushy number if you get it

Years ago I worked in a hospital as a part time cleaner and the porters used to sit in their office reading the paper or chatting to one another. Now and then the phone would ring and whoevers turn it was would go off to do a job like pushing a patient in their bed to another department.

Other times I used to just see them pushing a trolley round collecting bags of rubbish.

They didn't seem to have any stress or pressure at all. They would often be just standing around with very little to do.

Nice work if you can get it