Royal Mail Disciplinary Procedures

[norris9]

Hi Guys,

Newbie Postie here...just wanting to get a better understanding of typical Royal Mail Disciplinary actions/procedures.

I try to keep my nose clean and I'm an honest individual, I'm not here at Royal Mail to be lazy and unreliable. I am here to do the job the best I can with honesty and integrity...but I keep hearing and reading about how Royal Mail are strict disciplinarians and I'm keen to get a better idea of where I'd stand when I make mistakes.

For a start, a recorded item (I believe to be a letter) has gone missing and I am the one who wrote out the docket. No manager has spoken to me about this yet. I have been beating myself up about this trying to work out what may have happend to it, and as the docket was posted 2 weeks ago I cannot remember anything about this. Anything could have happend, from me stupidly posting the letter through the letterbox with the docket, to me accidently posting to a neighbour, to me dropping it, to me putting it back in the bag and not taking it out when back at the van. I can only guess. It's also not necessarily my fault. I am not the one that clears the van, I am not the one who takes the undelivered items to the relevant area (cage), and I am not the one who scans the post/packets into the depot. But I'd agree that it has most likely resulted from a lapse of concentration on my part.

I guess I am pretty much guaranteed to be spoken to by a manager at some point. What is the process now? How does this affect me? I'd like to think it will be a slap on the wrist, told to be more careful, and I guess it will be noted on my file. Or should I expect something much harsher?

If it is a slap on the wrist, then how many similar dopey balls-ups like this will typically result in dismissal? If I mess up, it's going to be from dopey mistakes, not because of regularly being late, stealing, bullying, dumping mail, dangerous driving....

I have seen all this Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 stuff all over this website.... Is this some disciplinary scale I'll be on? Anyone know how it works?...

Will I have likely now triggered a Stage 1? ALERT ALERT - THIS POSTIE IS A DOPEY NOOB!


Also, I have heard that if you mess up the Special Deliveries then that is taken pretty seriously. Was even told you may be dismissed for it. I assume that's if you lose them. Are they that strict they may sack you for this for doing this just once?


Thanks, guys.

[Celgar]

Recorded, or Signed For as it is now called, is not really suitable for posting valuable items so you shouldn't get in too much trouble. Everyone makes errors occasionally but it is best to not make too many mistakes.
RM likes DOMs to come down on you like a ton of bricks if you misdeliver or lose an SD item though. Dependent on the DOMs attitude this could nearly result in the sack.

[chickenwittle]

Don’t worry about it , just say it would have been returned to the office like you do with all 739 items.Also it was over 2 weeks ago so your not going to remember that specific letter and nothing will come of it .

[Postie45]

firstly what is the procedue for returning items into the office ? is everything logged ?
without a proper "chain of custody" of returned items i feel posties should NEVER be blamed when things go missing as its impossible to tell at what stage they went missing. Granted if things go missing consistently with 1 postie then it should be investigated, but for random missing items every so often ? the postie should never be blamed unless that office has a system of logging every item back on return.
The union should be having a field day if managers wanted to conduct people for this.

As for SDs, again lack of "chain of custody" would be a great argument against any problem managers had with you if an item went missing.
If the postie admits to losing an SD and takes responsibility, i believe its 2 years serious - not a sacking for a 1st time.

[aiden01]

Hi Guys,

Newbie Postie here...just wanting to get a better understanding of typical Royal Mail Disciplinary actions/procedures.

I try to keep my nose clean and I'm an honest individual, I'm not here at Royal Mail to be lazy and unreliable. I am here to do the job the best I can with honesty and integrity...but I keep hearing and reading about how Royal Mail are strict disciplinarians and I'm keen to get a better idea of where I'd stand when I make mistakes.

For a start, a recorded item (I believe to be a letter) has gone missing and I am the one who wrote out the docket. No manager has spoken to me about this yet. I have been beating myself up about this trying to work out what may have happend to it, and as the docket was posted 2 weeks ago I cannot remember anything about this. Anything could have happend, from me stupidly posting the letter through the letterbox with the docket, to me accidently posting to a neighbour, to me dropping it, to me putting it back in the bag and not taking it out when back at the van. I can only guess. It's also not necessarily my fault. I am not the one that clears the van, I am not the one who takes the undelivered items to the relevant area (cage), and I am not the one who scans the post/packets into the depot. But I'd agree that it has most likely resulted from a lapse of concentration on my part.

I guess I am pretty much guaranteed to be spoken to by a manager at some point. What is the process now? How does this affect me? I'd like to think it will be a slap on the wrist, told to be more careful, and I guess it will be noted on my file. Or should I expect something much harsher?

If it is a slap on the wrist, then how many similar dopey balls-ups like this will typically result in dismissal? If I mess up, it's going to be from dopey mistakes, not because of regularly being late, stealing, bullying, dumping mail, dangerous driving....

I have seen all this Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 stuff all over this website.... Is this some disciplinary scale I'll be on? Anyone know how it works?...

Will I have likely now triggered a Stage 1? ALERT ALERT - THIS POSTIE IS A DOPEY NOOB!


Also, I have heard that if you mess up the Special Deliveries then that is taken pretty seriously. Was even told you may be dismissed for it. I assume that's if you lose them. Are they that strict they may sack you for this for doing this just once?


Thanks, guys.

Stages 1 2 3 are for sick absences

[norris9]

Stages 1 2 3 are for sick absences

ahh, ok, thanks.

[norris9]

firstly what is the procedue for returning items into the office ? is everything logged ?
without a proper "chain of custody" of returned items i feel posties should NEVER be blamed when things go missing as its impossible to tell at what stage they went missing. Granted if things go missing consistently with 1 postie then it should be investigated, but for random missing items every so often ? the postie should never be blamed unless that office has a system of logging every item back on return.
The union should be having a field day if managers wanted to conduct people for this.

-Scan item with PDA and mark as not delivered. Write out and post a Docket with your initials and job number.
-Put docketed package/letter into your Postie bag.
-Bring back to van and place in a box.
-Once back at the depot, take the box from the van to the collection point at the depot.
-Depot staff scan the items in.

So there is a logging system, but it can't tell you with 100% certainty who has 'lost' a parcel/letter as most posties do their rounds in a van share, therefore the other postie I was with could have misplaced it for all I know, or when the items are handed over to the collection point those guys may not have scanned it and may have misplaced it.

So I agree that nobody should be directly blamed for losing anything unless it is 100% clear as day. But as I say, as I was the one who docketed it and as I am new, I was most likely at fault for a possible lapse in concentration. I honestly have no idea or recollection of even docketing that house. If I had known I'd made an error at the time and had accidently posted the letter/parcel somewhere then I'd have tried to retrieve it.

From replies here it seems it will probably just result in me being told to be more careful or maybe not even that, but just a conversation to establish what might have happend.

[chickenwittle]

firstly what is the procedue for returning items into the office ? is everything logged ?
without a proper "chain of custody" of returned items i feel posties should NEVER be blamed when things go missing as its impossible to tell at what stage they went missing. Granted if things go missing consistently with 1 postie then it should be investigated, but for random missing items every so often ? the postie should never be blamed unless that office has a system of logging every item back on return.
The union should be having a field day if managers wanted to conduct people for this.

-Scan item with PDA and mark as not delivered. Write out and post a Docket with your initials and job number.
-Put docketed package/letter into your Postie bag.
-Bring back to van and place in a box.
-Once back at the depot, take the box from the van to the collection point at the depot.
-Depot staff scan the items in.

So there is a logging system, but it can't tell you with 100% certainty who has 'lost' a parcel/letter as most posties do their rounds in a van share, therefore the other postie I was with could have misplaced it for all I know, or when the items are handed over to the collection point those guys may not have scanned it and may have misplaced it.

So I agree that nobody should be directly blamed for losing anything unless it is 100% clear as day. But as I say, as I was the one who docketed it and as I am new, I was most likely at fault for a possible lapse in concentration. I honestly have no idea or recollection of even docketing that house. If I had known I'd made an error at the time and had accidently posted the letter/parcel somewhere then I'd have tried to retrieve it.

From replies here it seems it will probably just result in me being told to be more careful or maybe not even that, but just a conversation to establish what might have happend.

Bottom line , deny everything ,if the item turns up at some point , which it usually does then all well and good. Let the manager prove that you have done something wrong .

[yellowbelly]

......... But as I say, as I was the one who docketed it and as I am new, I was most likely at fault for a possible lapse in concentration. I honestly have no idea or recollection of even docketing that house. If I had known I'd made an error at the time and had accidently posted the letter/parcel somewhere then I'd have tried to retrieve it.

Possibly, but not probably. We're all capable of mistakes, you'd be surprised at the number of experienced posties who 'never make mistakes'!!
That item could be anywhere!!

And by the way, as a recent newbie myself you will learn a great deal monitoring these boards, good to see you here and asking questions!!

Knowledge is power!!!

[norris9]

......... But as I say, as I was the one who docketed it and as I am new, I was most likely at fault for a possible lapse in concentration. I honestly have no idea or recollection of even docketing that house. If I had known I'd made an error at the time and had accidently posted the letter/parcel somewhere then I'd have tried to retrieve it.

Possibly, but not probably. We're all capable of mistakes, you'd be surprised at the number of experienced posties who 'never make mistakes'!!
That item could be anywhere!!

And by the way, as a recent newbie myself you will learn a great deal monitoring these boards, good to see you here and asking questions!!

Knowledge is power!!!

Yeah, definitely keen to learn as much as possible. I am keen to know where the item went. If I am spoken to about it - it will be interesting to see how they deal with it, it will tell me a lot.

In an ideal world I'd love to have a set walk/route for the long term, even better I'd love to do it alone with no buddie/partner. Both of these things would definitely help in avoiding errors. Being moved around as well as having someone pressuring you to be quick is a recipe for mistakes and accidents. But I guess that's how it has to be for some Postie's. Got to earn your stripes. Maybe I'll get lucky and be given a designated walk for the foreseeable future, but chances are I'll be put with someone else who is desperate to finish early and get home to watch Countdown.

Another thing that would be great is for all letterboxes to be a proper size and proper height and all houses to clearly display the house number. Even better would be to ban the letterboxes that snap back with a vengeance and almost take your fingers off.

[norris9]

How do you guys who are in van shares deal with the Special Deliveries....

In a van share is it both your responsibilities to make sure the Specials you put into your van are delivered on time? or is it down to whose walk the address relates to?

How do you both decide how to deliver these. For example, say some of the Specials are on the last loop on your walk.... do you just drive straight to that area to specifically deliver those specials, or do you start with that loop?

What do you do if you have a day where you have a tonne of Specials. Specials for every single loop.... what would you do? deliver all specials first along with large parcels?

[postslippete]

How do you guys who are in van shares deal with the Special Deliveries....

In a van share is it both your responsibilities to make sure the Specials you put into your van are delivered on time? or is it down to whose walk the address relates to?

How do you both decide how to deliver these. For example, say some of the Specials are on the last loop on your walk.... do you just drive straight to that area to specifically deliver those specials, or do you start with that loop?

What do you do if you have a day where you have a tonne of Specials. Specials for every single loop.... what would you do? deliver all specials first along with large parcels?

As a driver I sign for the Specials so technically that makes them my responsibility. However, if you got a special letter and its on your partner's 1st loop, there's no reason why they can't take it. That said, I've worked with guys who won't drive nor help their driver out with delivering parcels and Specials as they just say its not their responsibility. It's fine but they can't complain if they are sat waiting for me to finish off my loop as well.

[norris9]

As a driver I sign for the Specials so technically that makes them my responsibility. However, if you got a special letter and its on your partner's 1st loop, there's no reason why they can't take it. That said, I've worked with guys who won't drive nor help their driver out with delivering parcels and Specials as they just say its not their responsibility. It's fine but they can't complain if they are sat waiting for me to finish off my loop as well.

Hmmm, this sounds a bit unfair. If you are happy with it then fair enough. But it sounds like your partner is in dreamland, limited responsibility.

Is the rule that if you are driving you are supposed to sign for the specials?

If I was driving and in charge of the specials I'd want to dictate the way the round is completed.

[Postie45]

-Scan item with PDA and mark as not delivered. Write out and post a Docket with your initials and job number.
-Put docketed package/letter into your Postie bag.
-Bring back to van and place in a box.
-Once back at the depot, take the box from the van to the collection point at the depot.
-Depot staff scan the items in.

yes but if its like my office, the packages are just piled up on return as everyone puts them in the same yorks, theres nothing to verify yourself that you have in fact returned the item, once it goes in there whos to say what happens to it.

[yellowbelly]

-Scan item with PDA and mark as not delivered. Write out and post a Docket with your initials and job number.
-Put docketed package/letter into your Postie bag.
-Bring back to van and place in a box.
-Once back at the depot, take the box from the van to the collection point at the depot.
-Depot staff scan the items in.

yes but if its like my office, the packages are just piled up on return as everyone puts them in the same yorks, theres nothing to verify yourself that you have in fact returned the item, once it goes in there whos to say what happens to it.

Someone might be able to confirm this but is there anything in the PDA software stopping you scanning an item at the depot
as returned at the depot in addition to the depot staff when they get round to booking in all the returns in the Yorks?

I know it wouldn't guarantee it won't go missing amongst everything else that gets returned but if there is an investigation it might help to show that it wasn't mis-delivered to another address, left in a bag, left in a van etc. and it did in fact make it back to the depot in the custody of the outdoor postie.