I am 62 and have done over 40 years, all on delivery, ,bike and now HCT. I don't recognise the job as sometimes discribed on this forum.
When I started it was 6 days a week and 5.30 start. It's now at worst a 5 day week and in alot of offices a 9 day fortnight and in some a 4 day week. I have never enjoyed the job more than I do now. Yes the deliveries are longer as the indoor work is getting less and less but it is still manageable, it's a good wage for what we do and there is no doubt it keeps you fit.
I enjoy the laughs we have in the morning and it's also good to chat with the people on my round some of who are now good friends. Except for a dozen dog bites or so I have nothing but positive thoughts about the job.
What will have changed over the last 30-40 years is the mix of mail. In the last decade it's fairly rapidly gone from nearly all letters and flats with a few packets to more packets with some letters and flats.
I'm 44, been with Royal Mail 27 years. 27 years on walks. Some days im that knackered when I get home, I literally collapse on to the couch and am asleep in 5 minutes. Only thing I'm hoping for is being able to go down to a 3 day week!! Then I might make it to 60!
hazzeem025 wrote:I'm 44, been with Royal Mail 27 years. 27 years on walks. Some days im that knackered when I get home, I literally collapse on to the couch and am asleep in 5 minutes. Only thing I'm hoping for is being able to go down to a 3 day week!! Then I might make it to 60!
Well done for being a postie since you were 17!!
The views I express here are mine alone and do not represent the views of Royal Mail Group.
I'm sure there are a few posties who probably wouldn't mind dropping their hours down to part-time. I know of one or two posties who got quite a few grand for getting a 'buy down' and dropping their hours from full to part-time whilst I know of one senior full-time postie who just picked a part-time duty when it came up in the re-pick and got no compensation whatsoever.
On the face of it, shareholder value is the dumbest idea in the world.
Bernardson wrote:I've done over 30 years don't do lapsing unless really an easy day which is few and far between nowadays, on a rural so big increase of parcels is my absorption. Come in on time have break before leave office and a short one on delivery when re arranging parcels. Still scratch my head at the runners how can they not see all around them? Lapsing, increase in part time duties etc.
Am planning to go at sixty but would go tomorrow if offered EVR despite this I do like the job once you get outside the office, people in the main are good and always like to receive a parcel.
You scratch your head at runners yet you say you re arrange packets on your on delivery break? If you are doing that you are not taking your break. Do you not see this?
postslippete wrote:I'm sure there are a few posties who probably wouldn't mind dropping their hours down to part-time. I know of one or two posties who got quite a few grand for getting a 'buy down' and dropping their hours from full to part-time whilst I know of one senior full-time postie who just picked a part-time duty when it came up in the re-pick and got no compensation whatsoever.
Why should he get compensated, if he wanted to drop his hrs down to part time thats his choice surely.
Jack1960 wrote:I am 62 and have done over 40 years, all on delivery, ,bike and now HCT. I don't recognise the job as sometimes discribed on this forum.
When I started it was 6 days a week and 5.30 start. It's now at worst a 5 day week and in alot of offices a 9 day fortnight and in some a 4 day week. I have never enjoyed the job more than I do now. Yes the deliveries are longer as the indoor work is getting less and less but it is still manageable, it's a good wage for what we do and there is no doubt it keeps you fit.
I enjoy the laughs we have in the morning and it's also good to chat with the people on my round some of who are now good friends. Except for a dozen dog bites or so I have nothing but positive thoughts about the job.
If the whole business ran a nine day fortnight shift pattern, posties would last much longer. We used to have nine day fortnights till the Union aided our boss to do away with them and go on one in sixes. The contrast is like night and day. Nine dayers you felt like you were part time. Evidently they were being axed nationality, that's what we were told.....six years ago.
postslippete wrote:I'm sure there are a few posties who probably wouldn't mind dropping their hours down to part-time. I know of one or two posties who got quite a few grand for getting a 'buy down' and dropping their hours from full to part-time whilst I know of one senior full-time postie who just picked a part-time duty when it came up in the re-pick and got no compensation whatsoever.
Jack1960 wrote:I am 62 and have done over 40 years, all on delivery, ,bike and now HCT. I don't recognise the job as sometimes discribed on this forum.
When I started it was 6 days a week and 5.30 start. It's now at worst a 5 day week and in alot of offices a 9 day fortnight and in some a 4 day week. I have never enjoyed the job more than I do now. Yes the deliveries are longer as the indoor work is getting less and less but it is still manageable, it's a good wage for what we do and there is no doubt it keeps you fit.
I enjoy the laughs we have in the morning and it's also good to chat with the people on my round some of who are now good friends. Except for a dozen dog bites or so I have nothing but positive thoughts about the job.
You must have a decent,fair lino and Dom,I just wish mine had been.
Yes mine was was offered £21,000 but they but you on a high rate of tax ended up paying £7,000 in tax, mind u most employers don’t offer u anything when u drop from FT to PT, Just be on your guard if u are thinking of going doing this route they do not tell u, u will b paying the high rate of tax
Jack1960 wrote:I am 62 and have done over 40 years, all on delivery, ,bike and now HCT. I don't recognise the job as sometimes discribed on this forum.
When I started it was 6 days a week and 5.30 start. It's now at worst a 5 day week and in alot of offices a 9 day fortnight and in some a 4 day week. I have never enjoyed the job more than I do now. Yes the deliveries are longer as the indoor work is getting less and less but it is still manageable, it's a good wage for what we do and there is no doubt it keeps you fit.
I enjoy the laughs we have in the morning and it's also good to chat with the people on my round some of who are now good friends. Except for a dozen dog bites or so I have nothing but positive thoughts about the job.
You must have a decent,fair lino and Dom,I just wish mine had been.
The thing is managers are just that till they are lent on and believe you me they are lent on not a manager but seen them after the team meeting and they only care about themselves who would not when you have a gun to your head. Sorry if the truth hurts but these managers are looking for a wage and will castigate fellow workers who are often better them so they look good and save money for the money god their boss!
If you have got your own walk in a flat, pleasant area and your manager is reasonable and colleagues are pleasant.... then the job would be very nice to do.
If you are moved around a lot or have many inclines/steps on your walk, get pushed along by your duty partner because they want to do the job as fast as possible, got disorganised and unreasonable managers.... then the job isn't fun.
The general negatives for everyone is that the weather can be awful sometimes and you will be knackered and ache a lot.
It depends which way you have it. Maybe if you experience more of the pleasant side of things then you can make it through to your 60's.
norris9 wrote:If you have got your own walk in a flat, pleasant area and your manager is reasonable and colleagues are pleasant.... then the job would be very nice to do.
If you are moved around a lot or have many inclines/steps on your walk, get pushed along by your duty partner because they want to do the job as fast as possible, got disorganised and unreasonable managers.... then the job isn't fun.
The general negatives for everyone is that the weather can be awful sometimes and you will be knackered and ache a lot.
It depends which way you have it. Maybe if you experience more of the pleasant side of things then you can make it through to your 60's.
And that depends upon not having duty spans increasing but as one person said to me where did all the old postmen go?
