Posties - how do you feel about your job?

Interested-seeker · Post by **Interested-seeker** » 18 Dec 2019, 21:45

Crap day today. Knackered and my face aches.

daveyeff · Post by **daveyeff** » 19 Dec 2019, 16:19

yeah...and my teeth itch.

goldy · Post by **goldy** » 19 Dec 2019, 20:20

Not a good time to ask this question I have never seen mail level as high as this combined with a high level of grievanceplus all the election work, it has to be one of the worst periods ever in my many years.

ssdd · Post by **ssdd** » 19 Dec 2019, 20:51

This about sums it up for me at the moment:

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 26 Dec 2019, 17:35

The working culture within DO's is beyond a joke. Management and colleagues. If any modern professional was to stumble in to a DO they would think they had gone back to the 70's. I like a joke and a bit of "Banter" but the "banter" in our office goes beyond what should be acceptable. People sounding off about issues they are having but clearly aiming it at certain colleagues, Daily ribbing of individuals that is borderline bullying, Racist, Homophobic, Sexist and foul language that goes unchallenged by management and if you were to take it up with management you would be branded a "Snake". If you challenge their behaviour personally you yourself run the risk of bullying and harassment. Catch 22. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.

The system in place naturally puts colleagues at odds with each other. Un even duties throughout the office. Floats against duty holders. Driver against walker. Posties against management. People starting early against those that don't. The slow against the fast partner. The lazy against the hard working partner. The Ad hoc nature in which offices are run means there is no consistency but a manager will then compare you against someone else as if there was.

There is absolutely no appreciation of how hard we work but if you dare not complete you are enemy number one. You could build as much good will, go over a bit, give a bit more and then the second you say sorry, cant complete, all that hard work is for nothing. So it leaves you with a "What's the point" mentality.

The job itself is becoming exhausting and they are forever adding more.

I feel trapped in a company that is slowly sucking the life out of me. It has provided me with no chance to progress, No transferable skills with nowhere to go. I don't have any meaningful qualifications as I joined when I was 20, Loved it, Great pay and hours for what it was but now i'm 33 I just feel like I'm looking down the barrel of a gun for then next 35 years! I have a family and a Mortgage. I have no choice than just accept the unacceptable!

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 26 Dec 2019, 18:10

Ren Hoëk wrote:
I feel trapped in a company that is slowly sucking the life out of me. It has provided me with no chance to progress, No transferable skills with nowhere to go. I don't have any meaningful qualifications as I joined when I was 20, Loved it, Great pay and hours for what it was but now i'm 33 I just feel like I'm looking down the barrel of a gun for then next 35 years! I have a family and a Mortgage. I have no choice than just accept the unacceptable!

I share your view of the Delivery Office Culture RH. What you need is an Exit Strategy

You've said it yourself .... you've got another 35 years to push ... that's a long time. You need to look at something alternative if it's getting you down so much. Try getting some relevant qualifications, perhaps Evening Classes, or Open University, and start thinking about applying for other jobs. It's always easier to get a job ... IF you've got a job ... The pressure's off you. Get Interviews for your day off.

I've probably got about another 8-9 years in this job so I'll just stick it out, but you've got a whole different career you could be getting in to. I know what you mean about the Culture within the DO, I just put my headsets on ... zone out listening to music, or audio books ... and let the rest just go and swivel.

I consider myself self-confident, and quite capable of dealing with the Office Gobshites ... although I must admit to adding to the Foul Language... because anyone that trys to play their silly little Bullying Games normally gets told to "Move Away in Short Jerky Movements"

I hope you get things sorted RH. Unfortunately things can get worse with the onset of Depression & Anxiety. This jobs not worth your Mental Health Mate!

Ren Hoëk · Post by **Ren Hoëk** » 26 Dec 2019, 18:31

What you need is an Exit Strategy

You are not wrong Plodder! Im hopping to bump by GCSE math's up to above a C. It's the only core GCSE I didn't achieve C or higher but now it looks like those classes wont start until next September FFS when I was told this Jan. Im keen to sort the maths out as it excludes one from allot of opportunities from the get go. The problem is, Then what?! I feel institutionalised!

Im a fairly confident person and have no qualms in telling people to do one. I stand for no ones s**t. The problem is it makes me seem confrontational and that is not the person I want to be but inaction from management forces it! Frustrating to say the least.

compostcorner · Post by **compostcorner** » 26 Dec 2019, 22:46

well i must be in a different job to most of you, i still love being a postman, i feel like a member of the community, people are always happy to see me, our delivery office is generally a happy place, everyone gets on with one another, its well managed and our boss is approachable if you have a problem, christmasis are nowhere near as bad as what they were back in the day, even with the election stuff we just cruised through it, we had a couple of really heavy days but nothing to serious, but my 39 years is coming to an end in february when i retire at 60, i still love the job but physically i struggle, so i will be sad to go, but life goes on. and i actually think that now is a good time to become a postman, because new posties wont know what its been like in the past, us oldies have had to adjust from finishing at 11.30am to finishing at 14.30pm, new posties will grasp all the new technology better than us, so good luck to them.

Dorset Plodder · Post by **Dorset Plodder** » 27 Dec 2019, 14:37

compostcorner wrote:well i must be in a different job to most of you, .

That's no surprise CC. There's over a 1000 Delivery Offices all around the country ...... The Law of Averages says there's got to be a few Good Ones out there!

TBH mine's not that bad, spoilt by a few Gobshites that think they're Managers. And we had a pretty Steady Christmas overall (I think that was probably down to us having some Agency Workers to take some of the Load), I can think of Worse one in the past.

postslippete · Post by **postslippete** » 27 Dec 2019, 21:21

Ren Hoëk wrote: There is absolutely no appreciation of how hard we work but if you dare not complete you are enemy number one. You could build as much good will, go over a bit, give a bit more and then the second you say sorry, cant complete, all that hard work is for nothing. So it leaves you with a "What's the point" mentality.

The job itself is becoming exhausting and they are forever adding more.

And its down to bad management. The first point you made about some duties being easier than others is true. I've seen some duties get an additional 300 calls on it because of new housing developments and managers still expect that postie to complete the round in the same time as other duties. This has been going on since the last revision done years ago and its why I'm not too optimistic about Royal Mails use of PDA actuals.

The point you made above is also another symptom of ineffective management. I don't leave loops everyday but why do managers take the p*ss when they know its a busy day and you've got a guy to work with who's never done the round and yet they expect you to be able to finish on time?? Personally, if a manager is in charge of a section or office, then they should start by taking responsibility for it - even if it means delivering the loop themselves if they are stuck.

norris9 · Post by **norris9** » 28 Dec 2019, 07:48

postslippete wrote:Personally, if a manager is in charge of a section or office, then they should start by taking responsibility for it - even if it means delivering the loop themselves if they are stuck.

What do managers do once all posties are out the office delivering?

Are they snowed under day to day with other things to do?

Post by **Brandy** » 28 Dec 2019, 16:21

norris9 wrote:
postslippete wrote:Personally, if a manager is in charge of a section or office, then they should start by taking responsibility for it - even if it means delivering the loop themselves if they are stuck.
What do managers do once all posties are out the office delivering?

Are they snowed under day to day with other things to do?

Not a lot

ssdd · Post by **ssdd** » 28 Dec 2019, 16:31

norris9 wrote: What do managers do once all posties are out the office delivering?

Put the kettle on.

norris9 wrote:Are they snowed under day to day with other things to do?

Yes. Checking personal emails, Youtube, Facebook etc

NWpostie · Post by **NWpostie** » 28 Dec 2019, 20:17

30+ years in the job, I used to be fairly enthusiastic about the job, later on after having knock backs on progressing in the job as I'm not in the clique, I just turn up do the minimum amount of work, then I'm gone and I'm just here for the paycheck.

Marshamp11 · Post by **Marshamp11** » 30 Dec 2019, 09:20

norris9 wrote:
postslippete wrote:Personally, if a manager is in charge of a section or office, then they should start by taking responsibility for it - even if it means delivering the loop themselves if they are stuck.
What do managers do once all posties are out the office delivering?

Are they snowed under day to day with other things to do?

Not a lot. But I suspect that upper management already know this and could possibly cut their numbers or potentially make some part time when the changes happen. They are not as untouchable as they may like to think.