Younger female posties getting treated differently

Post by **postiewhite** » 16 Feb 2020, 15:27

I recently transferred to a new office in November with 6 years seniority with expectations of being a reserve until an opening comes along to maybe get a duty. In our office there is 20% of our staff which are females in their 20s that all seem to have duties. In the last 8 weeks there have been 4 new starters (2 male and 2 female). The 2 men with me have been pushed from pillow to post with no set days off and the 2 females have been covering duties long term since they started.
To me I feel discriminated because I feel I shouldve had first dabs on covering a duty over a new starter. I know the rule of thumb is to keep a new starter on a set duty for a bit but I know the duty she is covering is a vacent duty and will more than likely stay on it. Is there anything I can do about this without stirring up too much trouble. I want to keep an eye on situations.
I spoke to a fellow postie about my concerns and he admitted the younger female staff dont seem to get messed around.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 16 Feb 2020, 15:37

Happens in our office, certain newbies end up on the same duty for months on end where as others get chucked from pillar to post. Rather than gender, tends to depend on how good they think you are to be honest. If they think you're useless you'll end up on the same duty to prevent them from quitting. You're a reserve; just gonna have to deal with it I'm afraid. Seniority doesn't come into it unless you're signing for a job.

yubin282 · Post by **yubin282** » 16 Feb 2020, 15:40

postiewhite wrote:I recently transferred to a new office in November with 6 years seniority with expectations of being a reserve until an opening comes along to maybe get a duty. In our office there is 20% of our staff which are females in their 20s that all seem to have duties. In the last 8 weeks there have been 4 new starters (2 male and 2 female). The 2 men with me have been pushed from pillow to post with no set days off and the 2 females have been covering duties long term since they started.
To me I feel discriminated because I feel I shouldve had first dabs on covering a duty over a new starter. I know the rule of thumb is to keep a new starter on a set duty for a bit but I know the duty she is covering is a vacent duty and will more than likely stay on it. Is there anything I can do about this without stirring up too much trouble. I want to keep an eye on situations.
I spoke to a fellow postie about my concerns and he admitted the younger female staff dont seem to get messed around.

So its not just my office where this happens

Post by **postiewhite** » 16 Feb 2020, 15:54

Seymour Buts wrote:Happens in our office, certain newbies end up on the same duty for months on end where as others get chucked from pillar to post. Rather than gender, tends to depend on how good they think you are to be honest. If they think you're useless you'll end up on the same duty to prevent them from quitting. You're a reserve; just gonna have to deal with it I'm afraid. Seniority doesn't come into it unless you're signing for a job.

Seems a bit defeating just accepting things when a new starter gets a regular day off and someone who started in that office before that person doesnt know their day off til the friday before with a rare saturday off?.
Surely RM managers are supposed to be fair and although many are not then can I not remind them or at least speak to my rep so he can point it out?

Hitcher · Post by **Hitcher** » 16 Feb 2020, 16:01

Until the duties go up for a resign there's nothing you can do.

Seymour Buts · Post by **Seymour Buts** » 16 Feb 2020, 16:13

postiewhite wrote:
Seymour Buts wrote:Happens in our office, certain newbies end up on the same duty for months on end where as others get chucked from pillar to post. Rather than gender, tends to depend on how good they think you are to be honest. If they think you're useless you'll end up on the same duty to prevent them from quitting. You're a reserve; just gonna have to deal with it I'm afraid. Seniority doesn't come into it unless you're signing for a job.
Seems a bit defeating just accepting things when a new starter gets a regular day off and someone who started in that office before that person doesnt know their day off til the friday before with a rare saturday off?.
Surely RM managers are supposed to be fair and although many are not then can I not remind them or at least speak to my rep so he can point it out?

You're entitled to as many Saturdays per year as any duty holder, about 12 if you're a one in four office. Not in any pattern but over the year. That's it I'm afraid and the only thing your rep will say, I reckon.

masterblaster · Post by **masterblaster** » 16 Feb 2020, 17:06

Didn't you know? The better you are at the job the more crap you get to do.

Bobby39 · Post by **Bobby39** » 16 Feb 2020, 17:08

Happens in our office too. Essentially the better you are at the job the more you get moved around. Manager knows the slower ones couldn't cope on the normal to longer rounds so they stay on the cushty ones taking 5 hours to do a 3.5 hour duty. Usually end up getting d2d's thrown in too plus help throwing mail off if there required to sort.
Being a postie is the only job where you're penalised for being good at your job. The more inefficient and lazy you are means more help and an easier life

Bobby39 · Post by **Bobby39** » 16 Feb 2020, 17:09

masterblaster wrote:Didn't you know? The better you are at the job the more crap you get to do.

Nail on head

Post by **postiewhite** » 16 Feb 2020, 17:37

Fair enough. Im good at my job but im starting to clamp down on finish times. I shall start making a point that I need to be gone for 2.45pm at the latest. That way they may feel more reluctant to mess me around. Im well within my rights to work to my time and come in on part time hrs which is what I prefer. I guess as long as im in my car everyday at 2.45 then it probably won't matter what duty im on.

ted_e_bear · Post by **ted_e_bear** » 16 Feb 2020, 18:30

So if a duty has been covered long term is that because it's vacant or long term sick, if it's vacant what about getting on to the rep to get it advertised.

Jeppol · Post by **Jeppol** » 16 Feb 2020, 19:48

Bobby39 wrote:Happens in our office too. Essentially the better you are at the job the more you get moved around. Manager knows the slower ones couldn't cope on the normal to longer rounds so they stay on the cushty ones taking 5 hours to do a 3.5 hour duty. Usually end up getting d2d's thrown in too plus help throwing mail off if there required to sort.
Being a postie is the only job where you're penalised for being good at your job. The more inefficient and lazy you are means more help and an easier life

You are so correct, that's exactly how I see it, inefficiency is rewarded whereas efficiency is penalised.

twoloops · Post by **twoloops** » 16 Feb 2020, 20:16

I usually get new starters paired up with me, taking to them I have found out women have to wait longer to get their full kit than blokes?

LaggyBand · Post by **LaggyBand** » 16 Feb 2020, 21:55

In my area the better a reserve you are the more you get moved.
I know I’m repeating the above but I like to lay thick how backwards RM is.

Superdude · Post by **Superdude** » 17 Feb 2020, 00:04

When you start a post with “I recently transferred to a new office in November with 6 years seniority...”, you know the rest is going to be an embellished rant.
All I read was “Seniority, females, seniority, 20s, seniority, duties, seniority, new starters, seniority, pillow to post, seniority, discriminated, seniority, first dabs, seniority, rule of thumb, seniority, fellow postie, seniority, admitted.”
Shame on you if you back s**t like this up.