Is your office a complete shambles?

[fb1969]

I did think that our office was a complete and utter shambles, but then I go in the next day and its even more complete. Every day we are told to fail mail and get the packets done, but the DOM cannot understand why duties are not being completed!

[postslippete]

Failing mail and non-tracked parcels seems to be the standard at the moment. Royal Mail are blaming covid and whilst there are a few on sick,it's also a rather convenient excuse to not pay overtime or get extra staff in.

We have extra manpower and staff regularly going over and still not clearing!! That's when you know the operations screwed

[HTPostman]

Again I just don’t get the plan.

Round 1 only 50% has gone
Round 2 30% has gone
Round 3 60% has gone
Round 4 50%

And so on.

Instead of 1 man trying to do as much as possible on a double round, and then next frame along same scenario, have them both (in separate vans) clearing day 80/90% of round 1 on Monday, then move onto the adjacent round Tuesday and clearing most of it.

Surely it’s better clearing rounds together then just have 1 round which has fallen behind and which can be offered on OT (if it’s available)? It’s easier to find 3 posties wanting to fill their boots and clearing 1 round between them than it is to try and find people to finish off 4 park and loops (so 8 rounds in total) which could be spread out across 10, 15 or 20 miles.

I know we have start time, finish time and it’s not our responsibility to plan. It’s just infuriating seeing the complete lack of leadership while 1 guy is stupidly having to prep a double frame even though he knows with all the tracked he is unlikely to be able to do a single loop.

[HTPostman]

Coming from an office that clears 100% on a daily basis I am amazed at some of the comments I read on here .. yes, we all have gripes .. concerns .. frustrations .. at some of what we witness but the more I read the more I consider myself very fortunate to work where I do given the chaotic description of daily life in some offices that I've read about on here .. I make no apologies for loving my job .. there is nothing quite like clearing a fully loaded van and driving back into the yard empty with nothing returned ( that's rural rounds for you ) and I treat each day as a new challenge .. but even with my optimistic outlook I am concerned for what's heading our way over the next few weeks .. I strongly believe ( stating the bleeding obvious ) that we're about to be hit with a tidal wave of packets, the like of which we've never seen before and I'm far from convinced we're ready in terms of staffing levels and van capacity .. the fact that I've already been told "we can supply you with a head torch" does not bode well, does it ? .. and if I'm concerned about our office capability I wouldn't know where to start to offer words of comfort to some of the posters on here

I too work in an office that clears 100% all the time....or did until April.
Yesterday was the actually the busiest day i've ever seen, i did not deliver a single letter spent the whole day delivering oversized and tracked parcels but sill left 4 packet bags of non tracked items.
Theres other guys who had even more than me.

Busiest I've ever seen too yesterday. Not even black Friday yet. Only way to cope I reckon will be either packet drivers or mail going out alternate days.

There’s some rounds here where you’re getting 250+ tracked - taking into account some (50 ish or 1 in 5) are small enough to go through the letterbox, that leaves 200 plus specials...and I believe the accepted rate is 20-25 an hour. So 8 hours work minimum just on tracked parcels!

There’s plenty here willing to work extra and plenty available to be packet relief. But just not enough of us to have both. For example you take Joe Bloggs off his round to clear 300 parcels on packet relief each day, that’s great because it eases the pressure on the 10 rounds he’s taking parcels for. But then his own round needs covering and there’s no one to do it.

[Post_Alone]

clocking in and out doesn't seem a bad idea as it was first thought as there are still early finishes. Good luck all them arguing that they don't have enough time to complete when they are back early day in and day out, and PDA average come into play. How is the union expected to defend an increased workload.

[citypostie]

PDA actual's will kick in ( properly) and hopefully clocking in and out soon ... and all the people that are costing the company free money will be out the door based on performance. Good luck all them arguing that they don't have enough time to complete when they are back early day in and day out. How can the union defend an increased workload? Can't expect an increase in pay for the same amount of work and finishing early. What other company on this planet does that? Name one

If anyone is finishing early at the minute they must have a very easy duty! Duties that in normal times can make an hour in my office are easily going over by an hour or more a day at the moment. The duties that are considered about right in normal times are 2 hours or more over every day. If people decide they've had enough and only work their hours it will be carnage over the next weeks

[Post_Alone]

They do have very easy duties. There is still enough people to mop up overtime plus agency staff will be coming in soon. It won't fall apart. All offices are different though.

[HTPostman]

If people decide they've had enough and only work their hours it will be carnage over the next weeks

I’ve said it before, if we all decided to just work our hours be it 8 hours or 5 hours I bet a lot of issues such as holiday pay and unfair rotas (never getting a Saturday off) would be very quickly resolved

[wazer]

Our office has not completed since April. Don't help we've had 3 different Doms, 6 plus line managers. They come in trying to sort office out but are battered from above and give up. We had Area/district managers come in with new ideas try to implement, goes tits up and then there moved as well.Union rep not getting supported from his side. We got one floor manager who's been with us since the start, he's got too feel the same as rest of us. Up too 6 days mail, s**t loads of small non scanned parcels. Tracked first, followed by junk mail!!!!. Staff morale s**t, can't wait till Black Friday. On plus side 4 DAYS OFF OVER XMAS

[Marshamp11]

If people decide they've had enough and only work their hours it will be carnage over the next weeks

I’ve said it before, if we all decided to just work our hours be it 8 hours or 5 hours I bet a lot of issues such as holiday pay and unfair rotas (never getting a Saturday off) would be very quickly resolved

I have only worked my hours since the 1st lockdown. Why would I want to be out delivering longer than I have to. There is a virus out there after all.

[PorkPie]

It makes for alarming reading, don't you think ? .. and the overriding takeaway from all the posts on here is that we know it's going to get much, much worse in the coming weeks and we are not equipped to cope .. either in terms of manpower or van availability .. like everyone else I firmly believe we are about to be hit with a tidal wave of packets the like of which we have never seen before .. and Royal Mail's response ? .. bury their head in the sand and blame Covid for staff shortages .. I don't know about anyone else but I hate seeing the criticism that the media and much of the general public like to level at postmen when they have zero appreciation of what it's like to walk into the office in the morning and not be able to see your frame for the avalanche of oversize packets waiting for you .. seeing a fully loaded van is pretty daunting .. clearing a fully loaded van parcel by parcel, bag by bag is really satisfying .. but .. even though I have one of the larger vans for my sizeable rural round, it is definitely not going to be big enough over the next few weeks .. I hate to think people won't get their stuff in time because of our lack of planning .. and even with record levels of parcels you can guarantee at the next set of results the first line will still say "letters are down" .. makes my blood boil .. good job I love my job as much as I do