First week as Postman

[denhamhoop]

Work to your time do the best you can you do and if you have to cut off then so be it. Do not expect any help from management to them you are only a number they won't be at your hospital appointments when years of over loading your back and rushing round to finish on time have you visiting a specialist about your broken back/knee/hips they will be spending their money that you have earned for them

[TopperGas]

Hi I know this is a late reply to this post but I just came across it so I hope someone can reply and help me out too.
I’ve just finished me 3rd week at RM and I’m really STRUGGLING too!! I really want to get the hang of it and do it well but I’m getting so overwhelmed with my delivery.
I have to do a parcel run in the morning, which is always massive and I’m getting back late to start my normal round. I’m always finishing around 5-6pm and I’m exhausted.
I did my round for 4 days with a postie and now I’m on my own. It just seems to take me forever as it’s such a big round.
I’ve tried speaking to management and said I’m panicking and getting stressed by it but they keep saying “stop worrying, you’ll get it, take your time, you’re doing great” etc etc but I don’t feel great! I’m stressed as soon as I wake up and I walk in the office and see my York and think “oh my god”
I always feel on the back foot and constantly rushed as I don’t want to keep finishing at 6pm as it’s shattering.
What would you guys advise?
Thanks in advance.

I found a new round always seems "massive" for the the first few days then it seems to shrink! As far as the parcels are concerned as they all "Tracked" if not will your manager let you bring any of those back for the following day until you learn the area/speed up? As the others have said learn the bits of the walk which take you the most time to walk i.e. a house at the end of a long drive etc and bring those back. Also make sure everything is in order before you set off out on your delivery, as I've found saving 5 mins rushing in the DO can cost you 15 mins plus sorting things out whilst on the delivery.

Finally don''t work beyond your contracted hours or that'll be always expected of you.

[Route1]

Hi I know this is a late reply to this post but I just came across it so I hope someone can reply and help me out too.
I’ve just finished me 3rd week at RM and I’m really STRUGGLING too!! I really want to get the hang of it and do it well but I’m getting so overwhelmed with my delivery.
I have to do a parcel run in the morning, which is always massive and I’m getting back late to start my normal round. I’m always finishing around 5-6pm and I’m exhausted.
I did my round for 4 days with a postie and now I’m on my own. It just seems to take me forever as it’s such a big round.
I’ve tried speaking to management and said I’m panicking and getting stressed by it but they keep saying “stop worrying, you’ll get it, take your time, you’re doing great” etc etc but I don’t feel great! I’m stressed as soon as I wake up and I walk in the office and see my York and think “oh my god”
I always feel on the back foot and constantly rushed as I don’t want to keep finishing at 6pm as it’s shattering.
What would you guys advise?
Thanks in advance.

Its actually good advise from management (1) Stop worrying, (2) You'll Get it, (3) Take your time & (4) You're doing great.

Only bit of help that was neglected was (5) You can leave this bit cos you are fairly new so wont get it done in anywhere near the time the regular postie does it.

It took me 2 - 3 months to start completing duties on time when I started. At some point it just clicks and you become better.

(1) Seriously stop worrying. Speak to a manager to explain you want to complete the duty but its causing you stress & feeling knackered finishing so late. Ask about leaving a different loop or two in each day so it atleast gets mail every second day.

(2) It takes time to get it. It takes time to get to know the best way to route the parcel run etc. There is no fast fix.

(3) Rushing around doesnt always get you done faster. Just stresses you out more.

(4) You're are doing great, you just dont understand you're doing great. I've been out to 17:30 when our finish time was 13:00 when I started. Back then the delivery was only 3hr 30min long. Took 9hr to do a 5hr shift.

[yellowbelly]

...
I have to do a parcel run in the morning, which is always massive and I’m getting back late to start my normal round. I’m always finishing around 5-6pm and I’m exhausted.
...

When you say you 'have to do a parcel run' is that part of the duty you are on and you're going out first so that
there's less people in the office for social distancing? I would have thought that this part of the duty (if it
is part of the duty) would be the part that any reasonable manager would delegate to someone else while
you're getting up to speed.....

[hawkeye622]

Hi I know this is a late reply to this post but I just came across it so I hope someone can reply and help me out too.
I’ve just finished me 3rd week at RM and I’m really STRUGGLING too!! I really want to get the hang of it and do it well but I’m getting so overwhelmed with my delivery.
I have to do a parcel run in the morning, which is always massive and I’m getting back late to start my normal round. I’m always finishing around 5-6pm and I’m exhausted.
I did my round for 4 days with a postie and now I’m on my own. It just seems to take me forever as it’s such a big round.
I’ve tried speaking to management and said I’m panicking and getting stressed by it but they keep saying “stop worrying, you’ll get it, take your time, you’re doing great” etc etc but I don’t feel great! I’m stressed as soon as I wake up and I walk in the office and see my York and think “oh my god”
I always feel on the back foot and constantly rushed as I don’t want to keep finishing at 6pm as it’s shattering.
What would you guys advise?
Thanks in advance.

Keep at it!! It took me around 6 weeks before I felt like I was flowing with the workload. Like the post above mine mentions, just tell your manager you can't complete on time and leave whatever you think you need to leave. As you gradually get quicker, you will leave less work. Try not to sweat it, like my manager says to me, 'it's only letters and parcels at the end of the day'.

[LacyW84]

I do the parcel run at 9am because there’s so many on my route. So I go out at 9 ish, well once im all loaded up, then come back and fill up my van for the normal round with letters and a few smaller parcels. I’m not sure why I have to do this, I think it’s because there’s so many parcels for my area, it’s normally a full York of parcels and then another York of boxes of mail.
So I go and do that, then come back to the office and load up for the regular round.
I’ve spoken to management about some help so far I’ve only had a few people come and take a bit of my load off my when I’ve been getting really far behind. I look at everyone else’s York’s and they are always 3/4 full and I have 1 of parcels and one of Mail so it’s always taking me ages.
I’m meant to finish at 3 but I’ve so far never done this, I don’t mind working till 4:30-5ish but it’s been mostly 6pm finishes and I’m exhausted.
I just feel like management are trying to help by saying don’t worry etc but it’s not really helping me, what I need to someone to lighten the load a bit till I get quicker and more confident but so far this has no sign of happening.

[Grumpyoldmailman]

I do the parcel run at 9am because there’s so many on my route. So I go out at 9 ish, well once im all loaded up, then come back and fill up my van for the normal round with letters and a few smaller parcels. I’m not sure why I have to do this, I think it’s because there’s so many parcels for my area, it’s normally a full York of parcels and then another York of boxes of mail.
So I go and do that, then come back to the office and load up for the regular round.
I’ve spoken to management about some help so far I’ve only had a few people come and take a bit of my load off my when I’ve been getting really far behind. I look at everyone else’s York’s and they are always 3/4 full and I have 1 of parcels and one of Mail so it’s always taking me ages.
I’m meant to finish at 3 but I’ve so far never done this, I don’t mind working till 4:30-5ish but it’s been mostly 6pm finishes and I’m exhausted.
I just feel like management are trying to help by saying don’t worry etc but it’s not really helping me, what I need to someone to lighten the load a bit till I get quicker and more confident but so far this has no sign of happening.

It sounds like they have given u the round nobody else wants to touch. We have a couple like this in our office, mainly new builds and they get hammered with Amazon parcels. Is there no overtime kings who want abit of docket , they would do the oversize at ours. One suggestion I would make is that hopefully you mail and small parcels are prepped before you take the oversize out. Grab the mail and small packets for where your going with the large stuff to save yourself going there twice.

[TopperGas]

I do the parcel run at 9am because there’s so many on my route. So I go out at 9 ish, well once im all loaded up, then come back and fill up my van for the normal round with letters and a few smaller parcels. I’m not sure why I have to do this, I think it’s because there’s so many parcels for my area, it’s normally a full York of parcels and then another York of boxes of mail.
So I go and do that, then come back to the office and load up for the regular round.
I’ve spoken to management about some help so far I’ve only had a few people come and take a bit of my load off my when I’ve been getting really far behind. I look at everyone else’s York’s and they are always 3/4 full and I have 1 of parcels and one of Mail so it’s always taking me ages.
I’m meant to finish at 3 but I’ve so far never done this, I don’t mind working till 4:30-5ish but it’s been mostly 6pm finishes and I’m exhausted.
I just feel like management are trying to help by saying don’t worry etc but it’s not really helping me, what I need to someone to lighten the load a bit till I get quicker and more confident but so far this has no sign of happening.

That sounds a massive round, most in the DO's I've worked in are only ever 1 York full of letters/parcels at this time of the year, I'm not sure I've ever seen a York full of just letters! Are you claiming o/t for your additional hours, if not, there's no real incentive on the DOM to help you out?

Not sure what the other posties feel but personally I'd take any oversize with me in the one journey, otherwise, your duplicating your journey time/drops, unless the walk is just outside the DO? Whatever you do you need to leave some of the post on the frame as others have already suggested.

[LacyW84]

It’s one York of parcels and it’s about 3/4 full of letters.
As for the overtime, I’m filling out the overtime form when I finish. Im meant to work till 3 but I’m always finishing around 5-6 and writing down those hours on the form.
I don’t mind working till 5-6 but im exhausted and just wish someone would give me a hand till im a bit quicker so im not starting out the day in a massive panic. I have asked for this but so far im still doing the full round.

[yellowbelly]

It’s one York of parcels and it’s about 3/4 full of letters.
As for the overtime, I’m filling out the overtime form when I finish. Im meant to work till 3 but I’m always finishing around 5-6 and writing down those hours on the form.
I don’t mind working till 5-6 but im exhausted and just wish someone would give me a hand till im a bit quicker so im not starting out the day in a massive panic. I have asked for this but so far im still doing the full round.

If your request for help is falling on deaf ears the only way is to let your manager know before you go out on delivery
(normally about the point that you're starting to bundle up because by then you know what you've got to deliver. but as
a newbie you'll be better off raising it earlier) that you'll only be able to work your contracted hours because you need
to finish on time (manager does not need to know why!) and that you believe you won't be able to complete the full delivery.
There might be a pressured debate about why can't you do it and what can you take - calmly stick to your reasoning and let them sort it out.

Before you do this though you may need to clarify what your contracted hours are for the day e.g 6 hours and what the start and
finish times are for the duty you are covering. Reason is that if you want to work your contracted hours (6) but the duty times
are 0800 - 1500 the manager could say ok, you work your 6 hours on that duty from 0900 - 1500 and I'll make sure
an hours worth of prep on your frame is done (or in your situation) the early parcel run is done. This sounds good in theory
but over time the promise of the hours work being done falls by the wayside, or perhaps only an half an hours work is done
or the parcel run gets 'forgotten' because it's busy.

Are you in the union? If so have you asked the rep for assistance?

Also for the amount of time you're working are you taking a break and claiming all the break time you're entitled to?

[TopperGas]

It’s one York of parcels and it’s about 3/4 full of letters.
As for the overtime, I’m filling out the overtime form when I finish. Im meant to work till 3 but I’m always finishing around 5-6 and writing down those hours on the form.
I don’t mind working till 5-6 but im exhausted and just wish someone would give me a hand till im a bit quicker so im not starting out the day in a massive panic. I have asked for this but so far im still doing the full round.

Personally I don't think you'll ever cope with nearly 2 Yorks of work, not on a daily basis anyway, what are the other posties in the DO taking out with them who work a similar shift?

[LacyW84]

Yeah, I keep asking for help and saying I’m struggling with the work load but all I’m getting is “don’t worry, you’ll get it, you’ll get quicker” etc but that’s not helping me now.
The other guys York’s are always way less than mine and everyone’s admitted that no one likes the round that I’m on. They always have way less parcels and only half a van whereas I can’t see what’s what in mine as it’s so full.
I dread going in everyday and I feel stressed constantly about it.I’ve spoke to the rep in general about it but nothing official if that makes sense.
It’s making me not want to do the job and I feel like packing it in already! Which I don’t really want to do but I feel so out of my comfort zone and so overwhelmed daily. I wake up feeling sick thinking about it

[sfxdby]

As you are new, you have been given the very worst round. Don't think that what you are doing is comparable with the other rounds.
If you can do this one (yes, it's an initiation test,) the rest will be a piece of cake.
You have only been a postie for 3 weeks and what you are saying is not adding up. You don't want to do two rounds - one with packets and then again one with mail and small packets. Grumpy is saying take the mail so you don't go back to the same address twice but I would suggest getting it all into the van in one go.
I think at Xmas I might fit two yorks of parcels and one of mail into a van.
You just have to be organised. The parcels for the end of the round get buried at the back. You can stack them to the ceiling. You may well need a list of large packets which you keep in your pocket or on the dash. Write them down as you load them on the york.
You don't need to carry any heavy bags ... you have a van. Break it all up into little pieces. No, not that little - you'll get sick of getting in and out of the van!
Talk to the posties who cover this round. Ask them how they do it, where they start, where they finish, where they park up.

[guardianangel]

In our office the new guy has been put on the biggest round in the office,no help ,and been asked to stay out and complete everyday even thou he doesn't want too but being his 1st 2 weeks doesn't want to rock the boat,the depths managers go too to bully and harass people are unbelievable,can't see this culture ever changing.

[WASD]

Hi I know this is a late reply to this post but I just came across it so I hope someone can reply and help me out too.
I’ve just finished me 3rd week at RM and I’m really STRUGGLING too!! I really want to get the hang of it and do it well but I’m getting so overwhelmed with my delivery.
I have to do a parcel run in the morning, which is always massive and I’m getting back late to start my normal round. I’m always finishing around 5-6pm and I’m exhausted.
I did my round for 4 days with a postie and now I’m on my own. It just seems to take me forever as it’s such a big round.
I’ve tried speaking to management and said I’m panicking and getting stressed by it but they keep saying “stop worrying, you’ll get it, take your time, you’re doing great” etc etc but I don’t feel great! I’m stressed as soon as I wake up and I walk in the office and see my York and think “oh my god”
I always feel on the back foot and constantly rushed as I don’t want to keep finishing at 6pm as it’s shattering.
What would you guys advise?
Thanks in advance.

Welcome to RM. This is completely standard for many. Some get lucky with longer training, or have easy/easier rounds.

The reality is you either got to deal with it, or blag it by cutting corners and doing a bad job, or join the union and tell managers to F off and you're doing your hours, or find a new job.

The job gets easier to an extent. But it can have a negative impact on your joints where it just gets harder. It is also quieter than normal at the moment, a lot of parcels still, but xmas is worse.

This job is pretty garbage unless you get lucky. Waiting for things to change, or thinking hard work gets you any favours is a fool's game. Most new starters are hanging on by a thread at our place, me included.

I'd like to tell you otherwise, but being honest is really the only real help here.