Dejection after nearly 33 years

[PorkPie]

I came to Royal Mail after over 30 years in a corporate role with a large global organisation .. the latter part of that time was spent in senior management roles .. there are still many aspects of this job that I love .. but .. and it's a big but .. I find the management culture absolutely toxic .. when I say lack of man management skills I mean complete absence to the point of shambolic and laughable if it wasn't so serious .. someone made an earlier point about people being promoted above their skill level and it's spot on .. the people that have come from managerial backgrounds that have the capability to bring common sense and rationality to the managerial roles won't touch them with a barge pole .. it is completely unacceptable that DOM's feel unable to push back on their superiors when being instructed to implement ludicrously unrealistic budget cuts in the face of, for example, a massive programme of local housebuilding .. in all my years in senior roles I could not contemplate a situation where I felt unable to have a sensible debate over policy with my bosses .. the expectation that you'll take on board the demands without question and just shovel the s**t further down the line is anachronistic and unacceptable.

[Dorset Plodder]

I came to Royal Mail after over 30 years in a corporate role with a large global organisation .. the latter part of that time was spent in senior management roles .. there are still many aspects of this job that I love .. but .. and it's a big but .. I find the management culture absolutely toxic .. when I say lack of man management skills I mean complete absence to the point of shambolic and laughable if it wasn't so serious .. someone made an earlier point about people being promoted above their skill level and it's spot on .. the people that have come from managerial backgrounds that have the capability to bring common sense and rationality to the managerial roles won't touch them with a barge pole .. it is completely unacceptable that DOM's feel unable to push back on their superiors when being instructed to implement ludicrously unrealistic budget cuts in the face of, for example, a massive programme of local housebuilding .. in all my years in senior roles I could not contemplate a situation where I felt unable to have a sensible debate over policy with my bosses .. the expectation that you'll take on board the demands without question and just shovel the s**t further down the line is anachronistic and unacceptable.

Well said PorkPie. I've noticed in this Business that, for many reasons, we have a lot of people that are very qualified (such as yourself) in many disciplines. As you mentioned the shortfalls of RM Management are glaringly obvious, and it's amusing to watch some Failed Postman trying to convince a Postman that used to manage for example a large workshop that his way is the most efficient .... acccompanied by a lot of the usual RM Management BS.

Now you know why the few decent Managers that we do have just give in and hand in their notice. They just get fed up of pissing in the wind!

[Cucumber]

For me, the mental and emotional issues this job can cause has become my biggest cross to bear. That’s on top of the physicality that being out 5-6 hours a day brings.
It’s soul destroying having the same arguments over and over again about issues that plague our office and many others.

[Chelseablue]

Both of our offices have a huge amount of new builds being built or built and they still want to cut the hours etc etc . The desperate need to put revisions in just smacks of greed .

[nightcrawler]

I have complete sympathy for the OP. I’ve done 30 years and am on the brink of leaving. Several things have brought me to this point...the last 18 months with the pandemic have been very stressful, internal office politics, a union (in our office at least) that almost always side with management, certain “colleagues” that I consider toxic, poor management, coming back from a rest day to find your walk(s) didn’t go out and you now have 2 days post (what other job can you have a rest day and find all the work is still there for you when you return?) ...I could go on and on. Basically my mental health is suffering and I think it’s nearly time to call it a day as a postie. Still, 30 years pension is something to look forward to.

[Cedar_Room]

I have complete sympathy for the OP. I’ve done 30 years and am on the brink of leaving. Several things have brought me to this point...the last 18 months with the pandemic have been very stressful, internal office politics, a union (in our office at least) that almost always side with management, certain “colleagues” that I consider toxic, poor management, coming back from a rest day to find your walk(s) didn’t go out and you now have 2 days post (what other job can you have a rest day and find all the work is still there for you when you return?) ...I could go on and on. Basically my mental health is suffering and I think it’s nearly time to call it a day as a postie. Still, 30 years pension is something to look forward to.

Can relate to a lot of this,especially the bit about toxic colleagues,but surely if you return to work after your day off to a full frame ,you stream the Mail & packets & cut off accordingly,or complete & claim docket?!

Management can say what the hell they like WE HAVE A FINISH TIME & as long as you aren’t parked up in the van for an hour,taking the rise,there’s not a damn thing they can do!

In situations such as this,surely the PDA actuals are our friend?

[Cucumber]

I have complete sympathy for the OP. I’ve done 30 years and am on the brink of leaving. Several things have brought me to this point...the last 18 months with the pandemic have been very stressful, internal office politics, a union (in our office at least) that almost always side with management, certain “colleagues” that I consider toxic, poor management, coming back from a rest day to find your walk(s) didn’t go out and you now have 2 days post (what other job can you have a rest day and find all the work is still there for you when you return?) ...I could go on and on. Basically my mental health is suffering and I think it’s nearly time to call it a day as a postie. Still, 30 years pension is something to look forward to.

Can relate to a lot of this,especially the bit about toxic colleagues,but surely if you return to work after your day off to a full frame ,you stream the Mail & packets & cut off accordingly,or complete & claim docket?!

Management can say what the hell they like WE HAVE A FINISH TIME & as long as you aren’t parked up in the van for an hour,taking the rise,there’s not a damn thing they can do!

In situations such as this,surely the PDA actuals are our friend?

regardless of whether you cut off or extend on the day after you are off, the very fact that many of us come back in after day/weekend off to 1, 2 or sometimes 3 days mail shows the contempt for the duty holder and the office in general. The union should be all over these practices, especially when most of them have nothing to do with covid.

[Cedar_Room]

I have complete sympathy for the OP. I’ve done 30 years and am on the brink of leaving. Several things have brought me to this point...the last 18 months with the pandemic have been very stressful, internal office politics, a union (in our office at least) that almost always side with management, certain “colleagues” that I consider toxic, poor management, coming back from a rest day to find your walk(s) didn’t go out and you now have 2 days post (what other job can you have a rest day and find all the work is still there for you when you return?) ...I could go on and on. Basically my mental health is suffering and I think it’s nearly time to call it a day as a postie. Still, 30 years pension is something to look forward to.

Can relate to a lot of this,especially the bit about toxic colleagues,but surely if you return to work after your day off to a full frame ,you stream the Mail & packets & cut off accordingly,or complete & claim docket?!

Management can say what the hell they like WE HAVE A FINISH TIME & as long as you aren’t parked up in the van for an hour,taking the rise,there’s not a damn thing they can do!

In situations such as this,surely the PDA actuals are our friend?

regardless of whether you cut off or extend on the day after you are off, the very fact that many of us come back in after day/weekend off to 1, 2 or sometimes 3 days mail shows the contempt for the duty holder and the office in general. The union should be all over these practices, especially when most of them have nothing to do with covid.

If you’re short staffed what can be done? Twenty people off at my DO at the moment,a mixture of Covid,normal sickness & annual leave.

I was moved onto a duty I wasn’t really familiar with & paired up with a bod from a neighbouring office. One of the duties had two days Mail so we concentrated on tracked + the walk with the double Mail,leaving all normal packets & and two rows on the duty with single mail. Finished almost bang on time & the PDA will back me up that I worked steadily throughout. Put me on a walk with 18 days Mail if you like,I’m finishing at 15.00…

[Chelseablue]

And things were meant to be better ,, union ?

[Cucumber]

I have complete sympathy for the OP. I’ve done 30 years and am on the brink of leaving. Several things have brought me to this point...the last 18 months with the pandemic have been very stressful, internal office politics, a union (in our office at least) that almost always side with management, certain “colleagues” that I consider toxic, poor management, coming back from a rest day to find your walk(s) didn’t go out and you now have 2 days post (what other job can you have a rest day and find all the work is still there for you when you return?) ...I could go on and on. Basically my mental health is suffering and I think it’s nearly time to call it a day as a postie. Still, 30 years pension is something to look forward to.

Can relate to a lot of this,especially the bit about toxic colleagues,but surely if you return to work after your day off to a full frame ,you stream the Mail & packets & cut off accordingly,or complete & claim docket?!

Management can say what the hell they like WE HAVE A FINISH TIME & as long as you aren’t parked up in the van for an hour,taking the rise,there’s not a damn thing they can do!

In situations such as this,surely the PDA actuals are our friend?

regardless of whether you cut off or extend on the day after you are off, the very fact that many of us come back in after day/weekend off to 1, 2 or sometimes 3 days mail shows the contempt for the duty holder and the office in general. The union should be all over these practices, especially when most of them have nothing to do with covid.

If you’re short staffed what can be done? Twenty people off at my DO at the moment,a mixture of Covid,normal sickness & annual leave.

I was moved onto a duty I wasn’t really familiar with & paired up with a bod from a neighbouring office. One of the duties had two days Mail so we concentrated on tracked + the walk with the double Mail,leaving all normal packets & and two rows on the duty with single mail. Finished almost bang on time & the PDA will back me up that I worked steadily throughout. Put me on a walk with 18 days Mail if you like,I’m finishing at 15.00…

We are running permanently short staffed even before sick/isolating etc. Anyone who leaves isn’t being replaced

[Schiff]

I came to Royal Mail after over 30 years in a corporate role with a large global organisation .. the latter part of that time was spent in senior management roles .. there are still many aspects of this job that I love .. but .. and it's a big but .. I find the management culture absolutely toxic .. when I say lack of man management skills I mean complete absence to the point of shambolic and laughable if it wasn't so serious .. someone made an earlier point about people being promoted above their skill level and it's spot on .. the people that have come from managerial backgrounds that have the capability to bring common sense and rationality to the managerial roles won't touch them with a barge pole .. it is completely unacceptable that DOM's feel unable to push back on their superiors when being instructed to implement ludicrously unrealistic budget cuts in the face of, for example, a massive programme of local housebuilding .. in all my years in senior roles I could not contemplate a situation where I felt unable to have a sensible debate over policy with my bosses .. the expectation that you'll take on board the demands without question and just shovel the s**t further down the line is anachronistic and unacceptable.

This^^^^

I came to RM following a redundancy where I had managed at a senior level. Financially I could get by without working, but a basic part-time job would pay for additional holidays. When I started I half considered trying to move internally into management for a better salary. I quickly changed my mind after seeing that RM's management structure and command/control processes were firmly stuck in the mid 20th century with little room for decent "managers" to actually do any f'ing management.

[blacov]

@schiff

This is why I only briefly considered a management role as this is just constant stress and pissing in the wind. I realised often you are alone as your superiors won't help with unrealistic targets and this means you can get your team behind you as you have no budget to pay for necessary overtime and your resources are often severely limited.

This is why it is better to carry on as a postie less headache and if you are lucky and have o/t opportunity. You are willing to put in the hours you can easily be on the same money as in a management role.

[Woody Guthrie]

If you’re short staffed what can be done?

Pro-actively?
Take social distancing guidelines seriously that way if one goes off you don't end up with half the office pinged.
Staff up to full levels.

Reactively?
Pay a decent overtime rate even temporarily during covid, lots of the larger companies struggling with staffing have.
Bring in casuals.
Stop the ridiculous and self defeating penny pinching.

Manage FFS.

[Cedar_Room]

If you’re short staffed what can be done?

Pro-actively?
Take social distancing guidelines seriously that way if one goes off you don't end up with half the office pinged.
Staff up to full levels.

Reactively?
Pay a decent overtime rate even temporarily during covid, lots of the larger companies struggling with staffing have.
Bring in casuals.
Stop the ridiculous and self defeating penny pinching.

Manage FFS.

Which would be great. If you were a manager. But you ain’t. And I ain’t. So,you do what you can do,then go home!

[postslippete]

We are running permanently short staffed even before sick/isolating etc. Anyone who leaves isn’t being replaced

Covid has given managers the green light for allowing walks to fail. No one can deny that half a dozen posties ringing in sick Monday morning would be difficult to cover. But that often isn't the case. We have started lapsing duties and we all know its win-win for Royal Mail if they get it covered. It means that there is less staff doing more work plus they don't have to pay anyone any extra to come in and work their day off. Ka-ching!!

But what happens when the proposed lapsed duties don't go out?? Then this is the result NOT of staff sickness but deliberate management practices leaving walks in frames. And to me I would be like "Why hasn't this been covered?". If I were to continually fail to scan Tracked packets every day then I would be hauled in to the managers office and questions would be asked. Well, why aren't questions being asked of managers who continue to fail to meet USO targets??