Hellish 2nd week

[ronaldinho0097]

Hey all.

So I've been working for RM for two weeks now. For the past three days I've been on my own duty which, as pointed out by my other colleagues, is the worst duty in the office for the sheer amount of houses and time it takes to get through it.

When I was with my training partner I was genuinely in love with the job. He was very helpful and showed me the route pretty well, proper nice chap. Now as I'm alone I'm in a constant mental battle just to get through the day and feel massive pressure to get things done. I get home and can't even relax!

The guy I started with has already left. Since June 9/10 new starts have gone. At the beginning I couldn't understand why as I was enjoying it so much but now I completely get it.

I'm on a 20 hr contract yet this week I've worked nearly 42hrs.

I get in at half 8, get my prep done by quarter to 10 and out I go. Every day I seem to have a mountain of mail that seems like an impossible task. Having talked to the management all they tell me is to 'stick with it', 'it'll get easier' etc etc. Which I guess is true, but for the time being I can't be breaking my balls, skipping my breaks to finish at 6pm. At that point I have cleared the entire round but I hate working that late in order to get things finished, that is not what I was told in the interview nor the job description!!

Today the office closed at 4 so I had to make sure I was back before then. I managed to get 90% of my parcels delivered but I had stacks of letters that didn't get delivered. No doubt I'll get a bollocking for taking back tracked mail too but what can I do? Slave away until I am but a husk? Is it because I am pleasant and well mannered that management think they can put me on a nightmare of a round and just expect me to get on with it without saying a word?

I have 2 days off now. I need to recharge, my body is really feeling it. (nearly got heat stroke today)

What will happen if I continue to bring back mail that hasn't been delivered? (especially tracked mail) I don't want to be out until 6 anymore and I don't care what anyone says. How they can expect a newbie like me to complete the full round is absolutely mental!!

I do want to give this a good chance but if I continue working the long days as I have been doing I'm going to end up walking out which will be fine by me but I don't want it to get to that point.

Any advice is appreciated.

[ssdd]

Hi ron, first off if you're delivering from say 10am to 6pm on one duty this is not a normal or even acceptable level of mail. Even for a new start. I understand that some offices are struggling for one reason or another.

Is 20 hours enough for you, or do you want/need some overtime?

You should really negotiate with the manager before you leave if you think you'll have to bring back mail. And of course, tracked items are a priority nowadays, more so than first class mail it would appear, so these really should be done on the day.

Depending on how much overtime you want, I would discuss with the manager which items to leave before you start delivery. Don't feel pressured into taking it all!

And, it will get easier. It'll take a few months for your body to adapt and for you to get a sense and feel for how long a certain amount of mail will take to deliver.

Oh, and don't skip your breaks, especially if you're working those hours. Your body and mind will thank you.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your time off...

[TopperGas]

Any if experienced posties complete the round in time? If they do then it is a case of your getting up to speed, in the meantime you need to speak to your DM and explain your concerns to him, do they want you to complete most of the round but leave some Tracked not delivered or would they sooner you delivered all the Tracked but then left more mail outstanding?

Just decide how many hours you want to work a day/week and stick to that amount, regardless if mail is left undelivered when you finish.

[ronaldinho0097]

Hi ron, first off if you're delivering from say 10am to 6pm on one duty this is not a normal or even acceptable level of mail. Even for a new start. I understand that some offices are struggling for one reason or another.

Is 20 hours enough for you, or do you want/need some overtime?

You should really negotiate with the manager before you leave if you think you'll have to bring back mail. And of course, tracked items are a priority nowadays, more so than first class mail it would appear, so these really should be done on the day.

Depending on how much overtime you want, I would discuss with the manager which items to leave before you start delivery. Don't feel pressured into taking it all!

And, it will get easier. It'll take a few months for your body to adapt and for you to get a sense and feel for how long a certain amount of mail will take to deliver.

Oh, and don't skip your breaks, especially if you're working those hours. Your body and mind will thank you.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your time off...

Thanks for the reply!

Today was the only day that I brought back tracked mail as I had to be in for half 3 due to the office closing so there was no choice but for me to bring it back.

My duty has 860 drops, some days are just too much to cope with. I understand the whole thing about not bringing back tracked mail but I don't see a way around it rather than working to 6-6.30, which is killing me and I don't want to do it any more. It seems like some pressure should be taken off at least so I can perfect half the duty. The places I deliver to are very complicated sometimes, its not straightforward.

In regards to the OT, I don't mind just working my contracted hours but I'd be happy with working up to 30. I run a small but passionate business from home which I want to continue working on while working at RM, but this seems impossible!!

Also, if I do want reduced OT hours, how will that work because my duty is the longest in the office. Even if I was to get finished on my duty scheduled finished time (around 4.30) I'd still be way over my hours. Would they send me to another duty or get me to take half of my current duty? I'm not sure how any of this works. Sorry for all the questions!

[ronaldinho0097]

Any if experienced posties complete the round in time? If they do then it is a case of your getting up to speed, in the meantime you need to speak to your DM and explain your concerns to him, do they want you to complete most of the round but leave some Tracked not delivered or would they sooner you delivered all the Tracked but then left more mail outstanding?

Just decide how many hours you want to work a day/week and stick to that amount, regardless if mail is left undelivered when you finish.

I know that my late finish time could be attributed to my newbie pace, but I am power walking all day and working my socks off! I know how I can improve but I think it'll take a while to get there. In that time of I keep working these long hours I will burn out and leave. My trainer said that when he was up to speed with that round he was getting done by 4.

The way they've been hinting at it is that they want me completing the round no matter how long it takes. Another manager told me to leave the letter walks and just focus on tracked mail when running late. But some days there are just so many tracked items that I can't even get it done on time without going hours over my time!

[ssdd]

Thanks for the reply!

Today was the only day that I brought back tracked mail as I had to be in for half 3 due to the office closing so there was no choice but for me to bring it back.

My duty has 860 drops, some days are just too much to cope with. I understand the whole thing about not bringing back tracked mail but I don't see a way around it rather than working to 6-6.30, which is killing me and I don't want to do it any more. It seems like some pressure should be taken off at least so I can perfect half the duty. The places I deliver to are very complicated sometimes, its not straightforward.

In regards to the OT, I don't mind just working my contracted hours but I'd be happy with working up to 30. I run a small but passionate business from home which I want to continue working on while working at RM, but this seems impossible!!

Also, if I do want reduced OT hours, how will that work because my duty is the longest in the office. Even if I was to get finished on my duty scheduled finished time (around 4.30) I'd still be way over my hours. Would they send me to another duty or get me to take half of my current duty? I'm not sure how any of this works. Sorry for all the questions!

I think you should have a conversation with your manager and explain to them what you've said here. You're comfortable with a bit of overtime, say an extra hour a day, but that you have other commitments.
You may well be moved onto another duty, or if staying on your current duty, something will have to be left behind. It's up to the manager what that will be...

[HTPostman]

I know where you are coming from - I’ve been a new starter twice, and both occasions felt I had to complete, skip breaks, rush round etc.

It’s not easy standing up to managers, you don’t want a mark on your back for going up to them first thing and saying you’re not working over. Been there done that. The way that’s always worked for me is to tell a white lie - something like ‘sorry boss, just letting you know this week I need to be done on time as I’m helping an elderly relative’ something like that. The pressure is then on them to give you help and support.

Yes, we shouldn’t have to play this game, your contracted hours are your contracted hours and if they want you finishing at 6pm then they should’ve employed you on a contract with a 6pm finish. But sometimes it’s the only way of getting them to listen and not just reply with ‘take everything do your best.’

[rubberbond]

Are you driving or pushing one of those trolley things, probably a stupid question if you’ve got 860 drops, but if you’re driving, do as they say and do the Tracked first,or negotiate with them to leave part of it behind. In my experience it takes about 6 weeks to bed in so keep at it , each day is a victory, as is each bag.

[blacov]

Does your round include any blocks of flats or buildings with letterboxes grouped on the ground floor? If proportion of letterboxes is small and there is no concierge or receptionist where you could maybe leave your parcels with, well it must be hell of a duty! I can imagine prep takes ages as being new to the job, you are first of all slower and secondly you most likely need to mark all your packets or make a list of oversized.

I can tell you that power walking or not is not going to make a huge difference to your finishing time. I mean don't get me wrong if you'd drag your feet it will certainly slow you down. The real savings can be made by decent organisation. Bags in order, what I mean by that is packets properly placed in order as you should deliver. Its good practice to label your bags, if you have any. For example bag 1,2,3 or by street, loops names. Planning your oversized well helps too. Another factor is knowing your customers, experienced posties would know a lot of people from their round so they can leave a parcel in porch or somewhere where it is expected. Not everybody does it that way but these days if you don't cut corners you will most likely be going over your time even as an experienced postie. Large rounds and an unexperienced guy is bound to struggle massively.

[Dorset Plodder]

Unfortunately your experience is not unique. It's a well trodden path for DOMs to put upon New Starters like yourself , and basically take the piss!

As mentioned it's up to you to set out your own guidelines. Especially if your happy with the shorter 20 hour contract. The hours you are working are ridiculous, even for an experienced Postie. Have that converstaion with your Manager and tell him you're happy to do say 10 hours overtime (about 2 hours a day) but you 've got other commitments outside those hours. I'd be happy knowing I was getting an extra 10 hours, but you have to remember .... Your dealing with idiots that don't really give a shite about your health & well being.

Always take your Meal Relief, it's there to give you a breather. And NEVER WORK FOR FREE! DOMs are great at giving you loads of OT but not so great at accurately recording, AND PAYING IT! Make a note somewhere of hours worked and double check your OT on your payslip every week.

If you're getting resistance to your request for some sensible adjustments just tell the DOM you'll be finishing at your Official Finish Time from now on. Don't forget to include your 20 mins MR and getting back to the Office. After you've done this a couple of times I bet he'll start being a bit more reasonable. You'll probably get some BS about giving him a call at such and such a time, but stick to your guns call him (on the PDA) and tell him you'll still be finishing on time. This job is not worth making yourself ill over. Good Luck

[2yearpostie]

Unfortunately your experience is not unique. It's a well trodden path for DOMs to put upon New Starters like yourself , and basically take the piss!

As mentioned it's up to you to set out your own guidelines. Especially if your happy with the shorter 20 hour contract. The hours you are working are ridiculous, even for an experienced Postie. Have that converstaion with your Manager and tell him you're happy to do say 10 hours overtime (about 2 hours a day) but you 've got other commitments outside those hours. I'd be happy knowing I was getting an extra 10 hours, but you have to remember .... Your dealing with idiots that don't really give a shite about your health & well being.

Always take your Meal Relief, it's there to give you a breather. And NEVER WORK FOR FREE! DOMs are great at giving you loads of OT but not so great at accurately recording, AND PAYING IT! Make a note somewhere of hours worked and double check your OT on your payslip every week.

If you're getting resistance to your request for some sensible adjustments just tell the DOM you'll be finishing at your Official Finish Time from now on. Don't forget to include your 20 mins MR and getting back to the Office. After you've done this a couple of times I bet he'll start being a bit more reasonable. You'll probably get some BS about giving him a call at such and such a time, but stick to your guns call him (on the PDA) and tell him you'll still be finishing on time. This job is not worth making yourself ill over. Good Luck

This is exactly what you need to do. ( by the way they wont answer the phone but make sure you can prove youve called them, if they dont answer you can still cut off as you tried to let them know)

[WASD]

There's some great posts in here. But my advice is leave and get something else. Concentrating on a new business will be #1 for you, so keep that in mind. Despite your very best efforts to deliver at RM, it won't get you any favours later on. Even if you get a manager to back down, they'll keep trying it on and it'll wear you down.

If i were self employed, and wanted a bit of side cash i'd avoid RM at all costs. The stress just isn't worth it bud.

9/10 new starters have already left. Says it all really.

[ronaldinho0097]

Does your round include any blocks of flats or buildings with letterboxes grouped on the ground floor? If proportion of letterboxes is small and there is no concierge or receptionist where you could maybe leave your parcels with, well it must be hell of a duty! I can imagine prep takes ages as being new to the job, you are first of all slower and secondly you most likely need to mark all your packets or make a list of oversized.

I can tell you that power walking or not is not going to make a huge difference to your finishing time. I mean don't get me wrong if you'd drag your feet it will certainly slow you down. The real savings can be made by decent organisation. Bags in order, what I mean by that is packets properly placed in order as you should deliver. Its good practice to label your bags, if you have any. For example bag 1,2,3 or by street, loops names. Planning your oversized well helps too. Another factor is knowing your customers, experienced posties would know a lot of people from their round so they can leave a parcel in porch or somewhere where it is expected. Not everybody does it that way but these days if you don't cut corners you will most likely be going over your time even as an experienced postie. Large rounds and an unexperienced guy is bound to struggle massively.

No there are no flats on my route, just a whole lot of walking up and down driveways and paths, opening front gates, walking hills, steps etc. Organisation is quite hard as the load area in the van is so small so parcels often have to get stacked on top of eachother which leaves me looking about and reoganising mid-shift which does take a bit of time. Also, what do you mean by 'bags?' Do you mean the bag you carry on your shoulder? The way our office organises things is by placing letters, packets and smaller parcels into trays and then lifting the mail out of the tray when you get to your destination. I have about 8 trays, each with 4 or 5 different estates and streets in them.

I do spend a bit of time waiting around for people to answer doors, avoiding walking over gardens and hopping fences, writing out those red and white cards and collecting mail from postboxes. It's just very diheartening when at the end of your shift you still have mail to deliver when you feel like you've been breaking your balls walking 23K all day and coming up short.

[ronaldinho0097]

There's some great posts in here. But my advice is leave and get something else. Concentrating on a new business will be #1 for you, so keep that in mind. Despite your very best efforts to deliver at RM, it won't get you any favours later on. Even if you get a manager to back down, they'll keep trying it on and it'll wear you down.

If i were self employed, and wanted a bit of side cash i'd avoid RM at all costs. The stress just isn't worth it bud.

9/10 new starters have already left. Says it all really.

My experience so far with management has been largely positive. Other posties in the office have good things to say about them, which is rare in RM I've heard! Then again, I am yet to really challenge them. But there are some things that I have seen that have made me think twice about how competent they really are.

There's a guy in my office who is in his mid 60s I'd estimate. He starts at half 7 and is still going by 6pm. When I was speaking to him he just seemed to used to getting the piss taken out of him that it's become normal for him. He walks with a limp and winces when bending over. I felt really sorry for him.

[picture123]

If you're out the door at quarter to 10 and not back until 6pm that's nearly 8 hours delivery. I honestly don't believe there are duties that big even if they were walked backwards. Are you sure you're only being given 1 duty?