Simon Thompson video on workplace : Is it worth watching?

[krussel]

I think its time to look at the DSA agreement and decide if we can carry on with it ?

[Jahpostie]

Dear Simon,

regarding hiring new staff - how about ensuring you RETAIN staff that are recently hired?

All too often we experience newly hired staff leaving after days/weeks/a few months because
the reality of what they experience is not what they were told at job interview.

It is not explained to them that workloads are unmanageable, they will probably be put
on the crappiest, longest walk in the office, lapsing/absorption is expected from day one and overtime
above 37/38hrs does not attract delivery supplement or pension payments. Don't expect
to get home to pick your kids up from school even though your finish time is 1500, don't
expect 1 in 6 Saturdays off, don't expect to be able to book leave if you start halfway through
the leave year as 'all the leave slots are booked up', expect every Tuesday off, expect your
overtime payments to be incorrect or challenged every week.

There ought to be an post departure questionnaire sent out by an external agency to people who leave the business within
say 6 - 12 months of starting to find out why they have left, I'm sure you'd find out some home truths.
It must cost RM a fortune to put people through the hiring process only to lose them within a year.

Absolutely bang on the money.

[SpacePhoenix]

I think its time to look at the DSA agreement and decide if we can carry on with it ?

Think RM's hands are legally tied when it comes to DSA, I believe it's written into the Postal services Act

[sindba]

Here's another one that dumbfounds me, maybe someone knows the answer.
I feel we're like the NHS, billions invested and still not getting anywhere.
I remember as far back as Crozier and before the billions quoted spending on modernisation, and look where we are now, how many billions on our s**t IT system, pda's, trolleys, various kit that no one uses.
The news stories are on here somewhere.
How much money has this company wasted over the years on failed s**t, how's world class mail getting on?
It's criminal.

World Class Mail!! Lol. How many millions did they spaff on that clown show.

We had a full time WCM person in our office for a while, probably on 40k or summat. Put some posters up occassionally, that's it.

[Marshamp11]

Here's another one that dumbfounds me, maybe someone knows the answer.
I feel we're like the NHS, billions invested and still not getting anywhere.
I remember as far back as Crozier and before the billions quoted spending on modernisation, and look where we are now, how many billions on our s**t IT system, pda's, trolleys, various kit that no one uses.
The news stories are on here somewhere.
How much money has this company wasted over the years on failed s**t, how's world class mail getting on?
It's criminal.

World Class Mail!! Lol. How many millions did they spaff on that clown show.

We had a full time WCM person in our office for a while, probably on 40k or summat. Put some posters up occassionally, that's it.

Not forgetting the money spent on name change to Consignia and back again.

[Sugar]

Here's another one that dumbfounds me, maybe someone knows the answer.
I feel we're like the NHS, billions invested and still not getting anywhere.
I remember as far back as Crozier and before the billions quoted spending on modernisation, and look where we are now, how many billions on our s**t IT system, pda's, trolleys, various kit that no one uses.
The news stories are on here somewhere.
How much money has this company wasted over the years on failed s**t, how's world class mail getting on?
It's criminal.

You've hit the nail on the head.

WCM was just jobs and bonuses for the boys/managers to implement pointless ways of working.

As for a lot of the other things, they were right to implement them, trolleys etc, but as with everything they do implement it inevitably proves that the jobs been fudged to hell and to fix it would cost 100x's more than they are already spending on said changes so managers just let it all fall by the wayside because it's easier than getting found out they are $hit at their jobs by all the hours these things show that need to go back in to DO's.

The only way to fix this company would be to scrap it and start again. Preferably without any of the current managers and directors of all levels.

[Norfolk 'N' Chance]

The only way to fix this company would be to scrap it and start again. Preferably without any of the current managers and directors of all levels.

Exactly right! As seen in other privatised industries, once you replace 30 to 40% of the existing staff with new people you start to make progress.

[Chelseablue]

We better leave in droves then shall we ?

[2yearpostie]

We better leave in droves then shall we ?

not the ground troops we need more of them, its the peeps above us.

[General Mannerheim]

We better leave in droves then shall we ?

They all ready are in our office 72 in 2 years.

[Chelseablue]

Omg not great

[HTPostman]

Dear Simon,

regarding hiring new staff - how about ensuring you RETAIN staff that are recently hired?

All too often we experience newly hired staff leaving after days/weeks/a few months because
the reality of what they experience is not what they were told at job interview.

It is not explained to them that workloads are unmanageable, they will probably be put
on the crappiest, longest walk in the office, lapsing/absorption is expected from day one and overtime
above 37/38hrs does not attract delivery supplement or pension payments. Don't expect
to get home to pick your kids up from school even though your finish time is 1500, don't
expect 1 in 6 Saturdays off, don't expect to be able to book leave if you start halfway through
the leave year as 'all the leave slots are booked up', expect every Tuesday off, expect your
overtime payments to be incorrect or challenged every week.

There ought to be an post departure questionnaire sent out by an external agency to people who leave the business within
say 6 - 12 months of starting to find out why they have left, I'm sure you'd find out some home truths.
It must cost RM a fortune to put people through the hiring process only to lose them within a year.

Great points. I don’t know if Simon and his staff really do read this forum, but if he does here’s a free bit of feedback from someone who has previously quit RM and then returned. I don’t claim to speak for all PT /new starters however most that I’ve spoken to when they have left give similar reasons to mine, time and time again.

Why I left (Negatives of the job):

-Moved from pillar to post. We totally get we are right at the bottom of the seniority food chain, and we can’t just walk into having our own round. But why, especially when you’re new to the job, do you need to be moved between 20, sometimes 30, even 40 rounds? It’s ridiculous, especially when you’re still learning the new systems and processes. Why not split new starters into blocks, starter 1 is kept as a reserve for rounds 1 to 10, starter 2 does rounds 11 to 20 etc.

-Day off. Come on Simon, this is so easy to sort. Again few of us expect to have 1 in 4 or 1 in 6 long weekends (business requirements etc) but you should be putting pressure on managers to honour a rolling day off. This seems to be one of the most conscientious issues for new starters leaving, they are told they’ll have a rolling day off. But that rolling day always falls on Tuesday. Similarly, how can we plan our non working life when we find out on the Friday what our day off is (Tuesday probably) the following week?

-Bank holidays. Again, how to pee off all the PT/new starters. Constantly give them bank holiday as their day off. All year you get Tuesday as your day off, then suddenly Friday is your day off when it’s good Friday, Monday is your day off when it’s Easter Monday. It’s a farce Simon and just isn’t on. If you seriously want to know how to build better relationships and retain more new starters then this is such a simple thing to sort. Again, if you have to, put us in groups - 25% of new starters/PTers have the first bank holiday of the year as their day off, next 25% have the next bank holiday etc. And lastly, if you do give us bank holiday as a day in lieu, that day should be any day we decide, I don’t care if it’s Christmas Eve, if YOUR Delivery Office managers have created that issue, then YOUR managers can sort it. On a similar point I’ve had an extra 2 weeks off this year purely from bank holidays accumulated - we are woefully understaffed and line managers have practically begged me to work those extra weeks (no chance), IMO much easier to cover me for a day, than try to cover me for a week.

-Hours and pay. Look, we shouldn’t be having an argument about wanting to finish on time. If we can’t work more than our hours, there shouldn’t be a single sentence uttered by a manager other than ‘not a problem, have a good day.’ If you want us staying out for hours past our time, then give us a contract to reflect that. No bullying, no intimidation. And while I’m on it, if we do agree to work over, make sure your managers pay that OT.



-Why I returned (positives of the job):

I’ll keep these points smaller.

-Pay. I personally think for the work we do the pay is reasonable, however don’t get complacent, you see what’s happening with the haulage industry now paying top whack. A few here on 20/25 hour contracts have already left to start training to drive HGVs.

-Security. The job is fairly secure, and in an ever changing world that’s a big plus for me.

-Being our own boss once outside.