[no]

[yellowbelly]

And your point is ?

I think the point he's trying to make is:
There's a Big Difference to getting messed about when you have a Regular Duty, with a Designated Day Off and ..... being a "Floater", whose just being pushed from pillar to post covering whatever duty the DOM hasn't sorted, with No Regular Day Off (even worse if it's a Van Share with different people).

I think many of us forget how being a "Reserve/Floater" feels, with the constant stress over prepping and delivering different Duties. If you've been Lucky enough to have a Regular Duty throughout this shitshower I'd call that a bonus (it's the ONLY Bonus you're likely to get in this Business).

My original point was that being a floater doesn't last forever, we've all been there.

Doesn't mean it's right though - I can put up with doing different duties but it's the not knowing when your day
off is going to be until the last f***ing minute and even if you think it's likely to be yet ANOTHER Tuesday
you can guarantee it'll be changed to another random day.

[HTPostman]

And your point is ?

I think the point he's trying to make is:
There's a Big Difference to getting messed about when you have a Regular Duty, with a Designated Day Off and ..... being a "Floater", whose just being pushed from pillar to post covering whatever duty the DOM hasn't sorted, with No Regular Day Off (even worse if it's a Van Share with different people).

I think many of us forget how being a "Reserve/Floater" feels, with the constant stress over prepping and delivering different Duties. If you've been Lucky enough to have a Regular Duty throughout this shitshower I'd call that a bonus (it's the ONLY Bonus you're likely to get in this Business).

My original point was that being a floater doesn't last forever, we've all been there.

Doesn't mean it's right though - I can put up with doing different duties but it's the not knowing when your day
off is going to be until the last f***ing minute and even if you think it's likely to be yet ANOTHER Tuesday
you can guarantee it'll be changed to another random day.

It’s always Tuesday. Unless good Friday is that week, in which case it’s Friday. Then the following week you get Easter Monday as your day off. Infuriating.

[Dorset Plodder]

It’s always Tuesday. Unless good Friday is that week, in which case it’s Friday. Then the following week you get Easter Monday as your day off. Infuriating.

I recently checked this out with our Area Delivery Rep. Like most DOs our Reserves very rarely get a Saturday off (we're on 1 in 6 rotation).

He said you're intitled to the same ammount of Saturdays off as everyone else. IF you don't get your regular Saturday off (i.e 1 in 6) your DOM should make it up over the coming months, perhaps giving you two Saturdays off together.

Tell your DOM that and see what he says about that.

[blacov]

I am going to throw my three cents too. I am a reserve myself and although I enjoy the job and I don't mind a bit of OT. However I find that having no duty of my own is a major disadvantage especially when you get moved on a weekly basis and sometimes daily. Although I get around most duties in my office comfortably, it is the morning prep that slows me down massively as each frame is different. They are often altered by the duty holder to his preference and if this frame is poorly marked it takes a long time to get yourself out the door. Especially if this is a walk you don't cover often.

Another thing is getting a day off. Reserves don't enjoy rotational days off so they can never plan anything. We are second tier staff basically. I have experienced it for a long time and honestly it starts to wear me down now. Work-life balance is poor as not having a day off known in advance is one thing to bear in mind, difficulty getting your preferred holidays is another issue. I will see how the revisions pan out and if I am left out it will be the time to at least plan to leave the business.

[HTPostman]

It’s always Tuesday. Unless good Friday is that week, in which case it’s Friday. Then the following week you get Easter Monday as your day off. Infuriating.

I recently checked this out with our Area Delivery Rep. Like most DOs our Reserves very rarely get a Saturday off (we're on 1 in 6 rotation).

He said you're intitled to the same ammount of Saturdays off as everyone else. IF you don't get your regular Saturday off (i.e 1 in 6) your DOM should make it up over the coming months, perhaps giving you two Saturdays off together.

Tell your DOM that and see what he says about that.

I’ve tried, I just got told ‘I’ll see what I can do’ and when I went back to the union my emails were ignored. I brought it up with a visiting senior union rep who promised to look into it, that was back in June and not heard a thing.

I’m tired of the fighting to tell you the truth. I was a postman willing to help out, I was doing 6 days a week, at Christmas I was often putting in 60 hours a week, I was able to cover approaching 50 rounds...obviously it wasn’t all one way, I was paid for those hours.

But it was like a lightbulb moment earlier this year, I stopped working days off, I rarely took extra loops on overtime. I came into some money and then finally during our revision I had my very own personal revision and went down to a 4 day cover week with fixed days off. Especially with the holiday pay issue there’s now no incentive for me to do extra. Management used to be able to rely on me to do 60 hours a week to help through the Christmas period, now it’s going to be 28 hours. If they’d given me fair days off and just moved me between say 10 or even just 20 rounds (all within their control unlike the holiday pay farce) I’d have been happy to continue as I was.

[HTPostman]

I am going to throw my three cents too. I am a reserve myself and although I enjoy the job and I don't mind a bit of OT. However I find that having no duty of my own is a major disadvantage especially when you get moved on a weekly basis and sometimes daily. Although I get around most duties in my office comfortably, it is the morning prep that slows me down massively as each frame is different. They are often altered by the duty holder to his preference and if this frame is poorly marked it takes a long time to get yourself out the door. Especially if this is a walk you don't cover often.

Another thing is getting a day off. Reserves don't enjoy rotational days off so they can never plan anything. We are second tier staff basically. I have experienced it for a long time and honestly it starts to wear me down now. Work-life balance is poor as not having a day off known in advance is one thing to bear in mind, difficulty getting your preferred holidays is another issue. I will see how the revisions pan out and if I am left out it will be the time to at least plan to leave the business.

That’s something I’m seeing from most reserves. In the past RM were safe and could afford to treat reserves like a second class workforce because for unskilled labour there wasn’t much else out there. The pandemic/brexit has changed that and means there’s so many more opportunities now. I mentioned a few weeks ago a few here are now training to be HGV drivers, that would be unthinkable years ago. A local takeaway is offering £33k (!!) plus every other weekend off for someone willing to train as a pizza chef.

Royal Mail are coming up to some real problems, I feel like the upcoming Christmas period could be the straw that breaks the reserves back. Yet the things they can fix - giving a true rotating day off, having each reserve only cover a fixed number of walks (10 not 50), not giving every reserve every bank holiday off - are so easy to resolve. It’s not like we are asking for a long weekend every week, a cappuccino upon arrival at work and a hot tub and foot massage when we return to the office.

Oh and just to clarify I’m not saying it’s all roses for duty holders. I think most employee groups here are getting worn down now.

[blacov]

I am going to throw my three cents too. I am a reserve myself and although I enjoy the job and I don't mind a bit of OT. However I find that having no duty of my own is a major disadvantage especially when you get moved on a weekly basis and sometimes daily. Although I get around most duties in my office comfortably, it is the morning prep that slows me down massively as each frame is different. They are often altered by the duty holder to his preference and if this frame is poorly marked it takes a long time to get yourself out the door. Especially if this is a walk you don't cover often.

Another thing is getting a day off. Reserves don't enjoy rotational days off so they can never plan anything. We are second tier staff basically. I have experienced it for a long time and honestly it starts to wear me down now. Work-life balance is poor as not having a day off known in advance is one thing to bear in mind, difficulty getting your preferred holidays is another issue. I will see how the revisions pan out and if I am left out it will be the time to at least plan to leave the business.

That’s something I’m seeing from most reserves. In the past RM were safe and could afford to treat reserves like a second class workforce because for unskilled labour there wasn’t much else out there. The pandemic/brexit has changed that and means there’s so many more opportunities now. I mentioned a few weeks ago a few here are now training to be HGV drivers, that would be unthinkable years ago. A local takeaway is offering £33k (!!) plus every other weekend off for someone willing to train as a pizza chef.

Royal Mail are coming up to some real problems, I feel like the upcoming Christmas period could be the straw that breaks the reserves back. Yet the things they can fix - giving a true rotating day off, having each reserve only cover a fixed number of walks (10 not 50), not giving every reserve every bank holiday off - are so easy to resolve. It’s not like we are asking for a long weekend every week, a cappuccino upon arrival at work and a hot tub and foot massage when we return to the office.

Oh and just to clarify I’m not saying it’s all roses for duty holders. I think most employee groups here are getting worn down now.

Of course I am not saying that a duty holder has it all easy. Longest serving staff probably only ever done their own walk or maybe 2-3 other. A new guy let's say a year or two into the job may as well be covering half the office, being moved at the drop of a hat and has to face stress almost daily and yet he is paid the same rate. On top of that some people may be enjoying supplements that have been discontinued years ago effectively getting paid more often for doing less work as these would be the most senior posties often on cushty duties

[hawkeye622]

It’s always Tuesday. Unless good Friday is that week, in which case it’s Friday. Then the following week you get Easter Monday as your day off. Infuriating.

I recently checked this out with our Area Delivery Rep. Like most DOs our Reserves very rarely get a Saturday off (we're on 1 in 6 rotation).

He said you're intitled to the same ammount of Saturdays off as everyone else. IF you don't get your regular Saturday off (i.e 1 in 6) your DOM should make it up over the coming months, perhaps giving you two Saturdays off together.

Tell your DOM that and see what he says about that.

I’ve tried, I just got told ‘I’ll see what I can do’ and when I went back to the union my emails were ignored. I brought it up with a visiting senior union rep who promised to look into it, that was back in June and not heard a thing.

I’m tired of the fighting to tell you the truth. I was a postman willing to help out, I was doing 6 days a week, at Christmas I was often putting in 60 hours a week, I was able to cover approaching 50 rounds...obviously it wasn’t all one way, I was paid for those hours.

But it was like a lightbulb moment earlier this year, I stopped working days off, I rarely took extra loops on overtime. I came into some money and then finally during our revision I had my very own personal revision and went down to a 4 day cover week with fixed days off. Especially with the holiday pay issue there’s now no incentive for me to do extra. Management used to be able to rely on me to do 60 hours a week to help through the Christmas period, now it’s going to be 28 hours. If they’d given me fair days off and just moved me between say 10 or even just 20 rounds (all within their control unlike the holiday pay farce) I’d have been happy to continue as I was.

Fully relate to this post HTP. Up until lately I was always willing to come in early for prep, do loops/parcels after my shift, work 6 day weeks and for the two months leading up to Christmas it was silly hours being worked. I took a step back a couple of weeks ago when I realised how s**t we reserves are treated.

Not that I want favours from management for me doing extra, but a bit of give and take would been nice. Not knowing what duty you're on until you walk in to your half prepped frame, not knowing your day off the following week until Friday afternoon/Saturday, any OT you do being constantly short etc etc

I'm 100% done with the place, my motivation for the job has completely gone unfortunately. Recently I've only been working my contracted hours, maybe doing a bit of prep on OT in the morning but never going over my time. They will get a shock come Christmas when they realise I will be another member of staff not willing to do extra or even complete the duty.

If it wasn't for my family, mortgage etc I'd walk out. I guess I'll be there until I land a new job (hopefully before Christmas).

Keep on truckin' guys

[HTPostman]

It’s always Tuesday. Unless good Friday is that week, in which case it’s Friday. Then the following week you get Easter Monday as your day off. Infuriating.

I recently checked this out with our Area Delivery Rep. Like most DOs our Reserves very rarely get a Saturday off (we're on 1 in 6 rotation).

He said you're intitled to the same ammount of Saturdays off as everyone else. IF you don't get your regular Saturday off (i.e 1 in 6) your DOM should make it up over the coming months, perhaps giving you two Saturdays off together.

Tell your DOM that and see what he says about that.

I’ve tried, I just got told ‘I’ll see what I can do’ and when I went back to the union my emails were ignored. I brought it up with a visiting senior union rep who promised to look into it, that was back in June and not heard a thing.

I’m tired of the fighting to tell you the truth. I was a postman willing to help out, I was doing 6 days a week, at Christmas I was often putting in 60 hours a week, I was able to cover approaching 50 rounds...obviously it wasn’t all one way, I was paid for those hours.

But it was like a lightbulb moment earlier this year, I stopped working days off, I rarely took extra loops on overtime. I came into some money and then finally during our revision I had my very own personal revision and went down to a 4 day cover week with fixed days off. Especially with the holiday pay issue there’s now no incentive for me to do extra. Management used to be able to rely on me to do 60 hours a week to help through the Christmas period, now it’s going to be 28 hours. If they’d given me fair days off and just moved me between say 10 or even just 20 rounds (all within their control unlike the holiday pay farce) I’d have been happy to continue as I was.

Fully relate to this post HTP. Up until lately I was always willing to come in early for prep, do loops/parcels after my shift, work 6 day weeks and for the two months leading up to Christmas it was silly hours being worked. I took a step back a couple of weeks ago when I realised how s**t we reserves are treated.

Not that I want favours from management for me doing extra, but a bit of give and take would been nice. Not knowing what duty you're on until you walk in to your half prepped frame, not knowing your day off the following week until Friday afternoon/Saturday, any OT you do being constantly short etc etc

I'm 100% done with the place, my motivation for the job has completely gone unfortunately. Recently I've only been working my contracted hours, maybe doing a bit of prep on OT in the morning but never going over my time. They will get a shock come Christmas when they realise I will be another member of staff not willing to do extra or even complete the duty.

If it wasn't for my family, mortgage etc I'd walk out. I guess I'll be there until I land a new job (hopefully before Christmas).

Keep on truckin' guys

Does seem like the tide is turning, no doubt people have always been dissatisfied at RM but seems like it’s increasing now. Simon and co have a huge task on their hands, a back-tracking ‘my clear the office letter was misunderstood’ apology would be a start.

In my own DO it will be interesting, every year people say they won’t do extra during the winter period but then the overtime is dangled in front of them and they give in, I just get the feeling this year it’s different and people really won’t be doing extra. Yet my office sounds like it’s one of the better ones - OT is paid, managers do talk respectfully, and you’re not pressured to stay out and complete if you don’t want to.

I wish you the best on your job hunt and hope you find something.

[WalkerX]

I am going to throw my three cents too. I am a reserve myself and although I enjoy the job and I don't mind a bit of OT. However I find that having no duty of my own is a major disadvantage especially when you get moved on a weekly basis and sometimes daily. Although I get around most duties in my office comfortably, it is the morning prep that slows me down massively as each frame is different. They are often altered by the duty holder to his preference and if this frame is poorly marked it takes a long time to get yourself out the door. Especially if this is a walk you don't cover often.

I`m a reserve myself, and agree with all of this.

[Cazlew]

This sounds exactly how I feel. Not knowing day to day what I'm doing. Less than a weeks notice of day off. Although bank holidays and Tues are predictable.
As I arrive most of the duty holders are van loaded and out the door. I see my frame for the day half prepped and and know Im not going to be out for another hour or so. And I'm expected to complete this walk in same time as the duty holder . And do upto 3 areas of lapsing.
All this and with a HTC because the van is being used on a different duty. 5-6 hours flat out running with no break.

[WalkerX]

This sounds exactly how I feel. Not knowing day to day what I'm doing. Less than a weeks notice of day off. Although bank holidays and Tues are predictable.
As I arrive most of the duty holders are van loaded and out the door. I see my frame for the day half prepped and and know Im not going to be out for another hour or so. And I'm expected to complete this walk in same time as the duty holder . And do upto 3 areas of lapsing.
All this and with a HTC because the van is being used on a different duty. 5-6 hours flat out running with no break.

Sounds like me. I`m expecting all this tomorrow for the week, on a walk I don`t know.