Thinking of quitting/Break

[Bigjj]

Just wondering how quickly you can get a break or career break set up? Long term I am thinking of leaving for sure but short term I am just thinking of handing my notice in and going very soon. Got nothing lined up but got the finances to support myself for a while.

My body just feels knackered and run down and the things I enjoy doing like sport and running have been off the card for months now due to this. Used to love my running but have barely done it in months due to continually picking up niggles or pulls in my legs. Work just feels never ending at the moment and already feels like we've done half the Christmas rush when its not even November yet....

Any advice? think RM will just drag their heels with a career break and no way they will let me do it soon/before Christmas I am presuming anyway. Should I just consider leaving? thinking about my body and mind long term here

[Dorset Plodder]

I think we're all feeling the constant pressure across the business Bigjj.

My immediate thoughts are that you stand very little chance of getting what you're looking for. As you've mentioned coming up to Christmas Presure you stand even less chance. I'd be looking at alternative options. Leave's going to be a No No during December (even if you've got some left).

Depending on your attitude & work ethic you could pull a sicky if you just need a week. Certain colleagues seem to have a week off if they twist a sock nowadays, or they're put on a duty they don't like. TBH I don't like that sort of attitude but it's something the DOM needs to manage, and I can understand why it happens in such an inflexible and badly managed business.

If you have a genuine long term injury you could approach your Doctor and get a longer period of sick leave, but he'd need to support it with a Sick note.You say you're just generally run down, as opposed to injured, perhaps a sympathetic doctor could sign you off with stress/depression or exhaustion?

We do hear comments on here from some Posties that still manage to run a half marathon every weekend but every duty is different and some are more demanding than others. When I see people out running around like maniacs, especially when they're on Holiday FFS, I often think, "I bet they've got a nice relaxing job sat a desk during the week, because I haven't got the bloody energy to go running around in the evenings"

[norris9]

This job needs to be more flexible in my opinion. The job is too physical. Walking ~10miles a day, 5 days a week, is too much.

I wish I could buy more holiday, but they limit you on this. I could do with an extra 2 weeks off during the year.

I'd also like to work a day less.

I wish things were more flexible with such a physically demanding job. It may also be a good thing for the company in helping to reduce Posties injuries and the amount of sick pay they pay out due to aches, strains, pulls, tears, hip replacements, knee replacements...

[nightcrawler]

I’m in a similar position. Thought about asking for a sabbatical but realised they probably won’t grant it because 1) Christmas, and 2) lack of staff in our office. I have some money saved up I can live off for quite a while, so I plan to leave in November when things get really bad. I’ll then take a few months off, then look for a another job in the new year.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

[Bigjj]

I think we're all feeling the constant pressure across the business Bigjj.

My immediate thoughts are that you stand very little chance of getting what you're looking for. As you've mentioned coming up to Christmas Presure you stand even less chance. I'd be looking at alternative options. Leave's going to be a No No during December (even if you've got some left).

Depending on your attitude & work ethic you could pull a sicky if you just need a week. Certain colleagues seem to have a week off if they twist a sock nowadays, or they're put on a duty they don't like. TBH I don't like that sort of attitude but it's something the DOM needs to manage, and I can understand why it happens in such an inflexible and badly managed business.

If you have a genuine long term injury you could approach your Doctor and get a longer period of sick leave, but he'd need to support it with a Sick note.You say you're just generally run down, as opposed to injured, perhaps a sympathetic doctor could sign you off with stress/depression or exhaustion?

We do hear comments on here from some Posties that still manage to run a half marathon every weekend but every duty is different and some are more demanding than others. When I see people out running around like maniacs, especially when they're on Holiday FFS, I often think, "I bet they've got a nice relaxing job sat a desk during the week, because I haven't got the bloody energy to go running around in the evenings"

I used too be that guy that did lots of running working this job but in the last couple of years I keep getting minor injuries although I had one serious injury a couple of years ago. Just my knees ache a fair bit and I can feel unnatural strains in my calfs which stops me doing anything too active away from work for fear of another injury. Although I am not injured I am starting to feel well work and am not that old either so it is a worry.

Definitely need some time off but luckily I am off next week but one week doesn't really seem to do much for me really as reckon I need an extended time off. They make it impossible for them to be approachable regarding things like this though which obviously leads to sickness being as high as it is.

Had head of recruitment in not that long ago but think they need to focus more on why so many people are leaving rather than recruitment

[Bigjj]

This job needs to be more flexible in my opinion. The job is too physical. Walking ~10miles a day, 5 days a week, is too much.

I wish I could buy more holiday, but they limit you on this. I could do with an extra 2 weeks off during the year.

I'd also like to work a day less.

I wish things were more flexible with such a physically demanding job. It may also be a good thing for the company in helping to reduce Posties injuries and the amount of sick pay they pay out due to aches, strains, pulls, tears, hip replacements, knee replacements...

Doesn't help when we feel overworked and it's not even November yet. They openly admitted we are well understaffed at our office and yet they take on loads of extra Amazon work nationwide and just expect you to cope or get through it.

Like you say if in an office job you can still suffer from fatigue but it's hard when your body feels fatigued and you have to keep using it with no rest. Workloads just seems too high and you never get an opportunity to rest.

[Bigjj]

I’m in a similar position. Thought about asking for a sabbatical but realised they probably won’t grant it because 1) Christmas, and 2) lack of staff in our office. I have some money saved up I can live off for quite a while, so I plan to leave in November when things get really bad. I’ll then take a few months off, then look for a another job in the new year.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

Good luck if you do decide to leave and wish you all the best. You sound exactly like me and just need a break but even if you had a few months off with a sabbatical not sure long term anything changes and the job will keep getting tougher but always nice to have it as a back up.

Kind of feel like leaving may actually be a good thing though for long term though as would make you be more pro active in finding something hopefully better in the long term. Luckily I am on leave next week so will take the week to see how I feel and what it is like when I go back in, think ill have my notice ready for first day back just incase.

[paulus103]

A regular trickle of delivery staff move to mail centres due to health problems/changes in their domestic situation.

Might this be a different option to consider?

I can think of maybe 6 or 8 moved to my mail centre in the last year.

[Bigjj]

A regular trickle of delivery staff move to mail centres due to health problems/changes in their domestic situation.

Might this be a different option to consider?

I can think of maybe 6 or 8 moved to my mail centre in the last year.

Good suggestion but I highly doubt it as it is about 30miles to our nearest sorting office as far as I am aware

[twoloops]

One of our younger posties didn’t like walking, moved to the mail centre, still see him out & about, says it a doddle, best move he ever made, got to be careful of how much coffee you drink, but he even looks better

[nightcrawler]

I’m in a similar position. Thought about asking for a sabbatical but realised they probably won’t grant it because 1) Christmas, and 2) lack of staff in our office. I have some money saved up I can live off for quite a while, so I plan to leave in November when things get really bad. I’ll then take a few months off, then look for a another job in the new year.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

Good luck if you do decide to leave and wish you all the best. You sound exactly like me and just need a break but even if you had a few months off with a sabbatical not sure long term anything changes and the job will keep getting tougher but always nice to have it as a back up.

Kind of feel like leaving may actually be a good thing though for long term though as would make you be more pro active in finding something hopefully better in the long term. Luckily I am on leave next week so will take the week to see how I feel and what it is like when I go back in, think ill have my notice ready for first day back just incase.

Thanks. I’ve also got a week off soon, and I imagine the weeks before and after my leave will be horrendous! That will more than likely be the time that I call it a day. A sabbatical would be nice, but apart from the fact they probably wouldn’t grant it this time of year, I honestly can’t see the job getting any better.

[norris9]

I hope they are listening.

Please make the job more flexible, allow us to buy more holiday..... PLEASEEEEEEEE!