Final week

[Bigjj]

I have just left myself after 7 and a half year. Enjoyed it but since covid the job became terrible. Birthday cards and hospital letters left in frames for days to concentrate on tracked packets. I couldn't do this job for another 20 years till retirement. My new job is better money, time and a half if you choose to do overtime and even started up jogging again on my days off cause my body isnt knackered. Was sad leaving, not sure if i was making the right decision but its been my best December in 7 year! No point moaning about the job every day and doing nothing about it, only live once

Thanks for all the comments! this is pretty similar to me to be honest but have over 30years left till official retirement age so no way my body will last until then! Looking forward to seeing how my body does feel in a few months time as I am quiet sport but found it harder in recent years to do as much as I would like to do. Good luck in the new job what ever it is. Mine is worse pay but has better long term prospects as there is training involved which is paid for by the new company I am working for. Like you I thought only live once so need to take a risk or two sometimes rather than just staying in a job for the sake of it

[Bigjj]

Good luck, I hope the new pastures are green!

One thing, watch what you eat - after burning all those calories walking it's easy to become a bloater in the months afterwards, assuming your new work will be less physically demanding. I saw that a couple of times with older guys retiring/leaving and popping in to say hello a while afterwards. I put a stone on myself but lost it again by changing my diet slightly and cutting out sugary snacks.

Irresepective of how long you served RM you do retain some curiosity as to how things are progressing (or not!) so like the rest of us 'purples' on here no doubt you will pop in to see quite regularly.

Enjoy an ache-free Christmas fellow!

Yeah I have gained a bit of weight recently due to not being able to go out running and playing sports so expect to sadly gain weight over Christmas but hoping in a couple of months I can change that. I used to quite regularly run distances between 5k and a half marathon a few times a week but struggled to do that as much as I would like to in the last two years and in the last 6months its been pretty much non existent. Being able to get back to playing sports full time on Saturdays next year if I want to is a big bonus as well.

Will definitely be keeping my eye on how things are with RM as you can't spend that long working for such a big company and not at least have an interest in how things are. Always be a link also I guess as still have a pension with them

Have a good Christmas yourself

[Bigjj]

I'm starting to feel the same, been at RM 7 years and I'm knackered all the time, hardly do anything outside of work because of it. Out of interest, what type of job have you gone in to? Having only ever been a polite it's hard to know what to look for when looking for other jobs (lack of experience, no particular skills etc). Thanks

Massive change for me as gone in to Accounting work in an office so will seem a really really strange change. I've taken a pay cut to do so but I am being put through paid training by my new employee and given time during working hours to attend said classes also so in a way it's a long term investment in myself. Should it not work out then I have a few other ideas also. I took it upon myself in the last year to self study the basic entry level and also attend a night class at college to gain a qualification, have a look into what might interest you? You basically sound like what I was feeling and just need a little self belief. Good luck!

[Bigjj]

Good luck for the future. I’m 11 years in and just applied for the mgv driver training, if as expected I don’t have enough seniority to be accepted I definitely won’t be in this job come 2023. Delivery is absolutely hell on earth and it keeps getting worse with each passing month.

Good luck with that and it's also a transferable skill to another company also in the long run I guess.

One important thing people need to remember in the long term is that even thought you would never plan on returning to Royal Mail as long as you leave on good terms then, especially with current recruitment issues, you could always return to work for them if you really need a job or nothing else worked out. Not that I would recommend it but it's always a last resort.

And on the Christmas Bonus comment it is a shame to not receive it after working there all year but by the time you factor in the pro-rata payment and the tax on it it would only work out at around £20 a day for me. Would rater just chill out and enjoy a week off enjoying myself then worry about that too much

[Skuse]

Good luck for the future. I’m 11 years in and just applied for the mgv driver training, if as expected I don’t have enough seniority to be accepted I definitely won’t be in this job come 2023. Delivery is absolutely hell on earth and it keeps getting worse with each passing month.

Yes I was 15 years in delivery and we went into shared vans in 2015 I went to my local MC and had to drop to a 35 hour contract to become a substantive MGV driver but well worth it , good luck with your application