Over and out -Whats the opinions on the workload?

[Post_Alone]

Well 9 years has flown by. Through the good times and the bad. But im finally out . I couldn't sustain the workload and was not hanging around for more delivery span increases . It's too much now as it is.

Revision has been a shambles, at no point have they incorporated the parcel element, into my revision anyway.
Still no one is taking breaks and coming in early to complete, knackering the job for the rest.
Union has been as quiet as its ever been during my time . Don't seem to have any clout from the top down. The 24 undiscussed points at the last payrise is a big downfall. Cant beleive they allowed that to go through!!!!

Unlike some of my collegues im out with no long term injuries!!.

The money was good though and so were my collegues. So not all bad.

All the best to the rest of the ones sticking it but it looks a hard slog ahead.

[Mickeybrowneyes]

I am on the verge myself. After 14 years service and no specialist skills it is daunting to just leave for me. We become institutionalised.
I am hoping the driving academy will be my saviour but with over 6,000 applicants my chances are slim.
Sometimes I wonder if it's the case of is the grass really greener. Where for many of us this is the first real employment they have had it's hard to judge. Our terms and conditions in our contracts are better than most.
What I do know is constant accusations of 'performance issues' from out of touch managers who have not done a delivery in nearly 10 years is dragging me down mentally. Especially when your peers are shredding the job to pieces by given the business up to an hour free labour a day making others look incompetent.
I'm on the edge, Christmas may just have tipped me over.
We dont get paid enough to be stressed and anxious because we know the workload will be too much Wednesday onwards.

[Post_Alone]

Well said , the terms and conditions are great. Its weighing up the pros and cons.

I agree with a lot you have said , i forgot what it was like to work outside royal mail as it is a different place to work than anywhere else.

Hope you get into the driving academy.

[DGH]

RM has decent (not 'great') terms and conditions. However these terms and conditions have been, and will continue to be, steadily eroded (pensions have been savaged for newer staff and degraded even for longer standing members, management will almost certainly come after sick pay this year).

7.5 hour average days, including a 40 minute paid break, for a bit (and reducing) above minimum wage, isn't shabby, and it attracts a lot of people.

But the post structural revision reality is that indoor work is unachievable in the time allocated and, on a very substantial number of rounds, the outdoor work is also unachievable except on very light days.

Worse, a 4.45 hour delivery span is probably at least half an hour too long to be really sustainable over the long term.

So two things really make what should be a decent job demoralising:

1 - Constant failure or fear of failure (I know some people claim not to care and others maybe don't care but the majority of people would like to clear their walks day in day out without needing to resort to hour upon hour of overtime).

2 - The physical toll of overlong delivery spans.

If you add to that the constant 'noise' generated by corporate doublespeak (are you 'fully compliant'), Trimble 'accountability' (has anyone ever had any real consequence result from their Trimble sounding off (beyond a manager or coach asking them to sign a silly form) and the drip feed of 'just one more 'little thing' added to your tasks (van checks, personal collections, post office and post box collections, ID verified packets, etc etc), it's quite hard to stay positive about the job. Ph and of course the double standards that many managers apply when dealing with senior staff vs new staff and/or 'the lazy' versus 'the workers'.

[Chelseablue]

I agree its also some of your fellow workers that create a toxic atmosphere etc . The me me me culture, brown nosers, grassers, back stabbers, the members of staff who are still being looked after , after horrific revisions, . Starting early, working through breaks, the only reason some of these are in the Union is in case they get sacked, nothing to do with sticking together and trying to make things bearable for all of us. Awful. The list of things we now have to do extra with a shorter working week is just not doable either. Would be some list !

[cockneyrebel]

The Workload is immense in relation to 10 years ago
And job has had to adapt re market forces
My career coming to an end re 24 years in the job
Its not bad pay, and last bastions of weekly pay but the toll on your body is there for all to see re Sick record of the Company
Every member of staff here over 60 ( 9 in total ) had spell in hospital since we changed to 5 hour delivery spans 4/5 years ago
Added we had 9 hernias couple of bowels, stents fitted, Heart attack/ stroke 2 different members of staff and other ailments
I think a lot of people will leave this year, albeit we are not what you would call a skilled workforce
There are a lot of jobs out there paying good money - and if you can adapt/improvise/overcome you will find a job
Ageing Workforce IPS experience is limited now re people leaving/retiring
Fixation re part time bewilders me -such a manual job and will be still in years to come
One of the main issues which Mr Thompson seems unable to accept is
We are not a Team anymore !!!
We use to be, when we were all singing from the same hymn sheet
We would get depot cleared
But now 6 or 7 different contract hours here /3/4/5 days ??
Week in Week off ??
Just individuals striving to get through the day and worrying about just yourself/own duty not the depot as a whole
People work hard but comes a time when you simply cannot do more/want to
Family/Social lives Changed greatly re the job and not for the better

[weedkiller]

I worked as a postie for 13months - 6m with agency and 7m with RMG. Loved the job and lost several waistline inches with the walking. But I suffered an ankle injury in November and was off 2 weeks with only 8 days SSP. Tried again but the injury was coming back when I carried a heavy bag with large bundles D2D - direct consequence could be felt right away.
So I resigned mid December. I am in late 60s but immediately got another agency job driving parcels for DHL £11.50 an hour and 4 hrs pay even if no work when I attended. That has now dried up but I can see loads of opportunities in driving, interviewing, sales. I am presently sitting back for a couple of weeks considering what life skills I can gainfully employ in a new job.

The most important thing I gained from working at Royal Mail is the credibility of the position. Employers see posties as hard working, trustworthy, polite, providing an excellent service to customers of all ages and backgrounds. As an ambassador for the organisation we uphold their values and ethics while coping with setbacks and scarce resources. - I have thought of plenty other key phrases for my CV. Suggestions welcome!

I can seriously recommend anyone thinking of leaving to start tonight writing down all the good stuff you have learned and brought to this job and start selling yourself to other employers. You are all worth far more than this job provides and you can easily find something better

[POSTMAN]

Tried again but the injury was coming back when I carried a heavy bag with large bundles D2D

Sorry that you've gone weed, but the above should never have happened, trolleys?

[priority102]

Well 9 years has flown by. Through the good times and the bad. But im finally out . I couldn't sustain the workload and was not hanging around for more delivery span increases . It's too much now as it is.

Revision has been a shambles, at no point have they incorporated the parcel element, into my revision anyway.
Still no one is taking breaks and coming in early to complete, knackering the job for the rest.
Union has been as quiet as its ever been during my time . Don't seem to have any clout from the top down. The 24 undiscussed points at the last payrise is a big downfall. Cant beleive they allowed that to go through!!!!

Unlike some of my collegues im out with no long term injuries!!.

The money was good though and so were my collegues. So not all bad.

All the best to the rest of the ones sticking it but it looks a hard slog ahead.

Good on you for having the balls to do it like I did last year. Trust me, you won't regret it. In a month's time your only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner.

[HTPostman]

Well 9 years has flown by. Through the good times and the bad. But im finally out . I couldn't sustain the workload and was not hanging around for more delivery span increases . It's too much now as it is.

Revision has been a shambles, at no point have they incorporated the parcel element, into my revision anyway.
Still no one is taking breaks and coming in early to complete, knackering the job for the rest.
Union has been as quiet as its ever been during my time . Don't seem to have any clout from the top down. The 24 undiscussed points at the last payrise is a big downfall. Cant beleive they allowed that to go through!!!!

Unlike some of my collegues im out with no long term injuries!!.

The money was good though and so were my collegues. So not all bad.

All the best to the rest of the ones sticking it but it looks a hard slog ahead.

I’m similar to you - I’m getting out hopefully before I get any injuries! I’ve got just over 7 years left before I retire, I’m on a 4 day week so I get plenty of rest days in. I still enjoy the job but like you say it’s becoming difficult with the workload.

My hope (and I’m full of it!) is in my remaining 7 and a bit years I don’t lose my rag and walk out, most days I’m left shaking my head at ridiculous management decisions and colleagues who either think they are managers or undercut everything (working through breaks, working for free etc).

Enjoy your retirement (or new job, whichever it is!).

[mjd24]

14 years in, not even 40, and i cannot imagine doing this SLOG of a job for much longer. The exhaustive workload combined with the unimaginably AWFUL management is crushing my soul.

[DDDJAM36]

14 years in, not even 40, and i cannot imagine doing this SLOG of a job for much longer. The exhaustive workload combined with the unimaginably AWFUL management is crushing my soul.

Dear hard working posties , ( that are thinkin of gettin out ) please don't underestimate your value and worth to other potential employers out there. You do a great deal of work during your shifts that translates well to landing you a new job. Your key skills that are attractive to future employer's (put these skills on your cv) : Effective organisation and planning skills. Proficient with time management. Adaptable and able to think on the move. Effective communication skills. Reliable and able to work well under pressure. Motivated to complete all tasks. Have worked in customer facing role for x amount of years.

I'm starting new job next week after 2 years at Royal Mail , the ever increasing workloads and poor staffing levels killed the job for me. Good luck everyone.

[Mr Rush]

14 years in, not even 40, and i cannot imagine doing this SLOG of a job for much longer. The exhaustive workload combined with the unimaginably AWFUL management is crushing my soul.

Dear hard working posties , ( that are thinkin of gettin out ) please don't underestimate your value and worth to other potential employers out there. You do a great deal of work during your shifts that translates well to landing you a new job. Your key skills that are attractive to future employer's (put these skills on your cv) : Effective organisation and planning skills. Proficient with time management. Adaptable and able to think on the move. Effective communication skills. Reliable and able to work well under pressure. Motivated to complete all tasks. Have worked in customer facing role for x amount of years.

I'm starting new job next week after 2 years at Royal Mail , the ever increasing workloads and poor staffing levels killed the job for me. Good luck everyone.

That is actually very helpful. I'm of the same seniority and age, pretty much in the job out of school and wondering what the hell I could possibly put on a CV. I loved the job, but I'm at my breaking point now.

[Jpro747]

Most of us are a great bunch of intelligent, reliable individuals, some with degrees and other such qualifications, that a lot of employers would be very grateful for. We deserve better from this company and the way we’re treated.

[xPandabear1992x]

the workload is shite. and that's an understatement.

from late october 2021 to january 2022 i was on a round that was taking so much mail we could only do half one day and the other half the next. not to mention the fact there were upwards of 150-200 oversized DAILY on the same round.

never get any help because nobody's available to do it.

when I say nobody's available, they've sprinted around with what little they have and ****ed off home early.

bugs the bejesus out of me.