"Reasonable Request"

[Cucumber]

I see and hear on a daily basis people moaning about being asked to do this or that. People don't seem to grasp that is what employment is. Being asked by their manager to do certain or different tasks!! It's ok for some to move to different duties (even though they own one!), but God forbid if they themselves are asked. It's always a case of "Why me?" or "Why not him?" or "What's he doing?". It's a "WON'T DO" thing more times than enough than a "CAN'T DO". Why can't people realise that regardless of what they are asked to do, however they don't want to do it! There's a start and finish time!!! That never changes!!!!!!! Just do what you can to your time.

Exactly. There’s about 4 types of people in my office:

1. Those who don’t want any fuss and just agree to be moved. Unsurprisingly they get moved the most.

2. Those who stamp their feet, argue and complain but eventually move but In return say they’ll only move if they can have something in return eg next Saturday off.

3. Those who walk out citing stress/sick and are then off for a number of weeks. I’m not going to branch everyone together here as some genuinely do get pushed over the edge.

4. The worst type - they manage to convince the boss not to move them but to move person A to round B, and the guy on round C goes on round A etc. This 4th person then offers to do the tracked on the vacant round, getting a cushy few hours OT in in the process.

It’s such a bizarre carry on tbh. In my previous jobs I haven’t been asked to sweep the yard or clean the work vans or move my desk to the next office, I’ve been told to do so and if I refused I’d be dismissed.

I'd imagine that can be applied to just about every office - it's a very RM thing.

With person 4, I'd add that they will often mock those that get moved about, they are very helpful towards management with telling them how to run the office, but heaven help anyone who suggest to management that THEY know a duty and could move.
We had a cover manager in one day and they obviously didn't get the memo on who to press and who to leave alone - this poor manager dared to press a number 4 type person into helping out at another station for 10 minutes (as opposed to standing doing little/nothing) and they had the union onto them instantly.

[clashcityrocker]

It's not fairly reasonable.

I had my own duty, why should I swap?

It was "your" duty?
Were they franchises? Had you bought it?

[Frankie15]

We might sign for duties but we never OWN them!! I used to have a laminate card stuck to my frame a few years back giving guidelines on the daily procedure of the walk and it said at the bottom OR AS DIRECTED BY MANAGER. We do as we are told or required while in the hours we are paid. People need to realise this. I'm not sticking up for management here, I'm just saying that it is frustrating watching or listening to colleague's throw tantrums when they are asked to come out of their comfort zones and expect others to do it instead while smirking or thinking they've had a little victory when they get their way!!!!!!

[yubin282]

It's not fairly reasonable.

I had my own duty, why should I swap?

It was "your" duty?
Were they franchises? Had you bought it?

You know what I mean.

It's the same with drivers and "their" vans.

[darkgable]

In my office its normally the people who are New , Quiet , or low on confidence who get moved or sent back out with packets . The manager we have would never risk challeging one of the big mouths and risk getting told to f off . infront of the whole office . You could not make it up

[smok3y666]

What's an unreasonable request? According to a lot of people on this here forum you shouldn't give a s**t because you have a start time and finish time. What happens inbetween, who cares?

[mjd24]

There are people in our office that I have never seen being moved, ever. Always the same few being picked on. Why not have a rota and make sure everyone gets moved equally?

Why doesn't each office elect a representative who could ensure everyone was treated fairly in the workplace.
We could call him/her the onion man/woman.

My eyes are watering at the thought of it.

[Dorset Plodder]

Thanks for your thoughts everone. I like, and recognise, your Postie types HTP.

I think we can all agree that RM have the right, as employers, to basically ask you to carry out any RM work in the time that they're paying you for.

I think we can also agree that for this to be truly fair they shouldn't always be asking the same people. The "Type 4" Postie is obviously the worst kind of colleague and I'm sure we all have some. "Helping" the DOM to identify those that can cover a particular duty. While carefully arranging things to make sure they can do as they please. Ironically these people are the least beneficial to an office. They're predominantly very senior (and in most cases have never done another duty in the last decade).

I think there's an argument to pay Reserves for the ammount of Duties they cover. They're of much more use to the business. And I'm a duty holder so not angling for a pay rise.

[clashcityrocker]

I think there's an argument to pay Reserves for the amount of Duties they cover. They're of much more use to the business. And I'm a duty holder so not angling for a pay rise.

If it was up to me I would pay the reserves approx £40/week extra .
I would fund it by removing the workplace coaches.

[Dayman!]

What's an unreasonable request? According to a lot of people on this here forum you shouldn't give a s**t because you have a start time and finish time. What happens inbetween, who cares?

Asking you to drive an unroadworthy vehicle or carry mail in a private vehicle would be unreasonable.

Caring about something and highlighting any patterns which may begin to emerge is very different to flat out refusing to do something because it's a minor inconvenience to you.

[postslippete]

I think there's an argument to pay Reserves for the amount of Duties they cover. They're of much more use to the business. And I'm a duty holder so not angling for a pay rise.

If it was up to me I would pay the reserves approx £40/week extra .
I would fund it by removing the workplace coaches.

One of the best comments I've heard from you clash

[HTPostman]

I see and hear on a daily basis people moaning about being asked to do this or that. People don't seem to grasp that is what employment is. Being asked by their manager to do certain or different tasks!! It's ok for some to move to different duties (even though they own one!), but God forbid if they themselves are asked. It's always a case of "Why me?" or "Why not him?" or "What's he doing?". It's a "WON'T DO" thing more times than enough than a "CAN'T DO". Why can't people realise that regardless of what they are asked to do, however they don't want to do it! There's a start and finish time!!! That never changes!!!!!!! Just do what you can to your time.

Exactly. There’s about 4 types of people in my office:

1. Those who don’t want any fuss and just agree to be moved. Unsurprisingly they get moved the most.

2. Those who stamp their feet, argue and complain but eventually move but In return say they’ll only move if they can have something in return eg next Saturday off.

3. Those who walk out citing stress/sick and are then off for a number of weeks. I’m not going to branch everyone together here as some genuinely do get pushed over the edge.

4. The worst type - they manage to convince the boss not to move them but to move person A to round B, and the guy on round C goes on round A etc. This 4th person then offers to do the tracked on the vacant round, getting a cushy few hours OT in in the process.

It’s such a bizarre carry on tbh. In my previous jobs I haven’t been asked to sweep the yard or clean the work vans or move my desk to the next office, I’ve been told to do so and if I refused I’d be dismissed.

I'd imagine that can be applied to just about every office - it's a very RM thing.

With person 4, I'd add that they will often mock those that get moved about, they are very helpful towards management with telling them how to run the office, but heaven help anyone who suggest to management that THEY know a duty and could move.
We had a cover manager in one day and they obviously didn't get the memo on who to press and who to leave alone - this poor manager dared to press a number 4 type person into helping out at another station for 10 minutes (as opposed to standing doing little/nothing) and they had the union onto them instantly.

I’ve seen a number 4 here almost in tears when he was asked by the DOM why he’d signed for a recorded then left it in the greenhouse which had subsequently gone missing. ‘But I do so much to help you out and now you’re pulling me up after all I’ve done for you’ etc. It’s all really pathetic, like being back at school.

[Dorset Plodder]

I’ve seen a number 4 here almost in tears when he was asked by the DOM why he’d signed for a recorded then left it in the greenhouse which had subsequently gone missing. ‘But I do so much to help you out and now you’re pulling me up after all I’ve done for you’ etc. It’s all really pathetic, like being back at school.

It's like they're trying to build up some Brownie Points isn't it? I always say you can do whatever you like in this job .... until something goes wrong...... and then it's your fault and you're in the shite!

[Dorset Plodder]

just bring half the walk back and say only working to my finishing time

I believe that's probably the only defence against being continually asked to swap duties as a "Reasonable Request".

They're allowed to tell us to do it .... and we're allowed to finish at our contracted time. I take the point of informing the DOM (and probably the Unit Rep) that you feel victimised and it's causing you undue stress as very valid.

[Sir Henry]

I was always a safe bet to be moved from a nearly-out-of-the-door level prepped walk onto a half prepped one. Most of the time it was because the screws thought the walk I was on was more attractive to the docket kings who would probably take a third of it rather than the one I was moved to. Also as it was ready to go they could scoop up their third and take it with them rather than have to return to the office to collect it after completing their own walk. As had been said I had a finish time and could choose to go over or not. So while I may have left the office later, I really didn't spend a great deal longer on the street having spent most of the extra time prepping the new walk.