Just a Postie?

[deristrong]

In our office there's a Guitar Teacher, Antiques Dealer, Arts and Crafts seller, Car dealer, Martial Arts teacher, Gym owner, various musicians and even someone who runs an alpaca farm/retreat! I'm a record dealer. There's also a number of taxi drivers and takeaway delivery drivers. Those who don't have a sideline are the ones who are happy to do 60+ hours a week. Will we ever get a pay rise good enough where we could be "Just a Postie"?

[blacov]

This is very good observation. My office is full of people hustling different side things. Maybe we haven't got a mix like at yours but still you have people doing loads of overtime or having second income. Those jus happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy, semi retired or nearing retirement.

[Woody Guthrie]

Those jus happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy, semi retired or nearing retirement

Or just live a different kind of lifestyle to you.
I don't do overtime or have another job.
It's a political principle that means I have to make sacrifices.
But I don't judge.

[ted_e_bear]

This is very good observation. My office is full of people hustling different side things. Maybe we haven't got a mix like at yours but still you have people doing loads of overtime or having second income. Those jus happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy, semi retired or nearing retirement.

Hmm....bit of a sweeping statement the last sentence of that one, think I'd edit out the useless and lazy bit if I were you.

[blacov]

Those jus happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy, semi retired or nearing retirement

Or just live a different kind of lifestyle to you.
I don't do overtime or have another job.
It's a political principle that means I have to make sacrifices.
But I don't judge.

I understand that someone may not fall in either bracket. It is often not a matter of lifestyle. These people juggling second jobs or doing overtime more often than not have families to feed and simply a full time postman wage isn't cutting anymore. Especially after recent prices rises.

A question for you. What would you do, if you or your family lived check to check and after all the essential had zero or very little money? Knowing that if price of energy or anything else that is essential goes up again and some unexpected bill comes your way you are running in debt. There a lot of people in such place.

[Woody Guthrie]

A question for you. What would you do, if you or your family lived check to check and after all the essential had zero or very little money?

Been there, done that, bought the second hand t-shirt.

These people juggling second jobs or doing overtime more often than not have families to feed

Some do and some are just used to the extra money, living beyond their means and trying to keep up with people on higher earnings with better jobs.

Very few full-time staff working overtime in Royal Mail are genuinely bread line struggling for money, you only need to look in the car park to know that.

Living on £74 a week benefits and having to put half of that in the electricity meter is struggling for money, not driving to work in an Audi TT to work your day off.

[aiden01]

Those jus happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy, semi retired or nearing retirement

Or just live a different kind of lifestyle to you.
I don't do overtime or have another job.
It's a political principle that means I have to make sacrifices.
But I don't judge.

I understand that someone may not fall in either bracket. It is often not a matter of lifestyle. These people juggling second jobs or doing overtime more often than not have families to feed and simply a full time postman wage isn't cutting anymore. Especially after recent prices rises.

A question for you. What would you do, if you or your family lived check to check and after all the essential had zero or very little money? Knowing that if price of energy or anything else that is essential goes up again and some unexpected bill comes your way you are running in debt. There a lot of people in such place.

I know plenty who live week to week but they can afford to smoke drink an gamble attitude is bills will look after themselves.

[qwerty2]

Those just happy to the basic hours and having to extra job are either useless and lazy

Half~wit
I’ve emailed will smith and told him you called his wife a slaphead

[blacov]

I can assure you all that full time postman wage around London doesn't go very far. Maybe it's different up north where rent/mortgage is far cheaper than down south and especially in and around London. This is by far the biggest expense for most of us.
I know a few people with expensive lifestyles but I also know people who are desperate for overtime and extra income as they have family to feed or they have been through turbulent times. The are basically broke and had accumulated debt.

Bottom line is we are not exactly well paid and our wage every year buys less. Of course it will be enough to just survive in a bedsit or a house share having no family and living very frugally.

[postieblueshirt]

This is my only job and I live week to week I earn more than her.buy I used to work every day off but about 4 years ago I just stopped now I don't work any.i could do with the money but now I just do without..

[Nickvilla20]

I can assure you all that full time postman wage around London doesn't go very far. Maybe it's different up north where rent/mortgage is far cheaper than down south and especially in and around London. This is by far the biggest expense for most of us.
I know a few people with expensive lifestyles but I also know people who are desperate for overtime and extra income as they have family to feed or they have been through turbulent times. The are basically broke and had accumulated debt.

Bottom line is we are not exactly well paid and our wage every year buys less. Of course it will be enough to just survive in a bedsit or a house share having no family and living very frugally.

I live in the south and don’t do any OT. I used to do SAs but the £8 an hour after tax didn’t seem worth it. Calling people lazy for not wanting to do OT knowing how physical the job can be seems very callous to me.

I agree our pay isn’t great but when you see some driving round in £40k BMWs then they are not exactly hard up are they.

[qwerty2]

I can assure you all that full time postman wage around London doesn't go very far. Maybe it's different up north where rent/mortgage is far cheaper than down south and especially in and around London. This is by far the biggest expense for most of us.
I know a few people with expensive lifestyles but I also know people who are desperate for overtime and extra income as they have family to feed or they have been through turbulent times. The are basically broke and had accumulated debt.

Bottom line is we are not exactly well paid and our wage every year buys less. Of course it will be enough to just survive in a bedsit or a house share having no family and living very frugally.

I live in the south and don’t do any OT. I used to do SAs but the £8 an hour after tax didn’t seem worth it. Calling people lazy for not wanting to do OT knowing how physical the job can be seems very callous to me.

I agree our pay isn’t great but when you see some driving round in £40k BMWs then they are not exactly hard up are they.

These people will probably be in debt up to their eyeballs all their lives

[cpsteve]

We all have to do what is best for us and our families as long as the workload is fair then its happy days and good luck to the ot second job people.

[Dorset Plodder]

These people juggling second jobs or doing overtime more often than not have families to feed

Some do and some are just used to the extra money, living beyond their means and trying to keep up with people on higher earnings with better jobs.

Very few full-time staff working overtime in Royal Mail are genuinely bread line struggling for money, you only need to look in the car park to know that.

Living on £74 a week benefits and having to put half of that in the electricity meter is struggling for money, not driving to work in an Audi TT to work your day off.

Well put Woodie. Blacov... I'd just stop digging mate.

[Dorset Plodder]

. Those who don't have a sideline are the ones who are happy to do 60+ hours a week. Will we ever get a pay rise good enough where we could be "Just a Postie"?

I'd be interested to know if your guys with other jobs/interests generally manage to complete their duties within their contracted hours? The reason I ask is: Many years ago when I first started a lot of Posties had 2nd jobs, the old favourites of window cleaning, cutting grass or handy man. We used to finish earler in those days, and regardless of what any Old Git tells you it wasn't so hard and physically draining as it is now.

Nowadays we're finishing later, we're more knackered and TBH I haven't got the enthusiasm to go home and start another job. The majority of my DO are booking pressure OT daily, and there's probably only half a dozen that I would think capable of doing another job after work. IMO the only people working their days off in my DO are those with "Easy" Duties who obviously don't need their Rest Day.
For example: Today they finished at 12.30.. I finished at 14.15. All our Duties are Equal ... But some are more equal than others.