Shift patterns for newbie

[Foxel]

Royal Mail has an interesting pecking order and you come in as the runt.

If you are needed for LAT's then you'll be out on your own and may be able to form a routine. If you are (and you most likely are) going to be covering any staff holes, then each day is a whole new experience. Within 2 years I had worked with over 200 different people, done 100 different rounds, from 7 different offices. Some days I felt like I was just trying to survive.

Be vocal, let them know what you want, the more you fuss the more they'll pick on someone else. Getting your own round or at least a working pattern makes a massive change, that can normally take years. But staff are jumping ship like never before so fingers crossed for you.

[Kenfandango]

I started 2 years ago and was, frankly, unsure if I actually had the job until I turned up (and even then the manager was surprised and confused by my arrival.) Shift patterns were very hard to pin down, there's an attitude of "well I know the times so everyone must" from a lot of staff at all levels. Pester them for a time, any normal job would actually tell you in the advert and/or the interview what hours you're doing but RM is not a normal company

[HTPostman]

As others have said, try and speak to your manager and set out your stall early on, as you no doubt will have commitments outside of work.

You’ll find there’s a number of grumpy sods at Royal Mail, looks like you’ve already met one of those cretins in this thread. Just ignore them. On my very first day, the first colleague who spoke to me uttered the words ‘who the fcuk are you and why the fcuk have you come here?’ to me. We have a real mix of workers here but if anything it keeps it interesting.

Hahaha u jus peed my pants reading that.
R u serious a Rm worker said that to u on ur first day.
I bet u where laughing inside

I was shocked more than anything. My reply was along the lines of I needed a job. He actually turned out to be a decent guy, but yet another one of those who moaned about how bad the job was, how difficult his round was yet never left and despite years of seniority never came off his round.