A letter from Simon Thompson

[WalkerX]

I cleared my frame today, and took some lapsing in 30 degree heat. Sadly, I could n`t clear the office, but I hope that Simon will be pleased with my efforts, and won`t regard me as being a lazy bastard. Tomorrow however...........

[sindba]

The clear implication here is that office failures are due to bone-idle posties choosing to slack off. How did Thompson, a supposedly bright person, not realise that, and at least revise his wording? Or is that the message he meant to convey? What is this even meant to achieve?!

In reality, posties have been busting a gut, working beyond healthy capacity, for years now. There's just nothing left to wring out of us. Poor quality of service is due to unrealistic workloads, budget cuts, staff shortages, and poor management that continually firefights rather than planning ahead.

It's always blame the lazy frontline, ask questions later with Royal Mail management, from the very top right down to line management. If the company is ever to truly thrive, that rotten, toxic culture and mentality needs to change as a priority.

[redneck]

The clear implication here is that office failures are due to bone-idle posties choosing to slack off. How did Thompson, a supposedly bright person, not realise that, and at least revise his wording? Or is that the message he meant to convey? What is this even meant to achieve?!

In reality, posties have been busting a gut, working beyond healthy capacity, for years now. There's just nothing left to wring out of us. Poor quality of service is due to unrealistic workloads, budget cuts, staff shortages, and poor management that continually firefights rather than planning ahead.

It's always blame the lazy frontline, ask questions later with Royal Mail management, from the very top right down to line management. If the company is ever to truly thrive, that rotten, toxic culture and mentality needs to change as a priority.

So true. The support you get is back to normal now after Covid 19 recommended ways of working have disappeared. 'Why aren't you taking your lapsing? Why did you book yesterday? How come you're slower on that duty than everyone else? I don't want any phone calls at 12 o'clock with a status report on how you much you are bringing back?' No allowances made for the fact you are no longer capable of racing round like a 20 year old athlete.

[WASD]

I have been a bit ill and have not followed this thread (since I posted the letter ) and I have just skipped through it today, I hope you guys are not breaking our number 1 rule please.

Hope you feel better soon bud. Our #1 rule should be, look after your own health first :)

[WASD]

The support you get is back to normal now after Covid 19 recommended ways of working have disappeared.

Haven't you heard, less staff is the new normal. That's why we need to clear the 2 days work, plus lapsing, then chip in to clear the office. Simples

[scotchy1962]

I have been a postie for 15yrs now and have realised that nobody and i mean nobody in management at all levels from CEO down who have any idea what the last 18 months has meant to us ordinary foot soldiers, we now have to cope with xmas parcels and packets the whole year round and then we have xmas which is just madness and then to top it all here comes a revision and a shorter working week which leaves even less time to do what you couldnt do in the first place, you couldnt make it up, and these people are meant to be intelligent although i have my doubts. Not sure what the solution to the problem is as they dont take a blind bit of notice of what us grunts think. And dont forget youre lapsing.

[POSTMAN]

I have been a bit ill and have not followed this thread (since I posted the letter ) and I have just skipped through it today, I hope you guys are not breaking our number 1 rule please.

Hope you feel better soon bud. Our #1 rule should be, look after your own health first :)

Ta mate!

[SpacePhoenix]

I have been a postie for 15yrs now and have realised that nobody and i mean nobody in management at all levels from CEO down who have any idea what the last 18 months has meant to us ordinary foot soldiers, we now have to cope with xmas parcels and packets the whole year round and then we have xmas which is just madness and then to top it all here comes a revision and a shorter working week which leaves even less time to do what you couldnt do in the first place, you couldnt make it up, and these people are meant to be intelligent although i have my doubts. Not sure what the solution to the problem is as they dont take a blind bit of notice of what us grunts think. And dont forget youre lapsing.

It's also starting to look more and more likely that we'll be back into at least a partial lockdown in October

[Acca Dacca]

The clear implication here is that office failures are due to bone-idle posties choosing to slack off. How did Thompson, a supposedly bright person, not realise that, and at least revise his wording? Or is that the message he meant to convey? What is this even meant to achieve?!

In reality, posties have been busting a gut, working beyond healthy capacity, for years now. There's just nothing left to wring out of us. Poor quality of service is due to unrealistic workloads, budget cuts, staff shortages, and poor management that continually firefights rather than planning ahead.

It's always blame the lazy frontline, ask questions later with Royal Mail management, from the very top right down to line management. If the company is ever to truly thrive, that rotten, toxic culture and mentality needs to change as a priority.

Spot on

I had liked the cut of Simon's jib when he first appeared and he felt like a breath of fresh air after Rico but feel really really let down by this letter and some of that Nick Landon's comments and the way he presents them to us.

I showed my wife that letter and she thought it was a joke

Dear Mr Smith

Clear your office, not just your frame

[worktotime]

and do you think the new ceo is also being told that staff are being told to take lapsing regardless of traffic ,and most posties are quite happy to complete there own delivery BUT then being told by the dims to leave either mail or parcels on there own delivery to just cut back on o/t claims just to do the lapsing and so it goes on day after day , so what a great service that is NOT.

[ssdd]

I had liked the cut of Simon's jib when he first appeared and he felt like a breath of fresh air after Rico but feel really really let down by this letter and some of that Nick Landon's comments and the way he presents them to us.

I showed my wife that letter and she thought it was a joke

Dear Mr Smith

Clear your office, not just your frame

You know, I made a rather flippant remark earlier in this thread (is that the first time? ) that's been highlighted by Simon in the Workplace group. But when you read the letter on Page 2 he does state that it is a request. It's just the bold outline statement at the start of the letter that's got everyone's backs up I feel. Although, I read that others aren't happy with some of the other stuff in the letter, I actually agree with most of it. It's mostly positive and contains ideas that will help the business. I'm aware of your other thread Acca, with timed/tracked deliveries. We have that already, albeit on an imprecise scale. I guess that's the direction we need to be moving in. It's what the customer wants isn't it? I'll tell you what though, I'm NOT going to be running around like an Amazon driver on crystal meth...

[2pints]

Surely the message should just be clear your frame? Because if everyone cleared their frame the office would be clear anyway And if it is staffing issues that is causing frames not to be be cleared then get some agency staff or new part timers in.

[eastie]

Surely the message should just be clear your frame? Because if everyone cleared their frame the office would be clear anyway

No the office wouldnt be clear if we dont have enough Posties for every frame

[twoloops]

I do wonder if Simons letter as had the opposite effect, even some of the hardcore bum lickers refused lapsing today

[wazer]

Leave post concentrate on tracked.I thought that was company policy now. Theres walk in the office failing ,staff finishing early as long as you take extra tracked out x3. Today there was 4 yorks of mail not even sortred.D2 all round the office in yorks.Wot have the cwu said about the letter.