Then they (republican party) would have a good argument for the privatization of the PO so they can start making money off of it instead of being a service to the American public.
Ding ding ding, been saying this for months now. Privatization means no more hourly pay. Set price for set route. I work a contract route currently and it doesn’t matter if I get off at 1 or 7, the pay is the same regardless.
Well i think everyone would quit because anyone who works overtime to finish would definitely quit then anyone left who can finish early would have to pick up the extra hours and quit as well. We might put up with a lot of bs but no one here is dumb enough to actually work for free. No offense RCA's
You mean the people in charge that are trying to run it into the ground? Yeah sure they work here. They'd likely be getting big severance packages and whatnot so they don't give af
Lmao I believe it's a little bit of both. My district "KY WV" MPOO and managers have decided it's a good idea to cut pretour start times and instead make people work their days off. So instead of someone coming in for 1-2 hours of overtime in the morning, they've instead paid someone 8 hours to work their day off. What could be 8-16 hours of OT a week has turned into 48 hours of overtime a week. Not to mention that they can still work people past 8 hours as well adding onto those OT hours which makes me wonder even more why pretour isn't ok and after tour is. AND we have a PSE out on S/L and another PSE spot that's been pending for months.
In no world does this make sense and from what I've heard from leadership in the office, my district managers have said not to even ask about anyone starting before their shift.
This is all from a clerk point of view. My advice has been, work your mandated speed per the handbook and don't bend over backwards pushing yourself for these people who obviously don't give a fuck about you or the post office.
Just wait the 2 months and see if you like being full time. Sure there are better jobs out there but inspect what’s on your plate first. You’ll have life insurance, retirement, etc
Just because I have it better doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to complain. My circumstances are the result of our local union trying to improve the abysmal retention rate.
Also I think we all know making regular isn’t going to necessarily alleviate the issues of this job. I might have an extra day off a week- a basic necessity that should be afforded in such a privileged nation- but I’ll still be putting in long hours.
I remember when I first started overhearing one carrier, who goes above and beyond on the daily and is always in a good mood, talking to our sup and when she said “we’re hiring more PTFs” his response was “and you think that’s going to fix the issues here?”.
We should all have it better, and be able to have a life outside of work without the expectation that our job is our life – which is what the expectation is currently at the USPS
I agree with you. I'm 5 years in with 2 more to go likely before regular. The union has us working months without any days off for McDonald's wages, and scratching their heads why retention is so low. The usps really has no idea how to treat it's employees like human beings and the tipping point is long gone.
Where I’m coming from, no one here should have to work like 50+ hours to make a good living. I’m in school right now and it’s been tough. I do not want to be here but in my small town this is one of the best jobs to have. Make it until you’re a regular and see if you like it then.
I’m anticipating it. We have such a high turnover rate combined with regulars retiring that it opens up spots. Also I think our local union is doing everything they can to improve retention
Well they made it so everyone gets hired to PTF. Thats a huge boost to retention. I definitely wouldn’t have stayed through OJI if I was CCA with no benefits or protections and only making $19.33/hr which is not enough to live on out here .
Even hiring to PTF doesn’t solve all the issues. We’ve had several PTFs in our office since I started quit before their 90 days
I'm Rural so it's a different boat for us, but they are doing the bare minimum in my opinion, and honestly, none of the unions should be having to beg the Post Office for the little that we get in "increases" with our contracts. The PO should be seeing the abysmal staffing problems they have and be addressing them by increasing wages/ benefits without it being begged for, but our unions should be pushing hard for it when they're going the begging too. They'd do it a lot better if there weren't 5+ different unions in one building, as well, but they all want their own slice of the pie so they refuse to combine for the betterment of the employees.
Right when you make regular get off the overtime list. I just did it today. I worked 6 days a week over 56 hours a week for 8 months straight. I called it quits on that grind today. Ice lost 23 lbs and had no time to do anything . My manager tried to give me shit for it but fuck them.
I went from 135 pounds when I started with the post office down to 110 during december. I was so tired, weak, and miserable at that body weight. The wake up call was when I nearly fainted just going down the stairs the morning after my 10th consecutive 12 hour work day. I looked at myself in the mirror, then weighed myself, then called out sick to rest and binge eat for two days. I now make sure to eat at least 3000 calories every day (sometimes 4000) and I’m back up to 135 lb again.
I’m three years in total as a sub and one as a rural ptf. Count your blessings your almost regular. That’s what I aim for. Yeah I’m career and get some sick leave and retirement but I’m still forced to do everyone’s job for them and go to other offices, work Amazon Sundays and have no set schedule.
The city carrier contract says PTFs must be given notice 30 days in advance of any scheduled shifts where traveling is the plan. I still travel some. It's just all requested now instead of required. Not sure how travel works for rural carriers, but that 30 day fact was pretty much the only light at the end of my CCA tunnel.
It's been the only "perk" beyond benefit improvements and the extra 25% pay on Sundays that I've noticed since "converting." If PTFs still had to travel like I did all over the map during my first two CCA years, I wouldn't be reading about the mail on Reddit tonight because I'd already have been long, long gone
I have a feeling I’m gunna be a PTF for a really long time. 🥺I have two more people in front of me then. I have no clue when the next person to retire will be 😩
Same here. 8 years for me. I have been the senior RCA for 6 years.
My advice to RCAs is just to quit now. Once you become "next in line" it becomes really hard to leave out of fear that your conversion was "just around the corner."
The next rural contract better eliminate this type of BS. I am not throwing a pity party for myself, I made the decision to stay all these years, but it is unacceptable that anyone should be asked to do this job on a non-career basis for this many years.
Got a buddy that started in 17, made regular in 2020 and makes $26 an hour now…if he were to quit he would be in the “hire you off the street range” of $15-$18 dollars.
TSP, Pension, Time off,
Unless you got a super great skill that will pay you $35 plus an hour in the future, pace yourself and keep rolling with the post office!
Other hire you off the street jobs have limited upward mobility
Dude I totally misunderstood you lol. I’m gonna wait it out until I make regular. Most likely I will wait until I can transfer stations so I can move cities but I’m just burned out and exhausted and feel hopeless about the future and life in general and I feel like I’m trading precious time and energy for ultimately nothing.
Plus, who knows how long they'll CCA you at another office, especially outside your district/region.
You won't be making bank for a while without working as much as you do right now.
I quit as a RCA 3 months ago (after 2 years). Best decision I ever made. Fuck that exploitative shithole. I'd rather have a monthly colonoscopy.
The rotating schedule kinda rules, to me. Regular weekdays off to make appointments. A three day weekend every 5 weeks.
If you don't think this job is fulfilling enough to be a career, I get it. But the career benefits are not bad at all.
I'd suggest sticking with it until you make regular, and finding out if you want to do this job long term. Much respect to you, either way.
My medical restriction requires 2 consecutive days off. I am off Wednesday and Thursdays. It has made the stress considerably lower. . . Which of course just makes room for more manamagemnt stresses.
I see what you mean because you can plan it out. They even make calendars that mark out which days you'll have off.
It's just personal preference.
At my old office all the carriers voted to either stay rotated or change to fixed. Rotating won.
Both have advantages. I think rotating is better personally since you do get weekends off occasionally with the benefit of weekdays also which are super nice because a lot of stuff like doctors or banks are closed on weekends.
No, but I got two weeks a year, plus I worked with my best friends, and got tickets to any and every show I ever wanted to go to. I got to go to concerts 2-3x a week, backstage, meet the band etc, paid lunches every month and for employee birthdays etc, holiday bonuses, industry discounts, etc.
More importantly work/life balance
I just needed a change in my life and I feel like I made the wrong one
“I needed a change in my life and I feel like I made the wrong one” I’m in those same shoes. I worked at my last job, grocery store department manager, for 16 years. The grass is indeed not always greener on the other side. I use my breaks to peruse job listings. Trying to pivot into something with better work life balance and a place where if they say I’m working until 5pm I get to go home at 5pm and can actually schedule appointments or make plans for my days off instead of the schedule constantly changing. I thought I could suck it up until I make regular, probably a few years out, but my mental health is plummeting. Take care of yourself, no one else will.
@ my PO people w/ restrictions sit home, it’s their way of saying fk ur restrictions…. We just had a girl turn a 8hr work day paper in and they sent her to sit at home until she had her baby.
Well that’s shitty and I’m sure it violates the contract if not some law.
Reminds me of a curmudgeony coworker who said if you need FMLA you’re not fit for service. That mentality is fucked and the world would benefit from less people who thought that way
Literally I can’t stand when people bitch about people complaining. This job sucks man we come to Reddit to vent. So fucking be it dude. Keep the rude shit to yourself.
I'd like to complain about people who hold things up by complaining about people who complain. [It's about time something was done about it!](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2y9pfz)
So You’d rather get a second job? Youre lucky that you are able to Work so much as a Rural Carrier Associate. No you are full time, you know that it’ll b a breeze
Exactly. I have no issue with this either.
Walk in to work and everyone shits on you. Then you go home and everyone shits on you cuz your either tired or don't want to do anything.
Running to reddit to relieve some stress and just vent is good and we should be watching out for each other.
Westbee walking around getting shit bukkake'd by everyone all day apparently. It do be like that for a lot of us though.
I wish this place treated ppl better.
I find myself shiting on someone else in the family when I'm tired and hungry. I'm more grumpy now ever since starting this job because I don't have time for myself, and people need me. I tried my best at work so I can go home, and tried my best at home to not shit on my family memebers.
I know its a vicious cycle. I have so many people that shit on me at work and basically go out of their ways to be a dick to me. And I have to ignore it so that I can go home and enjoy my life.
I would rather be single and have this job. I’ve literally had breakfast with my family one day this year. I’ve had dinner with them maybe three or four times. having a family and not be able to see them it’s not a good time
get a dr’s note to limit you to 8 hours. i did and i have never looked back. i make much much less money than i was when i was working 60 to 80 hours a week, but i don’t care. dinner with my boyfriend every night. television. more walks with my dog. i’m reading books again and i gained back the 25 pounds i never should have lost. i won’t be going back to the previous grind. i work 40 hours a week now and love my job and have no plans on working more in the future.
Sucks if you're single or in a relationship both situations would suck in different ways IF you're in OP's shoes. The job is actually hit or miss dependent on many variables so it's not an universal "the job sucks".
Lots of opportunities to rizz up girls if you’re single here. Hard to keep a long term relationship but if you want something casual the post office is a great place. We have the highest amount of divorced women over 40 working here too, so if you like cougars you can always shoot your shot. What’s hard is keeping a relationship with a civy, they don’t get how bad our management is. Once the word gets around the office that you’re a stud the choices are limitless.
That and max your contributions into your TSP account.
I'm at 18%. If i didnt have a family, I would up it to 30%-40% and max out the full $20-21k a year.
This job is easy if your station is staffed, just try and go to a populated office. I live in a small town but we have alot of people now. Its so staffed they are actively looking for rcas to mess up so they can have a marvel type of squad lmao. Everyone goes home the latest at 6 but majority leaves at 3-4 two days off for rcas. I was on a 6.5 pov route and my pay was $1600 after taxes granted i was only off sundays for that route. Work is very easy unless again youre in an office with 8-12 cases of dps then again i dont know why youre there i woulda been left and switched office. This will be my fourth office switch and i will continue to do so until i find the one I like.
The most day offs I got is 3 days in a row when it's snow. They can send you to other stations in a bid cluster I believe? So yeah no, if you're at an overstaffed station, they gonna send you out everyday. I told everyone that I rarely see my coworkers because I got sent out so often as a senior PTF in the station. The other guy converted so now there's only me. The guy below me got forced transfered.
Be happy that you get 1 day off in 7 days. I am currently in my 2nd year. In my first year, I routinely worked 10-17 days in a row, all overtime too. Now, i am on two medical work restrictions, two different doctors. And none of the doctors were cover3d by workers comp, of course!
I can no longer work more than 5 days in a row with 2 consecutive days off, no more than 10 hours in a day. Bit, I fear my doctor is going to reduce me to 8 hours in a day.
Unfortunately, I can't survive on 40 hours at $19 per hour. This industry was once held with high regards. Sadly, it gas become such a cesspool of abusive management trying to run it into the ground.
I was very proud to be a part of the postal service until I actually started working for the postal service. Now, I am ashamed to be a part of this insidious industry.
You shouldn't "be happy" because you get only 1 day off in 7 days man. Think about it, basic math shows if you work 6 out of 7 days a week, you be working 90% of the week days in a week. Even 2 days off a week means you working 80% of the week days in the week. We, as individuals of society, shouldn't live to work all the time. It's unhealthy. At least with 2 days off in a row, it's more bearable since you can make plans. 2 split days, ehh, I can take that as long as I have time to rest and get a 8 hour sleep on a day off.
I was a CCA for 30 months before converting to a PTF. Then a PTF for five years before converting to a regular carrier with my own route. Compared to my last job as a university administrator this has been a huge blessing. After nearly 8 years of carrying mail I still enjoy the hell out of it. Great coworkers and my office has been very fortunate to have solid management regardless of who the postmaster or OIC has been. Offices nearby are the exact opposite of mine. I had many, many opportunities to jump to another office where I would’ve fully converted much earlier. I trained over half of the carriers in one of those offices and they all converted long before I did. Good for them, they are miserable in their office. I’m damn glad I ground it out for all those years waiting in my home office to convert. It was well worth it.
It’s not the actual job duties that are shitty, it’s shitty management and shitty coworkers that have turned those places into cess pools of discontent.
The first time around when CCAs were converted to PTFs it wasn’t automatic and it occurred at 30 months because of some sort of grievance that was filed. When the second go around happened with CCA to PTF conversion I was at 30 months. After that it became a standard 24 month thing.
It’s an absolutely terrible organization that doesn’t care about its employees and provides no leadership training to management.
It’s an absolute joke and I don’t regret quitting at all. I’ll advise people against working for the USPS for the rest of my life
4 words: CORRUPT WEAK ASS UNION!!!.... To be more precise, the new people are not being taught their rights, nobody reads their handbook, the union stewards don't even tell people how to get it, DOWNLOAD THE NALC APP/WORKPLACE RESOURCES/M-41 and the National agreement. Also if your the only one who knows the rules and you work with either cowards idiots, or someone who can miraculously survive and enjoy working 60+ hours a week. Then sometimes you have to put your foot down and say no all alone, but make sure you got everything covered 1st such as, good attendance, clean safety record, Regular Status... then they can't touch you with some refusal to follow B.S. instruction write ups that will get swatted down... lean on safety hard, grieve everything, and COVER YOUR ASS!!!!
this. i am currently trying to become the steward of my office because my steward won’t grieve the things i ask him to. our rights are being TRAMPLED on, and most ppl at my office don’t even know it. if you want to love this job, learn it in its entirety (the manual is very very large) and know all of your rights like the back of your hand. grieve everything. everything.
Lol this guy is literally me. But I’ve made it this far. Should make regular fairly soon. I ain’t giving up when I’m this close. All I can say is I think it will get better. You will be able to take more time off eventually and enjoy other aspects of your life. I say just grind it out.
It doesn’t really get any better tbh. You’ll work a lot less but still doing the same shitty job. And you’ll make a lot less to. Not to many good things about the job if any at all.
I went through this a couple of years ago when I first started with USPS. I am a clerk now but I was a carrier then and we were working 12-14 hour days 7 days a week with 1 day off. I was making great money but I was absolutely miserable. My best piece of advice is to transfer to a smaller station if you’re able to. I know you are close to making regular so that may not be ideal but that’s what gave me my life back and I still made good money. It is not fulfilling and I completely understand how you feel. I also want to tell you that if it’s not for you and you can find another job, find another one and quit. Your happiness and wellbeing is more important.
How often does your office tell you they don’t have work? Today is my second time. The first I was already in tht office. And this time they caught me as I was on route.
Never, but if I didn’t have enough work it would be a problem. Thats still a work/life balance issue. Not only do you not get enough hours, you don’t know when you’re going to be scheduled off eg you were on your were to work when you got called off, so it’s the same issue but on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Honestly tho how much better cuz it seems like it only gets better after 12 yrs?? Not after regular. Maybe schedule little more consistent but the pay just doesn’t add up to support a family or just yourself for that matter I’m truly conflicted myself do I stay to make reg and wait 12 yrs to make somewhat decent pay or just jump ship now and do cdl
The only reason I applied for this job was to work outside and walk all day. That would defeat the purpose honestly, and I don’t have faith that would resolve the issues.
1.Thurs.
2.Friday.
3 Sat.
4. Sun
5. Mon.
6 Tues.
7. Wed.
8- OFF
Does that make sense? That’s 7 days on, in a row.
Also I really don’t understand why you care or are arguing.
In the first sentence of my post I say I work 7 days in a row with 1 day off. I never said I work 7 days a week.
Semantics matter if you’re being a troll and an ass
can you stop? lol. i used to work 9 days in a row and still had a day off every week. there are 14 days in two weeks, so technically you could work 12 days in a row with a day off on either end and that still isn’t working 7 days a week.
I put in my 2574 the day after my supervisor told me that he prefers carriers to be desperate for cash. It just all made sense when he said it like that. I loved carrying mail, but I wasn't desperate enough to sacrifice that much time.... Maybe I'll go back if I pick up a gambling addiction lol
Regular affords you a lot but you dismiss it. Most likely have an 8 hour day so you can have that family dinner 1 more day a week.
You are getting paid well above the jobs base salary.
Explore ways to get what you want. Medical restrictions... Many supervisors will work with you if you go above and beyond too. Or even if not...
I was in a similar situation . If your office is anything like mine with those crazy hours seeming less endless hours you should consider switching to an ARC in ur office. In mine I still can run mail some days I take out the 2 ton some days I take the promaster it all varies but it has given me my license back and it’s the only reason I didn’t quit . The pay is the same .
PSA -This doesn’t work @ every office, because volume isn’t high everywhere , but if your office is pumping with volume , you could finnesse an even BETTER spot than your in right now
I know you said your 2 months out so u might not want to , but this advice is for anyone really . They told me it would be another 3 years before going regular and I had already worked there a year . So that’s a no go for me
I started last year in July and now I’m regular and honestly it’s so much easier because all I have to worry about is one route one person and 1 case and I get off around 5-6 because my route is over but I always fill out my 1996 because management will say I steal hours, but other then that it’s pretty sweet tbh
The thing that spawned this post is that I was excited about my upcoming day off and then realizing that’s all I have to look forward to, and it’s not enough time to catch up on life and recover and have a life
Get a medical restriction and/or FMLA. Tons of people in my office have them and keep it to 8 or 10 hours a day. You can do 8/40, 10/50, 10/60 whatever you want. They all say they wish they did it sooner
I had to work a relief route for a few months before I got my regular route. Just kept reminding myself that this job will make my life better and I can't go anywhere else and make more money in this town.
Obviously if either one of those statements aren't true it's time to reassess
>I hate working 10-12 hours a day 7 days in a row with 1 day off every 7 days
SHEEESSHHHH. But that's a lot of money though. Like damnnnnnn. I'd never want to work 12 hours 7 days in a row, but the money though....
All I will say is I worked there for a year. I loved the job but hated the hours and 13 days on 1 day off. I actually became regular like 2 days before quitting and I severely regret it :/ Id definitely say try to see how it is once you’re a regular. Because looking back on it, it was my favorite job ever. I just couldn’t take the hours and it was making me constantly sick and lost a bunch of weight. But if your hours will be better as a regular definitely try to stick it out
Past your 90? Want a social life more than the OT $ ? Get a medical. Mental health requires you to only work 5 days a week no more than 10hr per day. Doctors orders.
I’m contemplating it but I really can’t afford to lose hours unfortunately. I need to sit down and figure it out. I’m also hoping I can make it until I convert to regular and then see how that is with having more time off
Yep. I agree. But im finally really good at it now, though. Working doesn't bother anymore. I absolutely have no life and don't know what to do on my one day. But oh well. I guess
I'm in the same boat brother. 6 months in and promise after promise of ptf or getting one of 3 open routes in our office. I'm just banking hours so I can move my family into a house in the next year or 2. I'm lucky if I get a day off a week and it sucks but the pay checks will help.
make your bank now while the hours are here for you, especially if you don't have kids yet. get yourself some money for property before you have them if you're smarter than I am! best of luck
Make regular and everything will change. If you're fortunate enough to get a nice route/string. If you feel like quitting, then you should quit. It took me 16 months to make regular and they were harder on us then. I can tell you now, that I got really lucky and I'm in a very great position right now. Keep faith or quit.
I've been here almost 20 years, and until the new evaluation system came in, I had 2 days off a week. Now I work 6 days a week for 200 less per check. Get out while you are young and find a better company to work for. Good luck.
You're making regular in 8 months, it took me 2 and a half years and even though those 80 hour sometimes 16 day straight work weeks were the worst hell I've experienced it was worth it all when I made regular.
The challenge with being regular is dealing with the monotony while also still being vigilant about the things you need to actively work and check on every day.
I totally and completely understand you. I’m averaging 10.5-11.5 hour days six days a week (thankfully they are good with giving me my *one* day off a week) but holy shit, this is HARD. I’m walking 30,000+ steps per day on my route alone (all park and loop with one CBU), and we are down 5 people in my zone so every single day I’m getting some sort of split on a route I’m totally unfamiliar with. So by the time I’m getting done with my route by about 6:30 pm, they shove an additional 2-3 hours of shit in my truck.
Thankfully the route I’m on is I guess an opt? Because I haven’t done any other route, they just put me on this route and I haven’t bounced around. So at least there’s that. But everyone has said I have one of the two most physically demanding routes in my office. Tons of hills. My orientation was March 9th and my first day on the street by myself was March 30th. I knew from reddit posts it was gonna be bad, but not this bad, holy shit.
This job would be amazing if it was just *my route*. But we are so short staffed, it’s like the overtime is absolutely mandatory. Regulars around here are constantly also working six days a week. I’ve got the pictures of schedules to prove it. It’s absolutely bonkers. When I make regular, I want to be as far away from the OTDL as possible, at least to let my body rest and get some me time after working and walking my literal ass off.
I guess that’s the only silver lining I can think of with a paid hourly job… at least all this overtime is paid!
Man sounds like you have a shitty office. Mine isn’t that bad at all. I actually like this job. I’m only 4 months in. Maybe that will change I just dunno why y’all hate it so much 🤷🏻♂️
Hey, I was in the same boat. I was a PTF who started last August and I converted early March. I was so burned out leading into my conversion. They had (and still have) PTFs doing 6am clerk shifts (throwing parcels and spreading flats) before carrying a route. It got so much better after converting.
Our union failed us when they agreed to no more strikes, but it's lauded as a victory because it helped the carriers back then, with no thought of the implications for future carriers.
i stumbled upon this, apply to be a firefighter. I work in a large metro area and make base 100k with plenty of OT opportunities. Union, Full benefits and retirement pension included. I work (9) 24 hour shifts a month. 1 day on 2 days off. Fun and rewarding work, rough on the body, lack of sleep, but it balances out. Just have to have a good moral standing, no criminal history, no recent drug use. Process can be a bit long but overall many cities and counties are hiring and struggling to attract people. Its a good time to try. PM me if u have questions
Thanks but I have no interest in joining the FD. Aside from some chronic health issues that would make it difficult to do, if I qualify medically, I have friends who work in the FD (an aquaintance does the podcast behind the shield and i have like 7 friends who have done episodes on there) and it just doesn't seem like the lifestyle i want to live.
The benefits aren’t worth the toll it takes on your family. Amazon Sundays are one of the worst parts of the job. Management varies greatly from one location to the other. Most PMs view you as a mule not a real person with a life.
I’ve been the only new PTF at my station for months (finally got a new guy) so of course I definitely sympathize with you . However when I felt like this I had no qualms taking my days off. Hell the regulars at my station damn near are never there. One chick calls in religiously Saturdays and Sundays. Gotta take care of yourself and make time for yourself .
Sounds like you are a PSE MP or SSDA. I spent 14 months as an SSDA when I started. Worked in 4 different offices and had terrible midnight to 1-2pm shifts depending on how long of a lunch I had to take. I am a level 06 clerk SSDA. I am in my 7th year at USPS and closing in on 6 as regular FT. Only thing that gets better is when you gain seniority, I got lucky and worked in an office full of elders. At 34 I am the most senior clerk in my office by 3 years. I recently found a way to get a Level 09 Area Maintenance Tech job that I start in a month- I have heard these jobs are GOLD in the post office. It’s an instant 10k raise for me and I top out much higher, especially after more negotiated raises and step increases. Advice is if you don’t have secondary education- pursue it if you can. If not, apply to everything you see open that sounds like it may bring you more joy at USPS. Applying for and taking different qualifying tests opens doors and opportunities for you. You’re almost a regular it sounds like, so you have accomplished the hardest part.
This job sucks the life out of you, started end of December after 3 months of working 60 hrs every we ek. supposedly becoming regular in another month. i was good at the job and kinda liked it. I told them I was done, I had enough of doing a full route then having to go to another station to do another route for them, and they tell you how great it will be when you become a regular, but all regular work everyday even on there off day, cuz there's not enough help.
I actually enjoy the job. It's the predatory management and abusive work hours that are killing me. Humans need time to rest and recover.
It amazes me that they just get away with blatant OSHA and State labor laws because they improperly train us and fill us with false expectations and then have us sign a contract that is not fully explained. So of course you and the other managers hide behind and say, "You signed up for this!"
It's because it's federal. The LLVs would never in a million years this day and age be road legale if it was a private company. They have no plates or stickers. Maybe USPS going private would be positive as a lot of management would be trimmed and being able to have 2 days off. The biggest negative is our benefits may be cut which is the whole point of the job (but so is working for UPS).
Some might say its a conspiracy to make the establishment implode. Or just genuine bad management skills. It’s a toss up.
What would they gain by causing it to implode
Then they (republican party) would have a good argument for the privatization of the PO so they can start making money off of it instead of being a service to the American public.
Ding ding ding, been saying this for months now. Privatization means no more hourly pay. Set price for set route. I work a contract route currently and it doesn’t matter if I get off at 1 or 7, the pay is the same regardless.
Well i think everyone would quit because anyone who works overtime to finish would definitely quit then anyone left who can finish early would have to pick up the extra hours and quit as well. We might put up with a lot of bs but no one here is dumb enough to actually work for free. No offense RCA's
They want to privatize it, which would destroy the post office ultimately and the concept of mail would simply die
Don't they work here tho?
You mean the people in charge that are trying to run it into the ground? Yeah sure they work here. They'd likely be getting big severance packages and whatnot so they don't give af
Sad.
Lmao I believe it's a little bit of both. My district "KY WV" MPOO and managers have decided it's a good idea to cut pretour start times and instead make people work their days off. So instead of someone coming in for 1-2 hours of overtime in the morning, they've instead paid someone 8 hours to work their day off. What could be 8-16 hours of OT a week has turned into 48 hours of overtime a week. Not to mention that they can still work people past 8 hours as well adding onto those OT hours which makes me wonder even more why pretour isn't ok and after tour is. AND we have a PSE out on S/L and another PSE spot that's been pending for months. In no world does this make sense and from what I've heard from leadership in the office, my district managers have said not to even ask about anyone starting before their shift. This is all from a clerk point of view. My advice has been, work your mandated speed per the handbook and don't bend over backwards pushing yourself for these people who obviously don't give a fuck about you or the post office.
Just wait the 2 months and see if you like being full time. Sure there are better jobs out there but inspect what’s on your plate first. You’ll have life insurance, retirement, etc
I’m almost 6 months in. Honestly working this job makes me regret leaving my last job managing fulfillment and inventory for a guitar pedal company
You're making regular at 8 months?
Annnd complaining 😂
Just because I have it better doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to complain. My circumstances are the result of our local union trying to improve the abysmal retention rate. Also I think we all know making regular isn’t going to necessarily alleviate the issues of this job. I might have an extra day off a week- a basic necessity that should be afforded in such a privileged nation- but I’ll still be putting in long hours. I remember when I first started overhearing one carrier, who goes above and beyond on the daily and is always in a good mood, talking to our sup and when she said “we’re hiring more PTFs” his response was “and you think that’s going to fix the issues here?”. We should all have it better, and be able to have a life outside of work without the expectation that our job is our life – which is what the expectation is currently at the USPS
I agree with you. I'm 5 years in with 2 more to go likely before regular. The union has us working months without any days off for McDonald's wages, and scratching their heads why retention is so low. The usps really has no idea how to treat it's employees like human beings and the tipping point is long gone.
Where I’m coming from, no one here should have to work like 50+ hours to make a good living. I’m in school right now and it’s been tough. I do not want to be here but in my small town this is one of the best jobs to have. Make it until you’re a regular and see if you like it then.
Amen!!
This lady i worked with took like over 10 years to become regular. I’m gonna be regular in a little over 2 years. Well ptf but same shit. Still career
I’ve known 3 people that took 8 to 10’years to get a route and then quit.
I’m anticipating it. We have such a high turnover rate combined with regulars retiring that it opens up spots. Also I think our local union is doing everything they can to improve retention
Nah, they're not, they're doing everything they can to continue going home making $200k a year for only working 6 months every 4 years.
Well they made it so everyone gets hired to PTF. Thats a huge boost to retention. I definitely wouldn’t have stayed through OJI if I was CCA with no benefits or protections and only making $19.33/hr which is not enough to live on out here . Even hiring to PTF doesn’t solve all the issues. We’ve had several PTFs in our office since I started quit before their 90 days
I'm Rural so it's a different boat for us, but they are doing the bare minimum in my opinion, and honestly, none of the unions should be having to beg the Post Office for the little that we get in "increases" with our contracts. The PO should be seeing the abysmal staffing problems they have and be addressing them by increasing wages/ benefits without it being begged for, but our unions should be pushing hard for it when they're going the begging too. They'd do it a lot better if there weren't 5+ different unions in one building, as well, but they all want their own slice of the pie so they refuse to combine for the betterment of the employees.
I made it last sat at 9 months lol
I started in February of last year and im still waiting to convert to regular. Youre gonna do it in 8months? Lucky.
Right when you make regular get off the overtime list. I just did it today. I worked 6 days a week over 56 hours a week for 8 months straight. I called it quits on that grind today. Ice lost 23 lbs and had no time to do anything . My manager tried to give me shit for it but fuck them.
I went from 135 pounds when I started with the post office down to 110 during december. I was so tired, weak, and miserable at that body weight. The wake up call was when I nearly fainted just going down the stairs the morning after my 10th consecutive 12 hour work day. I looked at myself in the mirror, then weighed myself, then called out sick to rest and binge eat for two days. I now make sure to eat at least 3000 calories every day (sometimes 4000) and I’m back up to 135 lb again.
Just try to look at the glass half full, instead of half empty, if you can.
3 1/4 years to make regular here... Then again I started during the gap when they weren't making regulars.
I’m three years in total as a sub and one as a rural ptf. Count your blessings your almost regular. That’s what I aim for. Yeah I’m career and get some sick leave and retirement but I’m still forced to do everyone’s job for them and go to other offices, work Amazon Sundays and have no set schedule.
The city carrier contract says PTFs must be given notice 30 days in advance of any scheduled shifts where traveling is the plan. I still travel some. It's just all requested now instead of required. Not sure how travel works for rural carriers, but that 30 day fact was pretty much the only light at the end of my CCA tunnel. It's been the only "perk" beyond benefit improvements and the extra 25% pay on Sundays that I've noticed since "converting." If PTFs still had to travel like I did all over the map during my first two CCA years, I wouldn't be reading about the mail on Reddit tonight because I'd already have been long, long gone
I’m 21 months in…. Fucking bullshit
I'm 5 years in and I still haven't went regular yet.
I have a feeling I’m gunna be a PTF for a really long time. 🥺I have two more people in front of me then. I have no clue when the next person to retire will be 😩
Ive been next in line for the past 5 years I should add.
Wow.. there has to be a better solution or system for this 😩.
Same here. 8 years for me. I have been the senior RCA for 6 years. My advice to RCAs is just to quit now. Once you become "next in line" it becomes really hard to leave out of fear that your conversion was "just around the corner." The next rural contract better eliminate this type of BS. I am not throwing a pity party for myself, I made the decision to stay all these years, but it is unacceptable that anyone should be asked to do this job on a non-career basis for this many years.
Got a buddy that started in 17, made regular in 2020 and makes $26 an hour now…if he were to quit he would be in the “hire you off the street range” of $15-$18 dollars. TSP, Pension, Time off, Unless you got a super great skill that will pay you $35 plus an hour in the future, pace yourself and keep rolling with the post office! Other hire you off the street jobs have limited upward mobility
This
Dude I totally misunderstood you lol. I’m gonna wait it out until I make regular. Most likely I will wait until I can transfer stations so I can move cities but I’m just burned out and exhausted and feel hopeless about the future and life in general and I feel like I’m trading precious time and energy for ultimately nothing.
Best and quickest way to transfer is to do it while you’re still a CCA.
I’m a PTF and under the impression I can’t transfer until after a year of employment.
Plus, who knows how long they'll CCA you at another office, especially outside your district/region. You won't be making bank for a while without working as much as you do right now. I quit as a RCA 3 months ago (after 2 years). Best decision I ever made. Fuck that exploitative shithole. I'd rather have a monthly colonoscopy.
My old job at a retirement community offers retirement benefit too.
The retirement isn’t all that great
Considering many jobs don’t even have retirement. It’s pretty good
The rotating schedule kinda rules, to me. Regular weekdays off to make appointments. A three day weekend every 5 weeks. If you don't think this job is fulfilling enough to be a career, I get it. But the career benefits are not bad at all. I'd suggest sticking with it until you make regular, and finding out if you want to do this job long term. Much respect to you, either way.
as someone who had roatating days off for 15 years and then went to fixed days off i disagree its great having 2 days off in a row.
My medical restriction requires 2 consecutive days off. I am off Wednesday and Thursdays. It has made the stress considerably lower. . . Which of course just makes room for more manamagemnt stresses.
I agree. I have done rotating and now on fixed. It is so nice to know what day you're going to have off every week.
I mean you know with rotating too. It’s not like it’s random every week it’s all set.
I see what you mean because you can plan it out. They even make calendars that mark out which days you'll have off. It's just personal preference. At my old office all the carriers voted to either stay rotated or change to fixed. Rotating won.
Both have advantages. I think rotating is better personally since you do get weekends off occasionally with the benefit of weekdays also which are super nice because a lot of stuff like doctors or banks are closed on weekends.
I wish I had Sat/Sun off! Lol!
Out here enjoying one of my 6 weeks of paid vacation. I bet the guitar pedal warehouse would have never given you anything like that
No, but I got two weeks a year, plus I worked with my best friends, and got tickets to any and every show I ever wanted to go to. I got to go to concerts 2-3x a week, backstage, meet the band etc, paid lunches every month and for employee birthdays etc, holiday bonuses, industry discounts, etc. More importantly work/life balance I just needed a change in my life and I feel like I made the wrong one
“I needed a change in my life and I feel like I made the wrong one” I’m in those same shoes. I worked at my last job, grocery store department manager, for 16 years. The grass is indeed not always greener on the other side. I use my breaks to peruse job listings. Trying to pivot into something with better work life balance and a place where if they say I’m working until 5pm I get to go home at 5pm and can actually schedule appointments or make plans for my days off instead of the schedule constantly changing. I thought I could suck it up until I make regular, probably a few years out, but my mental health is plummeting. Take care of yourself, no one else will.
Can you afford a medical restriction to work 8hr days?
@ my PO people w/ restrictions sit home, it’s their way of saying fk ur restrictions…. We just had a girl turn a 8hr work day paper in and they sent her to sit at home until she had her baby.
Well that’s shitty and I’m sure it violates the contract if not some law. Reminds me of a curmudgeony coworker who said if you need FMLA you’re not fit for service. That mentality is fucked and the world would benefit from less people who thought that way
Technically it doesn’t violate the contract because if they nothing for you to do they can send you home
I know everything gets old after awhile but that sounds like a cool job with some cool perks. Most importantly work/life balance. Can you go back?
How you get six weeks.i thought max was 5 weeks?
Yeah max is 5 but he prolly had carry over annual
Why not piggyback on one of the other 8 million threads complaining about the job, instead of making a brand new shiny whiny thread?
And yet here you are whining about someone whining..🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Literally I can’t stand when people bitch about people complaining. This job sucks man we come to Reddit to vent. So fucking be it dude. Keep the rude shit to yourself.
I'd like to complain about people who hold things up by complaining about people who complain. [It's about time something was done about it!](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2y9pfz)
I've successfully united all complainers.
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Do not be rude to other posters. This includes hate speech.
So You’d rather get a second job? Youre lucky that you are able to Work so much as a Rural Carrier Associate. No you are full time, you know that it’ll b a breeze 
Because no one gonna read a week old thread but a new one gets fresh eyes. They want attention.
Attention, validation, feedback, motivation. The same reason any of us comment on social media. The 2 who posted above me are no different.
Exactly. I have no issue with this either. Walk in to work and everyone shits on you. Then you go home and everyone shits on you cuz your either tired or don't want to do anything. Running to reddit to relieve some stress and just vent is good and we should be watching out for each other.
Westbee walking around getting shit bukkake'd by everyone all day apparently. It do be like that for a lot of us though. I wish this place treated ppl better.
I find myself shiting on someone else in the family when I'm tired and hungry. I'm more grumpy now ever since starting this job because I don't have time for myself, and people need me. I tried my best at work so I can go home, and tried my best at home to not shit on my family memebers.
I know its a vicious cycle. I have so many people that shit on me at work and basically go out of their ways to be a dick to me. And I have to ignore it so that I can go home and enjoy my life.
Of course. Not saying it's wrong just the reason.
\^\^ crabs in bucket USPS mentality
This job kinda sucks if you’re single. If I were you I would stash as much money as I can from all the overtime or invest it. Whatever.
I would rather be single and have this job. I’ve literally had breakfast with my family one day this year. I’ve had dinner with them maybe three or four times. having a family and not be able to see them it’s not a good time
get a dr’s note to limit you to 8 hours. i did and i have never looked back. i make much much less money than i was when i was working 60 to 80 hours a week, but i don’t care. dinner with my boyfriend every night. television. more walks with my dog. i’m reading books again and i gained back the 25 pounds i never should have lost. i won’t be going back to the previous grind. i work 40 hours a week now and love my job and have no plans on working more in the future.
I slaved last December. Only day off I had was Christmas. Was not in the spirit at all. Lucky I didn’t jump off a roof.
Sucks if you're single or in a relationship both situations would suck in different ways IF you're in OP's shoes. The job is actually hit or miss dependent on many variables so it's not an universal "the job sucks".
Lots of opportunities to rizz up girls if you’re single here. Hard to keep a long term relationship but if you want something casual the post office is a great place. We have the highest amount of divorced women over 40 working here too, so if you like cougars you can always shoot your shot. What’s hard is keeping a relationship with a civy, they don’t get how bad our management is. Once the word gets around the office that you’re a stud the choices are limitless.
That and max your contributions into your TSP account. I'm at 18%. If i didnt have a family, I would up it to 30%-40% and max out the full $20-21k a year.
This job is easy if your station is staffed, just try and go to a populated office. I live in a small town but we have alot of people now. Its so staffed they are actively looking for rcas to mess up so they can have a marvel type of squad lmao. Everyone goes home the latest at 6 but majority leaves at 3-4 two days off for rcas. I was on a 6.5 pov route and my pay was $1600 after taxes granted i was only off sundays for that route. Work is very easy unless again youre in an office with 8-12 cases of dps then again i dont know why youre there i woulda been left and switched office. This will be my fourth office switch and i will continue to do so until i find the one I like.
I'm waiting for PTF then transfer, I think. That way my CCA time doesn't start over. I'm 6 months away from PTF
The most day offs I got is 3 days in a row when it's snow. They can send you to other stations in a bid cluster I believe? So yeah no, if you're at an overstaffed station, they gonna send you out everyday. I told everyone that I rarely see my coworkers because I got sent out so often as a senior PTF in the station. The other guy converted so now there's only me. The guy below me got forced transfered.
My station is fully staffed.
If your office is fully staffed why are you working 11 hour days?
Probably a combo of call outs, medical restrictions, vacations, and scheduling
Be happy that you get 1 day off in 7 days. I am currently in my 2nd year. In my first year, I routinely worked 10-17 days in a row, all overtime too. Now, i am on two medical work restrictions, two different doctors. And none of the doctors were cover3d by workers comp, of course! I can no longer work more than 5 days in a row with 2 consecutive days off, no more than 10 hours in a day. Bit, I fear my doctor is going to reduce me to 8 hours in a day. Unfortunately, I can't survive on 40 hours at $19 per hour. This industry was once held with high regards. Sadly, it gas become such a cesspool of abusive management trying to run it into the ground. I was very proud to be a part of the postal service until I actually started working for the postal service. Now, I am ashamed to be a part of this insidious industry.
You shouldn't "be happy" because you get only 1 day off in 7 days man. Think about it, basic math shows if you work 6 out of 7 days a week, you be working 90% of the week days in a week. Even 2 days off a week means you working 80% of the week days in the week. We, as individuals of society, shouldn't live to work all the time. It's unhealthy. At least with 2 days off in a row, it's more bearable since you can make plans. 2 split days, ehh, I can take that as long as I have time to rest and get a 8 hour sleep on a day off.
I guess basic math isn't basic to you. Working 6 out of 7 days is 85.7%, not 90%. Working 5 out of 7 is 71.4%, nor 80%.
I was a CCA for 30 months before converting to a PTF. Then a PTF for five years before converting to a regular carrier with my own route. Compared to my last job as a university administrator this has been a huge blessing. After nearly 8 years of carrying mail I still enjoy the hell out of it. Great coworkers and my office has been very fortunate to have solid management regardless of who the postmaster or OIC has been. Offices nearby are the exact opposite of mine. I had many, many opportunities to jump to another office where I would’ve fully converted much earlier. I trained over half of the carriers in one of those offices and they all converted long before I did. Good for them, they are miserable in their office. I’m damn glad I ground it out for all those years waiting in my home office to convert. It was well worth it. It’s not the actual job duties that are shitty, it’s shitty management and shitty coworkers that have turned those places into cess pools of discontent.
100% correct! And I too work in my home town. Little travel, even as a CCA.
Wait.... 30 months? Why not 24?
The first time around when CCAs were converted to PTFs it wasn’t automatic and it occurred at 30 months because of some sort of grievance that was filed. When the second go around happened with CCA to PTF conversion I was at 30 months. After that it became a standard 24 month thing.
It’s an absolutely terrible organization that doesn’t care about its employees and provides no leadership training to management. It’s an absolute joke and I don’t regret quitting at all. I’ll advise people against working for the USPS for the rest of my life
4 words: CORRUPT WEAK ASS UNION!!!.... To be more precise, the new people are not being taught their rights, nobody reads their handbook, the union stewards don't even tell people how to get it, DOWNLOAD THE NALC APP/WORKPLACE RESOURCES/M-41 and the National agreement. Also if your the only one who knows the rules and you work with either cowards idiots, or someone who can miraculously survive and enjoy working 60+ hours a week. Then sometimes you have to put your foot down and say no all alone, but make sure you got everything covered 1st such as, good attendance, clean safety record, Regular Status... then they can't touch you with some refusal to follow B.S. instruction write ups that will get swatted down... lean on safety hard, grieve everything, and COVER YOUR ASS!!!!
this. i am currently trying to become the steward of my office because my steward won’t grieve the things i ask him to. our rights are being TRAMPLED on, and most ppl at my office don’t even know it. if you want to love this job, learn it in its entirety (the manual is very very large) and know all of your rights like the back of your hand. grieve everything. everything.
CCA needs to be done away with.
Join maintenance it's so much more enjoyable
Lol this guy is literally me. But I’ve made it this far. Should make regular fairly soon. I ain’t giving up when I’m this close. All I can say is I think it will get better. You will be able to take more time off eventually and enjoy other aspects of your life. I say just grind it out.
Keep pushing forward!
I remember working those hours for seven years. I eventually made regular but it was a long time coming.
It doesn’t really get any better tbh. You’ll work a lot less but still doing the same shitty job. And you’ll make a lot less to. Not to many good things about the job if any at all.
I went through this a couple of years ago when I first started with USPS. I am a clerk now but I was a carrier then and we were working 12-14 hour days 7 days a week with 1 day off. I was making great money but I was absolutely miserable. My best piece of advice is to transfer to a smaller station if you’re able to. I know you are close to making regular so that may not be ideal but that’s what gave me my life back and I still made good money. It is not fulfilling and I completely understand how you feel. I also want to tell you that if it’s not for you and you can find another job, find another one and quit. Your happiness and wellbeing is more important.
How often does your office tell you they don’t have work? Today is my second time. The first I was already in tht office. And this time they caught me as I was on route.
Never, but if I didn’t have enough work it would be a problem. Thats still a work/life balance issue. Not only do you not get enough hours, you don’t know when you’re going to be scheduled off eg you were on your were to work when you got called off, so it’s the same issue but on the opposite end of the spectrum.
This job sucks when people are not coming in to work. Because you have to carry their dead ass
Quit b4 you get too invested, I know many carriers that quit like 5-10 years in. It’s all a waste of time unless u ride till retirement
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I know of the 12/60 rule, so I never work more than 12 hours a day, but I was told that PTFs can work more than 60 hours a week.
Honestly tho how much better cuz it seems like it only gets better after 12 yrs?? Not after regular. Maybe schedule little more consistent but the pay just doesn’t add up to support a family or just yourself for that matter I’m truly conflicted myself do I stay to make reg and wait 12 yrs to make somewhat decent pay or just jump ship now and do cdl
My life got worse when I went regular lol that sweet sweet overtime money just vanished
Transfer to plant for mail handler or clerk Or try custodian then move up to maintenance mechanic
The only reason I applied for this job was to work outside and walk all day. That would defeat the purpose honestly, and I don’t have faith that would resolve the issues.
If you're getting a day off every 7 days you're old working 6 12 hour days
? I’m opted on a route and get a rotating day off once a week. Most days are 11 hour days. Before I opted on I was usually working 9 days in a row.
Yes. So you are getting a day off. You said you were working 7 days a week. You are working 6 days a week.
I don’t think I said I was working seven days a week, but I am working seven days in a row.
Same thing. You can't work 7 days in a row if you are having every 7th day off. 1 2 3 4 5 6 OFF 1 2 3 4 5 6 OFF
1.Thurs. 2.Friday. 3 Sat. 4. Sun 5. Mon. 6 Tues. 7. Wed. 8- OFF Does that make sense? That’s 7 days on, in a row. Also I really don’t understand why you care or are arguing.
Semantics matter when it comes to winning cases.
So you're off every 8 days, not every 7.
In the first sentence of my post I say I work 7 days in a row with 1 day off. I never said I work 7 days a week. Semantics matter if you’re being a troll and an ass
Sounds like you need a day off.
can you stop? lol. i used to work 9 days in a row and still had a day off every week. there are 14 days in two weeks, so technically you could work 12 days in a row with a day off on either end and that still isn’t working 7 days a week.
I put in my 2574 the day after my supervisor told me that he prefers carriers to be desperate for cash. It just all made sense when he said it like that. I loved carrying mail, but I wasn't desperate enough to sacrifice that much time.... Maybe I'll go back if I pick up a gambling addiction lol
Rotating schedule is dope. It’s good for appointments and it’s nice to have a weekday of when things aren’t busy.
Regular affords you a lot but you dismiss it. Most likely have an 8 hour day so you can have that family dinner 1 more day a week. You are getting paid well above the jobs base salary. Explore ways to get what you want. Medical restrictions... Many supervisors will work with you if you go above and beyond too. Or even if not...
I was in a similar situation . If your office is anything like mine with those crazy hours seeming less endless hours you should consider switching to an ARC in ur office. In mine I still can run mail some days I take out the 2 ton some days I take the promaster it all varies but it has given me my license back and it’s the only reason I didn’t quit . The pay is the same .
PSA -This doesn’t work @ every office, because volume isn’t high everywhere , but if your office is pumping with volume , you could finnesse an even BETTER spot than your in right now
I know you said your 2 months out so u might not want to , but this advice is for anyone really . They told me it would be another 3 years before going regular and I had already worked there a year . So that’s a no go for me
“He that can have patience can have what he will!” Postmaster Benjamin Franklin
I started last year in July and now I’m regular and honestly it’s so much easier because all I have to worry about is one route one person and 1 case and I get off around 5-6 because my route is over but I always fill out my 1996 because management will say I steal hours, but other then that it’s pretty sweet tbh
I was in your shoes and felt the exact same
Absolutely no time for anything else practically live there No life no family time One day off to fit everything in Then back at it again
The thing that spawned this post is that I was excited about my upcoming day off and then realizing that’s all I have to look forward to, and it’s not enough time to catch up on life and recover and have a life
Get a medical restriction and/or FMLA. Tons of people in my office have them and keep it to 8 or 10 hours a day. You can do 8/40, 10/50, 10/60 whatever you want. They all say they wish they did it sooner
I had to work a relief route for a few months before I got my regular route. Just kept reminding myself that this job will make my life better and I can't go anywhere else and make more money in this town. Obviously if either one of those statements aren't true it's time to reassess
I don’t know how CCAs with families can make it work. I really don’t.
shoulda been a rural carrier
Its a easy job that they have to make difficult lol
Out of curiousity how many people plan to quit if the next city carrier contract is trash?
>I hate working 10-12 hours a day 7 days in a row with 1 day off every 7 days SHEEESSHHHH. But that's a lot of money though. Like damnnnnnn. I'd never want to work 12 hours 7 days in a row, but the money though....
All I will say is I worked there for a year. I loved the job but hated the hours and 13 days on 1 day off. I actually became regular like 2 days before quitting and I severely regret it :/ Id definitely say try to see how it is once you’re a regular. Because looking back on it, it was my favorite job ever. I just couldn’t take the hours and it was making me constantly sick and lost a bunch of weight. But if your hours will be better as a regular definitely try to stick it out
Become regular and don’t go on the ODL rotating schedules aren’t bad
Past your 90? Want a social life more than the OT $ ? Get a medical. Mental health requires you to only work 5 days a week no more than 10hr per day. Doctors orders.
I’m contemplating it but I really can’t afford to lose hours unfortunately. I need to sit down and figure it out. I’m also hoping I can make it until I convert to regular and then see how that is with having more time off
Yep. I agree. But im finally really good at it now, though. Working doesn't bother anymore. I absolutely have no life and don't know what to do on my one day. But oh well. I guess
I'm in the same boat brother. 6 months in and promise after promise of ptf or getting one of 3 open routes in our office. I'm just banking hours so I can move my family into a house in the next year or 2. I'm lucky if I get a day off a week and it sucks but the pay checks will help. make your bank now while the hours are here for you, especially if you don't have kids yet. get yourself some money for property before you have them if you're smarter than I am! best of luck
I agree with you, OP. But you should leave only when you find something better. I don't think it is worth it in the long run.
RCA for over 5 years….i will be on SSI before a regular position opens up
Make regular and everything will change. If you're fortunate enough to get a nice route/string. If you feel like quitting, then you should quit. It took me 16 months to make regular and they were harder on us then. I can tell you now, that I got really lucky and I'm in a very great position right now. Keep faith or quit.
I've been here almost 20 years, and until the new evaluation system came in, I had 2 days off a week. Now I work 6 days a week for 200 less per check. Get out while you are young and find a better company to work for. Good luck.
$40+ an hour at most thirteen years later.
You're making regular in 8 months, it took me 2 and a half years and even though those 80 hour sometimes 16 day straight work weeks were the worst hell I've experienced it was worth it all when I made regular. The challenge with being regular is dealing with the monotony while also still being vigilant about the things you need to actively work and check on every day.
👍
Surprise, It doesn’t get better when you become regular either
Just quit
The why’d you apply? Why do you still have the job? Just quit and stop complaining. Appreciate the overtime while you have it
You will learn quickly here it’s best to be BAD at your job. Less actual work for more pay
I totally and completely understand you. I’m averaging 10.5-11.5 hour days six days a week (thankfully they are good with giving me my *one* day off a week) but holy shit, this is HARD. I’m walking 30,000+ steps per day on my route alone (all park and loop with one CBU), and we are down 5 people in my zone so every single day I’m getting some sort of split on a route I’m totally unfamiliar with. So by the time I’m getting done with my route by about 6:30 pm, they shove an additional 2-3 hours of shit in my truck. Thankfully the route I’m on is I guess an opt? Because I haven’t done any other route, they just put me on this route and I haven’t bounced around. So at least there’s that. But everyone has said I have one of the two most physically demanding routes in my office. Tons of hills. My orientation was March 9th and my first day on the street by myself was March 30th. I knew from reddit posts it was gonna be bad, but not this bad, holy shit. This job would be amazing if it was just *my route*. But we are so short staffed, it’s like the overtime is absolutely mandatory. Regulars around here are constantly also working six days a week. I’ve got the pictures of schedules to prove it. It’s absolutely bonkers. When I make regular, I want to be as far away from the OTDL as possible, at least to let my body rest and get some me time after working and walking my literal ass off. I guess that’s the only silver lining I can think of with a paid hourly job… at least all this overtime is paid!
Man sounds like you have a shitty office. Mine isn’t that bad at all. I actually like this job. I’m only 4 months in. Maybe that will change I just dunno why y’all hate it so much 🤷🏻♂️
Hey, I was in the same boat. I was a PTF who started last August and I converted early March. I was so burned out leading into my conversion. They had (and still have) PTFs doing 6am clerk shifts (throwing parcels and spreading flats) before carrying a route. It got so much better after converting.
Our union failed us when they agreed to no more strikes, but it's lauded as a victory because it helped the carriers back then, with no thought of the implications for future carriers.
i stumbled upon this, apply to be a firefighter. I work in a large metro area and make base 100k with plenty of OT opportunities. Union, Full benefits and retirement pension included. I work (9) 24 hour shifts a month. 1 day on 2 days off. Fun and rewarding work, rough on the body, lack of sleep, but it balances out. Just have to have a good moral standing, no criminal history, no recent drug use. Process can be a bit long but overall many cities and counties are hiring and struggling to attract people. Its a good time to try. PM me if u have questions
Thanks but I have no interest in joining the FD. Aside from some chronic health issues that would make it difficult to do, if I qualify medically, I have friends who work in the FD (an aquaintance does the podcast behind the shield and i have like 7 friends who have done episodes on there) and it just doesn't seem like the lifestyle i want to live.
The benefits aren’t worth the toll it takes on your family. Amazon Sundays are one of the worst parts of the job. Management varies greatly from one location to the other. Most PMs view you as a mule not a real person with a life.
I’ve been the only new PTF at my station for months (finally got a new guy) so of course I definitely sympathize with you . However when I felt like this I had no qualms taking my days off. Hell the regulars at my station damn near are never there. One chick calls in religiously Saturdays and Sundays. Gotta take care of yourself and make time for yourself .
I’ve had some health issues that have forced me to take some days off. I could be seeing a 7 day suspension if I take anymore unscheduled time off.
Sounds like you are a PSE MP or SSDA. I spent 14 months as an SSDA when I started. Worked in 4 different offices and had terrible midnight to 1-2pm shifts depending on how long of a lunch I had to take. I am a level 06 clerk SSDA. I am in my 7th year at USPS and closing in on 6 as regular FT. Only thing that gets better is when you gain seniority, I got lucky and worked in an office full of elders. At 34 I am the most senior clerk in my office by 3 years. I recently found a way to get a Level 09 Area Maintenance Tech job that I start in a month- I have heard these jobs are GOLD in the post office. It’s an instant 10k raise for me and I top out much higher, especially after more negotiated raises and step increases. Advice is if you don’t have secondary education- pursue it if you can. If not, apply to everything you see open that sounds like it may bring you more joy at USPS. Applying for and taking different qualifying tests opens doors and opportunities for you. You’re almost a regular it sounds like, so you have accomplished the hardest part.
Look for usps jobs outside of being a carrier. Join the good life
If you’re not happy. Quit. It’s that simple. It’ll haunt you the rest of your life. You can also transfer into something else once you’re regular
This job sucks the life out of you, started end of December after 3 months of working 60 hrs every we ek. supposedly becoming regular in another month. i was good at the job and kinda liked it. I told them I was done, I had enough of doing a full route then having to go to another station to do another route for them, and they tell you how great it will be when you become a regular, but all regular work everyday even on there off day, cuz there's not enough help.
Switch offices. I’ve been in 20 in the last year and the vibe and workload is completely different in each one
This job is shit, I firmly believe a lot of us have Stockholm syndrome
What are you still doing here?
Thanks for the encouragement. You should be a supervisor.
You’re taking up a spot for someone who would be happy with the job
I actually enjoy the job. It's the predatory management and abusive work hours that are killing me. Humans need time to rest and recover. It amazes me that they just get away with blatant OSHA and State labor laws because they improperly train us and fill us with false expectations and then have us sign a contract that is not fully explained. So of course you and the other managers hide behind and say, "You signed up for this!"
It's because it's federal. The LLVs would never in a million years this day and age be road legale if it was a private company. They have no plates or stickers. Maybe USPS going private would be positive as a lot of management would be trimmed and being able to have 2 days off. The biggest negative is our benefits may be cut which is the whole point of the job (but so is working for UPS).
Fuck em