Royal Mail bullies

[madari]

Hi

Is there anyone out there that has had employment issues ie:discrimination,harassment ,abuse whilst working for the Royal mail.

 

I have been the victim of bullies at work and managers do nothing, as long as all the mail gets delivered.[i dont know what to do.].

 

The whole place is run by fascists and militants with little or no respect for management.

The bullying helpline is usless as you have to remain anonnimous.

Edited August 14, 2009 by madari

[BankFodder]

This kind of thing is difficult to complain about if you don't have good evidence. If you simply make a complaint to a manager, the manager maybe unwilling to take action against his own colleagues and of course everybody will have a different versions and a different points of view.

 

If you want to do something about this then you need to start gathering evidence.

 

This means that you must keep a detailed diary and keep it updated on a daily basis with a very full account of every incident and everything that is ever said. Keep the diary at home.

 

Ideally you should also record your conversations. You can buy an excellent recording wristwatch from the Internet although it will cost you about £100. You can buy a model which will record for about nine hours. This would allow you to leave it on all day and then to download anything interesting on to your computer in the evening using a USB cable.

 

This is all quite dramatic action to take. But if you really are a victim of bullying at work, then it needs to be sorted out. No one should have to tolerate this and bullied at work need to be dealt with.

 

Don't think making a complaint without having properly prepared your ground as I have suggested above.

 

I would suggest that you would need to be gathering evidence for at least a month. Are you in the union? If not, then you should join it because if you make this kind of complaint you will need their support.

[BeauBrummie]

This kind of thing is difficult to complain about if you don't have good evidence. If you simply make a complaint to a manager, the manager maybe unwilling to take action against his own colleagues and of course everybody will have a different versions and a different points of view.

 

If I could just pick up on this point slightly. Due to changes made by ACAS in greivance & disciplinary procedures from 6 April 2009 if someone has a greivance against a co-worker or manager then in order to raise that grievance all that is required is for the agrieved to inform a line manager verbally that he has an issue.

 

This depends somewhat on whether the employer has implemented these changes, I would suspect that the Royal Mail HR have done so, but as with many of these things it does not get to the people on the ground.

 

Madari, as well as gathering all the evidence as bankfodder suggests I would check the Royal Mail procedures for reporting your grievance have not changed.

 

Beau

[Jason F]

Might I suggest that you get a small dictaphone, secret it in a pocket, then record evidence of this bullying as well.

 

Your employer owes you a duty of care.

[madari]

Thanks for the advice, but i dont think i would last a minute if it got out that i had made a formal complaint.

the bullies i am referring to are the so called `union militants' and they rule the roost.[that rules out my turning to the union for support].

[gyzmo]

There are a couple of internet forums for royal mail and postal staff. They should be able to provide more specialist advice. I am aware via my posty flatmate that RM have slightly different ways of doing things.

 

Here's the main one I believe

royal mail cwu workers and customers Message board forum discussion news

[labrat]

definatly record conversations if possible, there is several good sites out to get voice recorders from, digital ones are best as no tape noise when recording.

 

they do come alot cheaper than £100 if you look around try auction sites (be careful what you buy) or try local shops, one other route is get one direct from china, cheap but you have to wait around 3 weeks for delivery (waiting for one atm to be honest)

[Jason F]

Thanks for the advice, but i dont think i would last a minute if it got out that i had made a formal complaint.

the bullies i am referring to are the so called `union militants' and they rule the roost.[that rules out my turning to the union for support].

 

 

Yes, I can appreciate that, but the question falls to:

 

What outcome do you want?

 

Basically, I am suggesting that you set things up so that

 

1. You can complain and it gets dealt with and

2. IN the event it is either not dealt with or you are treated differently afterwards, you have a claim for victimisation.

[gyzmo]

Jason - I don't know if you have looked at he forum I posted.

 

If you are being victimised, RM run an anti bullying hotline for staff. I believe that someone from regional or head office is sent in.

 

But I have an idea how you feel. My flatmate says staff in his sorting office would embarrass a bunch of ill behaved chimps, have no respect for management or each other and threaten to strike every other day. I've been in myself and how it can be run that way escapes me. It's like being in a prison where the warders are the bullies.

 

But do go on to that site I posted - you should get some good insider help there.

[madari]

GYZMO...you are spot on i couldnt have put it better myself,the way you describe the office is exactly how our office is run ......i will definetly take up on your advice.

 

PS Sorry about your cat.

[gyzmo]

Hi madari - just out of interest, would you have any objection of PMing me which delivery office you are in? I won't do anything with the information - I'm just curious as to which office and area you are in in case it is the same one as my flatmate. No probs if you do not want to.

[shywazz]

Hi my partner works at the Mosely office in Birmingham and there see and hear the same as this posts reads ? is there a pattern with royal mail or just one of those things at work places.

[gyzmo]

I dunno. From what I know it is, or was, the exception rather than the rule. But with the government driving RM to the ground to justify flogging it off, stupid management decisions (like the banning of post delivered by bicycle - one the quickest, efficient and cheapest methods), squeezing every last bit of work out of staff and so on, I get a feeling that more and more posties are becoming rather pi***d off in he work place.

[roxyhugs]

Hi. My name is Joe. I am presently producing a case file in relation to Bullying Harrasment Victimisation under the Disability Act, Sexual Orientation Act, Protection from Harassment Act 1997. I do not wish to go into further detail at present. My colleague is based in the Midlands area and have come across the site whilst trying to identify persons with similar issues. My colleague is employed by royal mail as a postman. I would like to contact and meet persons with similar experiences and after discussions may be able to offer my services free of charge to put together a case file for you which in turn would assist all parties to a possible action.

 

This is a genuine request.

 

Regards

[lancslass09]

Be very careful regarding taping conversations, it is against the Human Rights of the person being recorded and can be seen as Gross Miscounduct to take that action. I was thinking of doing it to prove bullying but did some research before hand and decided it was probably not a good move.

[postggj]

Hi. My name is Joe. I am presently producing a case file in relation to Bullying Harrasment Victimisation under the Disability Act, Sexual Orientation Act, Protection from Harassment Act 1997. I do not wish to go into further detail at present. My colleague is based in the Midlands area and have come across the site whilst trying to identify persons with similar issues. My colleague is employed by royal mail as a postman. I would like to contact and meet persons with similar experiences and after discussions may be able to offer my services free of charge to put together a case file for you which in turn would assist all parties to a possible action.

 

This is a genuine request.

 

Regards

 

 

just come across your post

 

you need to run this request past the site team to ok it

 

i myself am a long standing member of staff with royal mail and

 

i totally agree with you on whats going on with in royal mail at the moment towards staff

 

please get permission so we can go forward

[gyzmo]

The best thing is to keep a diary of events, obtain witnesses if possible and call RMs anti bullying hotline.

 

My flatmate is getting messes about at work. Personally, I'd rather he gave a few personal details away, watch the bullying increase and then he could sue the a*** of RM. But it wont happen.

[patdavies]

Be very careful regarding taping conversations, it is against the Human Rights of the person being recorded and can be seen as Gross Miscounduct to take that action. I was thinking of doing it to prove bullying but did some research before hand and decided it was probably not a good move.

 

Rubbish.

 

Firstly, Human Rights legislation governs the relationship between individuals and the State; not between individuals.

 

Secondly, you are allowed to make recordings for personal use without telling anybody.

 

Lastly, whilst an employer might see it as a disciplinary matter (do they do any recording themselves I wonder?), I can't see it being gross misconduct.

[Hardupnotfedup]

I can't believe this thread on RM bullies there is a zero tolerance in Royal Mail on bullying and harrassment, they have hotlines, the unions, D.R.A.W Groups (dignity respect at work) if claims are made then an outside manager always comes in to investigate, it is drummed into the staff every day, about being careful with our actions and what we say, People are frightened to say anything nowadays in case someone gets offended. Just keep a diary and report them,

[postggj]

zero tollerence on bullies

 

i take it then managers are exempt then from being bullies

[gyzmo]

I can't believe this thread on RM bullies there is a zero tolerance in Royal Mail on bullying and harrassment, they have hotlines, the unions, D.R.A.W Groups (dignity respect at work) if claims are made then an outside manager always comes in to investigate, it is drummed into the staff every day, about being careful with our actions and what we say, People are frightened to say anything nowadays in case someone gets offended. Just keep a diary and report them,

 

That's the theory. One of the worst bullies I know is actually the union rep for a local sorting office. And then there is this little man who does tiny, little inconsequential things which by themselves amount to nothing, but together make me want to go round there and give him a good kicking.

 

A manager at a previous job I had was a very effective bully. It's quite easy to make someone's life hell without actually doing anything wrong that can be adequately demonstrated.

[madari]

Zero tolerance....Dignity and respect...what a load of tosh!!!!

[Hardupnotfedup]

AS i said managers from outside are always called in to investigate claims of bullying, this means as it has obviously gone over your head that nothing can get covered up by managers looking after each other.People including managers have been dismissed for bullying but it is no worse than any other large employer. I hope for your clients sake that your writings in your reports make more sense than what you have written above, as I can see no logical reason why you felt it was necessary to make such a remark, I wrote nothing to suggest that managers are exempt from being punished for bullying and harrassment

[Hardupnotfedup]

In my experience the people who moan about being harrassed and bullied are the one's who dont like being told to come in on time and pull their finger out and do some work. If that isn't the case for them tell them to get some backbone and stand up for themselves. Just like we tell our kids to do with the playground bully