MrFedEx
Engorged Member
Lately, there have been a few regulars who claim that their jobs at FedEx Express aren't very stressful. I politely disagree, and could cite hundreds of stressful situations that occur each and every day. It is by nature a stressful and unpredictable business, so I've got to really wonder about the authenticity of anyone who claims otherwise.
One of the biggest causes of stress is the "Operational Needs" clause in policy. Sometimes it's also referred to as "Operational Necessity". Whatever it's called, it means that you basically have to do whatever they want you to whenever they feel like it. To do otherwise means you can be terminated for job abandonment, insubordination, or anything else management can come up with to say that you somehow ignored operational "needs". To say that management takes advantage of this would be a severe understatement.
Most of us have been screwed by this policy at some point during our FedEx careers. I can honestly say that it has created some very trying situations for me over the years, including being asked to work over 60 hrs per week, report back to work with as little as 4 hrs off, and do other DOT-illegal tasks in order to fulfill the needs of the company. Funny how they look the other way when it saves their bacon, isn't it?
Over the years, I've missed many important occasions because someone else screwed-up and I got to take up the slack. One can't really make up for missed birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events very easily, and over time, your friends and associates begin to wonder if you're lying to them when you can't show-up...again.
I'd like to see this policy go away, and hopefully it will be on the bargaining table when and if we get a union and contract talks begin. It would be different if extraordinary efforts were recognized at FedEx, but they aren't. You are just expected to place your personal life in the toilet if you are FT and the company "needs" you. This is a leftover from when going above and beyond was part of the pride in being part of FedEx. Unfortunately, those days are long-gone, and it's time for "Operational Necessity" to go the way of the dodo...just like P-S-P.
One of the biggest causes of stress is the "Operational Needs" clause in policy. Sometimes it's also referred to as "Operational Necessity". Whatever it's called, it means that you basically have to do whatever they want you to whenever they feel like it. To do otherwise means you can be terminated for job abandonment, insubordination, or anything else management can come up with to say that you somehow ignored operational "needs". To say that management takes advantage of this would be a severe understatement.
Most of us have been screwed by this policy at some point during our FedEx careers. I can honestly say that it has created some very trying situations for me over the years, including being asked to work over 60 hrs per week, report back to work with as little as 4 hrs off, and do other DOT-illegal tasks in order to fulfill the needs of the company. Funny how they look the other way when it saves their bacon, isn't it?
Over the years, I've missed many important occasions because someone else screwed-up and I got to take up the slack. One can't really make up for missed birthdays, anniversaries, or other important events very easily, and over time, your friends and associates begin to wonder if you're lying to them when you can't show-up...again.
I'd like to see this policy go away, and hopefully it will be on the bargaining table when and if we get a union and contract talks begin. It would be different if extraordinary efforts were recognized at FedEx, but they aren't. You are just expected to place your personal life in the toilet if you are FT and the company "needs" you. This is a leftover from when going above and beyond was part of the pride in being part of FedEx. Unfortunately, those days are long-gone, and it's time for "Operational Necessity" to go the way of the dodo...just like P-S-P.