The New Safety Lie

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Has anyone noticed the much increased emphasis on "safety" lately? My take is that the increased push for productivity has created a corresponding rise in accident rates. Since FedEx is self-insured, they don't want to empty the bank with a bunch of accident and injury claims. Fred wants to have his cake and eat it too, which is what he expects these days.

As always, it's not about you or caring about you as an employee or a person. It's really all about the money and decreasing liability. Anyone could have predicted that there were going to be a lot more acccidents and probably injuries too as FedEx started investigating gap times and kept right on sending people out way over 195 counts. One does lead to the other.

If you do have an accident that was caused by being pushed to the wall, get yourself an attorney and then subpoena your 195's and actual stop counts for a couple of months. FedEx will argue that they told you to be "safe" and that you chose to be a hero and deliver all those extra stops. You and your attorney can counter with the fact that your job was dangled over your head like a Sword of Damacles....I'll bet you win.

The only way to really get the attention of this company is via a lawyer. Unfortunate, but true.
 

snackdad

Well-Known Member
I was on the safety committee for 6 years as a full time courier. I was the safest courier in the building. Never in 20 years did I have an accident. I never had an injury and rarely was I sick. I always told new hires the best way to do the job faster was through methods not speeding. Efficiency of movement and visualization of your entire day before it begins. I was a courier coach for new hires. I was proud of my safety record.
I was sent to Long Beach to meet Glen Corbin at a regional meeting between management and couriers. I was one of the couriers that co-workers came to for help. An unofficial shop steward.
When the big push for increased productivity began in 2008 we did have a big increase in accidents. I also began to notice that many of my co-workers began working through their breaks ( Paid and Unpaid) to just keep up with the demands. When (as an esteemed member of the safety committee) I felt like it was my duty to bring this to the attention of management I was harassed, retaliated against and eventually fired for speaking up against management and for myself and my fellow couriers. I speak with my ex co-workers often now in preparation for a lawsuit and they tell me not only is it still going on but the working through lunch breaks and intimidation by management is worse than ever. Everyday they get messages dictating how long of a lunch to take regardless of work load or conditions of weather, traffic, etc.
I was 3 months short of getting their crappy 20 year safety watch and 20th anniversary present. When I settle I will buy myself a Rolex. Couriers now are as unsupported by management as ever. Safety truly means nothing to FedEx. It is only about who they can blame events on and never will FedEx take responsibility for the actions of employees who are struggling to meet unrealistic productivity goals.
 
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quadro

Well-Known Member
I was on the safety committee for 6 years as a full time courier. I was the safest courier in the building. Never in 20 years did I have an accident. I never had an injury and rarely was I sick. I always told new hires the best way to do the job faster was through methods not speeding. Efficiency of movement and visualization of your entire day before it begins. I was a courier coach for new hires. I was proud of my safety record.
I was sent to Long Beach to meet Glen Corbin at a regional meeting between management and couriers. I was one of the couriers that co-workers came to for help. An unofficial shop steward.
When the big push for increased productivity began in 2008 we did have a big increase in accidents. I also began to notice that many of my co-workers began working through their breaks ( Paid and Unpaid) to just keep up with the demands. When (as an esteemed member of the safety committee) I felt like it was my duty to bring this to the attention of management I was harassed, retaliated against and eventually fired for speaking up against management and for myself and my fellow couriers. I speak with my ex co-workers often now in preparation for a lawsuit and they tell me not only is it still going on but the working through lunch breaks and intimidation by management is worse than ever. Everyday they get messages dictating how long of a lunch to take regardless of work load or conditions of weather, traffic, etc.
I was 3 months short of getting their crappy 20 year safety watch and 20th anniversary present. When I settle I will buy myself a Rolex. Couriers now are as unsupported by management as ever. Safety truly means nothing to FedEx. It is only about who they can blame events on and never will FedEx take responsibility for the actions of employees who are struggling to meet unrealistic productivity goals.
You do realize that current goals are based on what you've already shown you can do? How can the goals be unrealistic if you've already shown you can achieve them? Not trying to take anything away from you or what you've accomplished but there are and always will be couriers who struggle, just like in any job. I just don't see the majority of couriers complaining that they can't hit their goal, especially as it was them who set it.
 

tracker2762

Well-Known Member
You do realize that current goals are based on what you've already shown you can do? How can the goals be unrealistic if you've already shown you can achieve them? Not trying to take anything away from you or what you've accomplished but there are and always will be couriers who struggle, just like in any job. I just don't see the majority of couriers complaining that they can't hit their goal, especially as it was them who set it.

They may have achieve the goals but it's how they are doing it is the problem. Skipping you lunch and break, speeding, reckless driving, taking short cuts etc. Eventually this will catch up with the courier and it will all be their fault. Snackdad was just to bring this to their attention and look where it got him. I'm amazed that this is the only thing you got from snackdads post, good luck snackdad
 

snackdad

Well-Known Member
I understand your point, but I am talking about management that decides at 0815 when you are on your way out the door with a FULL day that now you must take an extra 15 P2 from an area that someone else dropped because they had too much. Management says "take it out and we will send you pickup help". They know you will have lates, know there is NO pickup help available but force it on you anyway in the most stressful part of our day when we all just want to leave the building. You can have a route goal expectation sheet taped in front of the truck on the belt but management will still send you out 15 stops over and call you names publicly on the belt and make it a HUGE deal if you do not take the stops or protest. Sounds far fetched but in my station it happens everyday. What I am saying in the unrealistic part, is the fact that route goals are not followed, management wings it everyday and favoritism has ALOT to do with who gets harassed into getting dumped on or not. Often these contributing factors are motivated by race and sexual preference. If you are a black lesbian, the world is your oyster.
I hate to appear as one of those angry people that spews BS from a computer all day. I would prefer to be out there working, running stairs, seeing my customers, saying hello to lost tourists, getting soaked in the rain, etc., but I have been denied a job and benefits for my family by a company that says one thing and does another. There is a huge disconnect between Memphis and what is really going on in some stations.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
I was on the safety committee for 6 years as a full time courier. I was the safest courier in the building. Never in 20 years did I have an accident. I never had an injury and rarely was I sick. I always told new hires the best way to do the job faster was through methods not speeding. Efficiency of movement and visualization of your entire day before it begins. I was a courier coach for new hires. I was proud of my safety record.
I was sent to Long Beach to meet Glen Corbin at a regional meeting between management and couriers. I was one of the couriers that co-workers came to for help. An unofficial shop steward.
When the big push for increased productivity began in 2008 we did have a big increase in accidents. I also began to notice that many of my co-workers began working through their breaks ( Paid and Unpaid) to just keep up with the demands. When (as an esteemed member of the safety committee) I felt like it was my duty to bring this to the attention of management I was harassed, retaliated against and eventually fired for speaking up against management and for myself and my fellow couriers. I speak with my ex co-workers often now in preparation for a lawsuit and they tell me not only is it still going on but the working through lunch breaks and intimidation by management is worse than ever. Everyday they get messages dictating how long of a lunch to take regardless of work load or conditions of weather, traffic, etc.
I was 3 months short of getting their crappy 20 year safety watch and 20th anniversary present. When I settle I will buy myself a Rolex. Couriers now are as unsupported by management as ever. Safety truly means nothing to FedEx. It is only about who they can blame events on and never will FedEx take responsibility for the actions of employees who are struggling to meet unrealistic productivity goals.


When you settle I hope you buy a fancy new car and get personalized plates that say "THX FDX" or something like that. Glen Corbin is an :censored2: of the highest order, and his only value is humor due to his uncanny resemblance to Mike Tyson. He even sounds like Mike Tyson. Unfortunately, he also has Mike Tyson's IQ, which is bad for all of us.

Thanks for speaking the truth about how FedEx really operates, and how highly they "value" safety. As they push ever harder, there are going to be more accidents and more people hurt or killed. Someday, it's going to be a bad one, and all the spin in the world won't get FedEx off the hook. I encourage anyone who has had an accident due to being pushed to work unsafely to seek legal representation. Lawsuits are about the only way FedEx will listen and change. Fred doesn't care if a courier takes-out a school bus full of kids, because pushing people to work through breaks and speed gives him more profit. Whenever there is an accident where the courier was set-up to fail through massive overload, the local cops and the attorneys representing the victims need to be contacted and made aware of what is really going on at this company.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
You do realize that current goals are based on what you've already shown you can do? How can the goals be unrealistic if you've already shown you can achieve them? Not trying to take anything away from you or what you've accomplished but there are and always will be couriers who struggle, just like in any job. I just don't see the majority of couriers complaining that they can't hit their goal, especially as it was them who set it.

God....you can create an excuse for anything. Too bad Saddam Hussein isn't still around...you could have gotten him off the hook.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
I was on the safety committee for 6 years as a full time courier. I was the safest courier in the building. Never in 20 years did I have an accident. I never had an injury and rarely was I sick. I always told new hires the best way to do the job faster was through methods not speeding. Efficiency of movement and visualization of your entire day before it begins. I was a courier coach for new hires. I was proud of my safety record.
I was sent to Long Beach to meet Glen Corbin at a regional meeting between management and couriers. I was one of the couriers that co-workers came to for help. An unofficial shop steward.
When the big push for increased productivity began in 2008 we did have a big increase in accidents. I also began to notice that many of my co-workers began working through their breaks ( Paid and Unpaid) to just keep up with the demands. When (as an esteemed member of the safety committee) I felt like it was my duty to bring this to the attention of management I was harassed, retaliated against and eventually fired for speaking up against management and for myself and my fellow couriers. I speak with my ex co-workers often now in preparation for a lawsuit and they tell me not only is it still going on but the working through lunch breaks and intimidation by management is worse than ever. Everyday they get messages dictating how long of a lunch to take regardless of work load or conditions of weather, traffic, etc.
I was 3 months short of getting their crappy 20 year safety watch and 20th anniversary present. When I settle I will buy myself a Rolex. Couriers now are as unsupported by management as ever. Safety truly means nothing to FedEx. It is only about who they can blame events on and never will FedEx take responsibility for the actions of employees who are struggling to meet unrealistic productivity goals.


When your case goes to court, the FedEx legal team is going to do everything possible to label you as a "malcontent". You are an "aberration" among the many thousands of happy FedEx Express employees. This is why FedEx tries to hard to win awards like the "100 Best Companies" crock or creates their own phony "awards" so that they can appear to be diverse and racially aware. They want the judge or jury to think like the general public, which has a positive image of FedEx and has no clue about the way they really treat employees. Then they can say that you are a liar when you make your totally legitimate claims against the company.

Winning the "Stokely Carmichael Diversity Award" or creating the Diversity Appeal rag are attempts to curry favor among the minority community. Never mind that many of these so-called awards are self-created by FedEx just for that very purpose. Think that $51 million Black/Latino settlement in CA a few years ago raised any eyebrows? You bet it did. If you happen to be a minority, so much the better, because FedEx doesn't have a good track record in that department.

They will drag you through the mud, even if you were a perfect employee, and try to taint your name with anything they can dig-up, drag-up, or fabricate. If they know they're going to lose, they'll settle to save Fred some money. Don't let them. The people I know who have seen it through have received far greater amounts than if they had settled. I personally know 2 high six-figure winners and 3 seven-figure winners. See it through, and make them pay big.
 

LTFedExer

Well-Known Member
You do realize that current goals are based on what you've already shown you can do? How can the goals be unrealistic if you've already shown you can achieve them? Not trying to take anything away from you or what you've accomplished but there are and always will be couriers who struggle, just like in any job. I just don't see the majority of couriers complaining that they can't hit their goal, especially as it was them who set it.

God....you can create an excuse for anything. Too bad Saddam Hussein isn't still around...you could have gotten him off the hook.

Say what you will, but the man is right.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Say what you will, but the man is right.

Me or him? You don't specify, but since you hate me, I'm guessing you support what quadro said. Oh, and what about all of those couriers who go out 20 or 30 stops over their 195's all the time and then do work at lunch after they swear to Fred on their PowerPad that they are off the clock?
 

quadro

Well-Known Member
God....you can create an excuse for anything. Too bad Saddam Hussein isn't still around...you could have gotten him off the hook.
How is stating a fact an excuse? How is it that many couriers can do their route without working through their break, without taking safety risks, without compromising customer service? Clearly it can be done because it is done. All this talk about going out with more stops than the 195 shows is only painting half the picture. You can go out with more stops and just be out on the road longer. You don't have to compromise safety to do it. You can also go out with more stops than the 195 shows and be in a world of trouble. Point is just saying that you had to go out with more isn't necessarily an issue. If you are in the latter group and it's because your manager told you to, then go out, hit your stops per hour, send a few messages and a couple of phone calls that you need help. When you come back with undelivered freight, it's going to be your manager that ends up on the hot seat. It might be a little uncomfortable for you at first but I think we can agree that nothing will change otherwise.

And don't call me God.
 

quadro

Well-Known Member
Me or him? You don't specify, but since you hate me, I'm guessing you support what quadro said. Oh, and what about all of those couriers who go out 20 or 30 stops over their 195's all the time and then do work at lunch after they swear to Fred on their PowerPad that they are off the clock?
They've got no one but themselves to blame when they falsify.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
How is stating a fact an excuse? How is it that many couriers can do their route without working through their break, without taking safety risks, without compromising customer service? Clearly it can be done because it is done. All this talk about going out with more stops than the 195 shows is only painting half the picture. You can go out with more stops and just be out on the road longer. You don't have to compromise safety to do it. You can also go out with more stops than the 195 shows and be in a world of trouble. Point is just saying that you had to go out with more isn't necessarily an issue. If you are in the latter group and it's because your manager told you to, then go out, hit your stops per hour, send a few messages and a couple of phone calls that you need help. When you come back with undelivered freight, it's going to be your manager that ends up on the hot seat. It might be a little uncomfortable for you at first but I think we can agree that nothing will change otherwise.

And don't call me God.[/QUOTE

I guess you work at Station One where everything always goes according to plan, just like reality TV. And how about "Geez"?
 

LTFedExer

Well-Known Member
Me or him? You don't specify, but since you hate me, I'm guessing you support what quadro said. Oh, and what about all of those couriers who go out 20 or 30 stops over their 195's all the time and then do work at lunch after they swear to Fred on their PowerPad that they are off the clock?
Yes, I was talking about quadro's post. No, I could never hate someone I don't know. He stated a fact that you create your own goals and you can't just accept that it's the truth.

How is stating a fact an excuse? How is it that many couriers can do their route without working through their break, without taking safety risks, without compromising customer service? Clearly it can be done because it is done. All this talk about going out with more stops than the 195 shows is only painting half the picture. You can go out with more stops and just be out on the road longer. You don't have to compromise safety to do it. You can also go out with more stops than the 195 shows and be in a world of trouble. Point is just saying that you had to go out with more isn't necessarily an issue. If you are in the latter group and it's because your manager told you to, then go out, hit your stops per hour, send a few messages and a couple of phone calls that you need help. When you come back with undelivered freight, it's going to be your manager that ends up on the hot seat. It might be a little uncomfortable for you at first but I think we can agree that nothing will change otherwise.

And don't call me God.
quadro.....you should know by now MFE almost always posts only what HE thinks is relevant. Which is usually just 1/2 the story.
quadr said:
They've got no one but themselves to blame when they falsify.
Truth.....
 

quadro

Well-Known Member
I guess you work at Station One where everything always goes according to plan, just like reality TV. And how about "Geez"?
So let's follow this through. A courier has their 195 in the morning that says they are supposed to have X number of stops. As you pointed out things don't always go to plan. Some days are heavier than plan and some are lighter. Let's take a heavier day. Manager/couriers have to figure out how to get those extra stops delivered. Some couriers take more but then you complain. Some part-timers take more but then you complain. So how exactly do you deliver those extra stops if you don't use the people whose job it is to deliver the stops?

I make a point about going things not going to plan, going out with more stops and holding the manager accountable and rather than discuss it, you incorrectly state that I'm stating everything is going according to plan???

Also, the 195 isn't just to show you how many stops you should go out with. It shows a range of stops and what time you should be done by to hit your goal. So again, just because the 195 says X number of stops and you go out with 15, 20, even 30 more, isn't in and of itself necessarily a problem or a safety issue. It depends on if you have pickups to do or what your plan return time is to begin with.

Perhaps it is you who works at Station One as you seem to be blind to reality.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
So let's follow this through. A courier has their 195 in the morning that says they are supposed to have X number of stops. As you pointed out things don't always go to plan. Some days are heavier than plan and some are lighter. Let's take a heavier day. Manager/couriers have to figure out how to get those extra stops delivered. Some couriers take more but then you complain. Some part-timers take more but then you complain. So how exactly do you deliver those extra stops if you don't use the people whose job it is to deliver the stops?

I make a point about going things not going to plan, going out with more stops and holding the manager accountable and rather than discuss it, you incorrectly state that I'm stating everything is going according to plan???

Also, the 195 isn't just to show you how many stops you should go out with. It shows a range of stops and what time you should be done by to hit your goal. So again, just because the 195 says X number of stops and you go out with 15, 20, even 30 more, isn't in and of itself necessarily a problem or a safety issue. It depends on if you have pickups to do or what your plan return time is to begin with.

Perhaps it is you who works at Station One as you seem to be blind to reality.


You seem absolutely blind to the reality of major safety issues happening right now that are directly related to courier overload. More denial, more deflection, and more excuses. You should be ashamed of yourself.
 

LTFedExer

Well-Known Member
If your 195 says you should take 20 P1 and 50 P2 (leaving the bldg. at 8:30), and your SPH (for sake of argument) is 10 SPH. You should theoretically be done at (adding in 1 hour lunch) 4:30. If someone says you have to take 20 stops more, you should be done 6:30.........right? Where does the unsafe part come into play unless you hustle to get off by 4:30 anyway, even with the 20 stops more?

Today it was heavier than normal.I took out 2 stops more than planned in my P1 cycle because there was no baseline. SURPRISE!!!! I was late to my last 2 stops.
1. I took out what the manager said
2. Hit my SPH on the head and had lates.
Had I not hit my SPH, it becomes my fault. But I sure as hell wasn't going to speed or do anything considered unsafe to make those stops on time.
 
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