Typical New Employee

newgirl

Well-Known Member
I had to have a CSA do some work on a package recently and got a real earful from the 1-year employee,who was none too happy with FedEx. Originally thrilled to get a job with FedEx, it didn't take long for reality to hit home. Here are a few of her "issues":

1. No retirement plan Who thinks they are going to be able to retire anyway? I'll be working til I die unless I hit the lottery

2. Pressured to work FT hours and be "flexible", even though she's PT and a new Mom. Our PTimers are definitely pressured to work. They were also told recently that Fedex is their primary employer. Like the FTimer's they can't use the "I have to go to my other job excuse." I am in a At-Will state.

3. Pay progression. This woman is very knowledgable, degreed, and excellent with customers. In other words, exactly who you would want as a CSA. It pisses her off to be making far less than everyone else, even though she does just as good a job. Sound familiar? At least she realizes this only a year in. Station CSA's do not make a decent wage for what they do. Hopefully she will make Sr CSA and get a bump up or think about going to the nearest ramp.

4. Incompetent/lying Management. She couldn't believe how poorly most managers were organized, how they consistently lied to both customers and employees, and their general incompetence. She was especially upset with the CSA Manager, who was worthless. The good managers took the buyout. They are in the same boat we are, do what you are told or there's the door. They start out wanting to be an excellent manager but they soon realize it flies in the face of everything Fedex is now.

5. Tuition Refund. This is a new one, but apparently the company has tightened-up Tuition Refund to the point that it's unusable for many employees. The CSA didn't specify why she had been denied, just that the company wouldn't pay for night classes that directly pertained to her job. I understand now that the manager actually has to check the course syllabus to make sure the course meets the person's job, check their major and to check the grades after the semester. It used to be anything undergrad was approved because it was leading to a BS or BA but that's not the case anymore. If you are majoring in Science to become a vet it's not going to cut the mustard. One of our cargo handlers had to go through this, i will ask him for more details.

6. Crap Insurance. She didn't like CIGNA, and had already had problems with Anthem/Blue Cross over a trip to the specialist. Guess what? Request denied, after many minutes on the phone getting the runaround from Anthem. We are one the states that kept Cigna. But the by-mail prescription has changed.

7. Dealing with incompetent Customer Service employees from throughout the FedEx system. Yup. Folks barely do their job, they are infamous for not updating traces and just dropping customers in to the station. This is even more frustrating for the customer who has to explain all over again what the problem is. No trace so the CSA can't backtrack and get the CSA in trouble. Purple Promise my butt.

Anyway, I ran out of time and had to hit the road. I didn't solicit her opinion, and didn't offer my own...I just listened. Amazing.

CSA has always been one of the worst jobs here. Quite a few of them just get by on doing the minimum. Just like couriers, but at least we get to escape the BS for a while when we go on the road.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
CSA has always been one of the worst jobs here. Quite a few of them just get by on doing the minimum. Just like couriers, but at least we get to escape the BS for a while when we go on the road.

I like the new terminology for part-timers you mentioned. It sounds like another way to get FT flexibility, but only pay PT hours and benefits. This would probably be fertile ground for a class action suit, because if they are demanding FT allegiance and commitment, FedEx is essentially requiring them to be FT employees. PT is just that..."part time". A typical Express ploy that most will fall for because they won't take a stand.

This is what I tell new PT couriers who are pressured to work and don't want to. Just ask your manager, " Are you offering me a FT position?". That usually shuts them up fast. If they want to work extra hours, that's fine, but requiring a commitment over and above PT hours is just begging for a lawsuit.
 

LTFedExer

Well-Known Member
I like the new terminology for part-timers you mentioned. It sounds like another way to get FT flexibility, but only pay PT hours and benefits. This would probably be fertile ground for a class action suit, because if they are demanding FT allegiance and commitment, FedEx is essentially requiring them to be FT employees. PT is just that..."part time". A typical Express ploy that most will fall for because they won't take a stand.

This is what I tell new PT couriers who are pressured to work and don't want to. Just ask your manager, " Are you offering me a FT position?". That usually shuts them up fast. If they want to work extra hours, that's fine, but requiring a commitment over and above PT hours is just begging for a lawsuit.
When I was PT, there were 7 open PM routes and plenty of P2 if I wanted it.. I NEVER did a PM route and OCCASIONALLY did some P2 at MY discretion. I did hear my manager mumble once that I want to be FT, yet won't work the hours. I replied that if he wants me to work those hours, make me FT. The 1st 3 weeks I was FT, I worked 58, 55 and 54 hours without a word.
 

FedExer267

Well-Known Member
8 hours? 8 hour days ended shortly after Reagan took office. What kind of fantasy land are you living in?

bbsam did you hear about the UPS supervisors that took UPS to court for getting a salary but always working far more than 8 hours?
Who do you think won? The supervisor's won and the judge said basically when you hire someone into a salaried position that a salary is based on 8 hours a day 40 a week. If you hire them knowing fully well that they will be working more than 8 hours a day then they are entitled to OT because the pay dosent match the hours worked and you knew when you hired them they would be working far more that what you were paying them for. Sounds alot like Ground dosent it.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
bbsam did you hear about the UPS supervisors that took UPS to court for getting a salary but always working far more than 8 hours?
Who do you think won? The supervisor's won and the judge said basically when you hire someone into a salaried position that a salary is based on 8 hours a day 40 a week. If you hire them knowing fully well that they will be working more than 8 hours a day then they are entitled to OT because the pay dosent match the hours worked and you knew when you hired them they would be working far more that what you were paying them for. Sounds alot like Ground dosent it.

Might want to look deeper into that. I think the rules are different for drivers and as long as it doesn't fall below minimum wage for 70 hours, you are without a case.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
Not meant to be an incentive. Just the limit of the law.

Legally working someone 70 hrs at minimum wage is some limit. By the way, it's odd that you claim to be sympathetic to liberal causes but participate in the exploitation of workers. Better you than them, eh?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Legally working someone 70 hrs at minimum wage is some limit. By the way, it's odd that you claim to be sympathetic to liberal causes but participate in the exploitation of workers. Better you than them, eh?

Oh, hell yeah! I don't like the rules, but that's not to say I'm gonna throw the game. I'd be more sympathetic if I thought liberals could get on the same page.
 

FedExer267

Well-Known Member
Might want to look deeper into that. I think the rules are different for drivers and as long as it doesn't fall below minimum wage for 70 hours, you are without a case.
Nope not really without a case it comes down to you the employer hiring people on salaries paying 40 a week knowing fully well that the job runs longer thats was their gripe and they won. I am not sure where you are but I know I live in a overtime state. So either way it would be intresting to see the outcome of this issue.
 

FedExer267

Well-Known Member
Oh you wanna play that card now, I am sure there is something in there as well about drivers being able to take breaks and lunches to or does it state we can work 70 hours a week with no ot, no breaks, and no lunches afterall thats truly what we want is to be covering these huge routes that we dont have time for lunches because if we do take a lunch we end up having misses or late pickups. Its always good to have tired employees on the road because they have been on the go all day long. I will remember that when I rear end someone. You have good insurance right?
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Hey, you brought up the legality issue. I'm no expert on it, but my guess is your arguements are not new and have probably been settled in court. I'm giving you the lay of the land. Sorry if you don't like it, but it is the reality we deal with.
 

FedExer267

Well-Known Member
Yes but you see bbsam you can be original and run your business diffrently than everyone else. Show them you can make a killing and treat your drivers great. Then you will turn your little business into a dynasty because the average contractor could not compete with bbsam inc. You take care of your guys and they will take care of you no more running just to get the crap delivered they may actually turn in sales leads and go from 10 to 15 pickups to 40 or 50 pickups which is more revenue for you. If you offered a career rather than a job you would have employees willing to go the extra mile because they would feel they had a true stake in the company.
Until that happens we will never come close to giving the kind of service that UPS does because if you continue to run these drivers into the ground it will eventually be the begining of the end. There is obviously something wrong with a system that keeps ending up in court. There is obviously something wrong with a system that keeps getting changed. It dosent matter what they call it we all know nothing will change. FedEx will still run us, threaten our jobs, yell at us for wearing our own jackets to stay warm even though they wont supply one to us, try and send us home to change because they dont like the way we look, and expect us to work 70 hours a week. So unfortunatley this scam will be getting dragged into court for years to come until they let you run your business with no interferance.
 

quadro

Well-Known Member
2. Pressured to work FT hours and be "flexible", even though she's PT and a new Mom. Our PTimers are definitely pressured to work. They were also told recently that Fedex is their primary employer. Like the FTimer's they can't use the "I have to go to my other job excuse." I am in a At-Will state.
They may have been told that but it's not true. FedEx doesn't consider themselves the primary employer for PT employees. Policy even says so.
5. Tuition Refund. This is a new one, but apparently the company has tightened-up Tuition Refund to the point that it's unusable for many employees. The CSA didn't specify why she had been denied, just that the company wouldn't pay for night classes that directly pertained to her job. I understand now that the manager actually has to check the course syllabus to make sure the course meets the person's job, check their major and to check the grades after the semester. It used to be anything undergrad was approved because it was leading to a BS or BA but that's not the case anymore. If you are majoring in Science to become a vet it's not going to cut the mustard. One of our cargo handlers had to go through this, i will ask him for more details.

Not quite correct. Courses only have to match the jobs for graduate degrees (and possibly second or more undergrad degrees, not sure about that part). For first undergraduate degrees, as long as the course is leading towards a degree of any sort it will be covered. In other words, if you are auditing a class or just taking a pass/fail, it won't be covered. You have to complete it and get a C or better. As many jobs at FedEx require a 4 year degree (any degree) or equivalent, tuition refund pays for any 4 year degree from an accredited school.
 

FedEx2000

Well-Known Member
Just go to keyword "Tuition" and you can read/print the entire tuition refund packet/policy if you aren't sure and want it in print.
 

MrFedEx

Engorged Member
Just go to keyword "Tuition" and you can read/print the entire tuition refund packet/policy if you aren't sure and want it in print.


Let me point out the obvious. It's quite clear that most managers don't understand the policy, much like they don't understand (or choose to ignore) other policies.
 

FedEx2000

Well-Known Member
Let me point out the obvious. It's quite clear that most managers don't understand the policy, much like they don't understand (or choose to ignore) other policies.

Again with the "most managers"! I'm sorry you have had crappy managers. I just thought I would put that out there so anyone who wants to can find the information for themselves so that they don't get screwed out of it b/c their manager doesn't understand it. I took full advantage of this benefit and understand it quite well. I can tell you that as a manager, I have not been told anything as far as denying reimbursements or any other changes to the program at this point. I think it was 7-8 years ago when they lowered the PT benefit to $1,500/yr.....I think they quickly realized that a lot of PT handlers/couriers worked here in part b/c of that benefit and put it back to $3,000 the next year.
 
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