I'm in my 2nd week as a package handler and was told I would be a good candidate to be a part-time supervisor after my first 30 days. I don't know too much about the position and was wondering what does the job consists of? Another concern would be, how many hours are expected per week and how much is the compensation? Hope to get some help/input. Thanks.
What's it like to be a PT supervisor ?
- Thread starter memphis12
- Start date
Richard Harrow
Deplorable.
Wow. Two weeks and already a candidate for management? Hell, I have 12 years in. I could be attending board room meetings with Scotty boy down in Sandy Springs by now!
Anonymous 10
Guest
Kinda like a scab with a sore ass.
TearsInRain
IE boogeyman
21K a year and 25-30 hours of work a week, depending on whether you ride a desk or work in operations, respectively
if you ride a desk, it's the easiest and best job ever; if you work in operations, you'll hate your life
if you ride a desk, it's the easiest and best job ever; if you work in operations, you'll hate your life
Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
Guess which one is your boss. (hint: the one in the tie)
Haha. Thanks for the responses, first off. Thanks TearsInRain, that's the exact information I was looking for. If I may ask, what exactly is so bad about it? And for the record, no I'm not looking to do any serious moving up or looking at this as a career. But again, I would like to know what exactly it is that gives it such a bed rep (according to the posts in this thread.)
In operations, being a part time sup really depends on a few factors. 1) the combativeness of your employees and area 2) the temperament of your FT sup and Sort manager. 3) Your own personality, discipline and the ability to humble yourself among other things.
It starts to suck when your FT sup give you goals that aren't realistic, then tries to either jive talk or scream at your when you can’t achieve it. Of course the FT sups get it from their managers, and their division managers etc as crap rolls downhill. The same thing with micromanagement, FT Sups will micromanage the **** outta of you, they will tell you **** you already know, they will come to your area and do things you were about to do(then pat themselves on the back, when in reality it wouldnt have made a diff) and their managers do it to them to a lesser degree. FTs sups will often tell you phrases like "let’s go, get it done, accountability, why are we off, what happen, intensity, we gotta make it happen etc" and other codes words which basically boil down to get personally involved and doing bargaining unit work w/o getting caught by certain ppl.
FT sups are politicians and will play multiple sides to appease a Steward/Business agent or an employee, or the pt sup or the manager. Some days it would seem like they are on the employees’ side or on your side, but they are really on their own side. The pay is good, benefits excellent, but they will cut your hours, just like an hourly if it’s a "hot topic" in their meetings. Ft sups will use you as a buffer with employee if they feel like they don’t wanna deal with confrontational employees or the cruelty barely giving hours to an excellent emply. FTs will lie and say you can change the unproductive work habits of a 17 year Full timer who could care less about your feedback or nonsense UPS paperwork.
Employees are basically divided into 1) pro union and productive, 2)pro union and nonproductive(lazy), 3)pro union and hostile/counterproductive(grieve u, sabotage your area, create work for themselves, take long restroom breaks and anything to extend their time on the clock) 4)pro union if you friend--k with me otherwise i dont care,5) union but i don't care if you work just give me "the minimum", 6) union and always wants to go home early,7) special needs, 8) convicted felons, 9) employees on drug or alcohol influence at work 10)employees whom should have retired and milking the shh—t out UPS, 11)employees that are extremely productive, friendly and will never get written up as management would “look the other way” and 12) new guys who haven't a clue that your not suppose to "help" them….. a diverse bunch….. and the management team isn’t any better.
You’re not really a supervisor as oppose to an intermediary baby sitter as the FT sup can’t be everywhere at once. And IF it wasn’t for the hostile employees you wouldn’t have a Job. Yes, you will be blamed for things not under your control. Yes, you are overpaid pt employee. Yes you are a glorified jam breaker, flow pusher, substitute union employee. Yes, you better not injure yourself. Yes, you better report if an employee even has a paper cut. Yes, Fulltimers will see u as irrelevant but will do what u say anyway. Yes you will do meaningless paper work that the Ft sup doesn’t even look at unless they can’t make a number…. Yes it’s an adrenaline rush and can be one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever have.
Go for it, but I suggest you look deep into yourself and in your building
It starts to suck when your FT sup give you goals that aren't realistic, then tries to either jive talk or scream at your when you can’t achieve it. Of course the FT sups get it from their managers, and their division managers etc as crap rolls downhill. The same thing with micromanagement, FT Sups will micromanage the **** outta of you, they will tell you **** you already know, they will come to your area and do things you were about to do(then pat themselves on the back, when in reality it wouldnt have made a diff) and their managers do it to them to a lesser degree. FTs sups will often tell you phrases like "let’s go, get it done, accountability, why are we off, what happen, intensity, we gotta make it happen etc" and other codes words which basically boil down to get personally involved and doing bargaining unit work w/o getting caught by certain ppl.
FT sups are politicians and will play multiple sides to appease a Steward/Business agent or an employee, or the pt sup or the manager. Some days it would seem like they are on the employees’ side or on your side, but they are really on their own side. The pay is good, benefits excellent, but they will cut your hours, just like an hourly if it’s a "hot topic" in their meetings. Ft sups will use you as a buffer with employee if they feel like they don’t wanna deal with confrontational employees or the cruelty barely giving hours to an excellent emply. FTs will lie and say you can change the unproductive work habits of a 17 year Full timer who could care less about your feedback or nonsense UPS paperwork.
Employees are basically divided into 1) pro union and productive, 2)pro union and nonproductive(lazy), 3)pro union and hostile/counterproductive(grieve u, sabotage your area, create work for themselves, take long restroom breaks and anything to extend their time on the clock) 4)pro union if you friend--k with me otherwise i dont care,5) union but i don't care if you work just give me "the minimum", 6) union and always wants to go home early,7) special needs, 8) convicted felons, 9) employees on drug or alcohol influence at work 10)employees whom should have retired and milking the shh—t out UPS, 11)employees that are extremely productive, friendly and will never get written up as management would “look the other way” and 12) new guys who haven't a clue that your not suppose to "help" them….. a diverse bunch….. and the management team isn’t any better.
You’re not really a supervisor as oppose to an intermediary baby sitter as the FT sup can’t be everywhere at once. And IF it wasn’t for the hostile employees you wouldn’t have a Job. Yes, you will be blamed for things not under your control. Yes, you are overpaid pt employee. Yes you are a glorified jam breaker, flow pusher, substitute union employee. Yes, you better not injure yourself. Yes, you better report if an employee even has a paper cut. Yes, Fulltimers will see u as irrelevant but will do what u say anyway. Yes you will do meaningless paper work that the Ft sup doesn’t even look at unless they can’t make a number…. Yes it’s an adrenaline rush and can be one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever have.
Go for it, but I suggest you look deep into yourself and in your building
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When I was an hourly I used to think my supervisor just threw test packages and told me where to go work. I had people telling me not to become a supervisor, but I have a degree and the supervisor job looks quite good on a resume, so I knew it was the best option, and I really wasn't sure what they were warning me about.
I've only been a supervisor for 3 months, but I can tell you it is quite stressful the majority of the day...every day. You have to deal with a ton of stuff going on and changing nonstop. For example yesterday, I get to work, write up my loader dispatch, get everything prepared, and then when sort starts I have 2 people not show up. Great, day is starting off well!
You also pretty much have all eyes on you all day. You have to figure out who has what kind of personality, what gets them motivated, etc. With hourly employees, pretty much no matter what, they're going to be unhappy if you want to move them from their load somewhere else, and they will let you know that.
If my full timer comes back to my dock and sees bulk/irregulars not loaded in, I know I am going to get yelled at for it. If he comes back and it is in and my dock looks spotless though, he will probably take one of my employees to help out somewhere else for the rest of the day, leaving me a man down as a 'reward' for doing my job and my people doing their job.
To sum it up - If you have a degree and need experience, or are in college getting a degree, I would recommend it just to have on your resume. If you need insurance ASAP, I would recommend it also, as you get the benefits as soon as you are promoted (along with 2 weeks paid vacation, 5 optional days, 401(k) matching). However if you are just there to work and earn a check, I would seriously think about it long and hard, because that is a job you do not want to get stuck doing for 5 years with no end in sight.
A key to the job is to have a short term memory and to not take everyone yelling at you to heart...realize they are probably just blowing off steam.
anonymous4
Well-Known Member
Two previous posts are some of the more accurate rundowns of PT SUPS on this board. I fall into number 11 of btrlov's run down of union workers. Take a hint, if you're lucky enough to get a number 11 employee, don't keep piling the work up solely on his/her back as a crutch - it will be tempting. The crutch will break. I keep a keen eye on the different sups and how they treat me and most have no issue letting me carry the area because the other workers are lazy. The better ones "punish" the less productive employees and cut the better employees breaks to allow rest periods. I.e. wrap jobs, running carts around building, shuttling missorts etc. The greedy supervisors take advantage of the rare standout employees and in my case, will eventually lose the goose that laid the golden egg. I remember the ones who treat me well and will go out of my way to work hard for them in the future.
UnconTROLLed
perfection
The only way for you to find out is:
(1) gain experience as an hourly and see what PT sups go through for yourself
(2) jump into PT supervisor role and find out for yourself
UPS wants you to go into PT management now, because you are new and have no experience, and no idea what you are getting into. If they see a possible brown lifer, they know the window will soon close with experience.
UnconTROLLed
perfection
I think this says it all.
No one deserves to be yelled at in a work environment, no matter the reason. yet every single disagreement between management turns into yelling matches, anger, hostility.
Now that's sad reality.
Thanks everyone for your input. After talking to a few part time supervisors today, I think mentally, the job wouldn't bother me at all, which seems to be the beef expressed in the helpful comments in this thread. I do have one question that I didn't feel comfortable asking the other supervisors, though. I read on a thread that it may be better if I waited til my 3 month raise before I jump to the supervisor position? Is this advisable? And if so, why ? Would that have an effect on my salary?
your union bump is irrelevant, your sup pay is non negotiable and based upon COLA of your area.and besides nobody has that information besides HR
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
If you are NOT making a career out of UPS then it would be a great opportunity. You'll get a quick raise and more hours. You'll have something professional to write on your resume. You'll have less physical labor, but more stress. If I was just starting a job with UPS and knew I would only be working there for a year or two, I would definitely take a management position.
As far as the negative opinions we have of management. well... its just the American way! we love to hate on our bosses. And most that complain about it probably never had much work experience outside of UPS because as bad as it may be here, it can get 10 times as bad in other jobs. So just take all that with a grain of salt
brown_trousers
Well-Known Member
I'm pretty sure that your union wage does have an effect on what they offer you for a management position. We had a 8yr part-timer take a sup position over here, and although he won't tell me what salary he makes as a sup, he said that it was a raise.
If you do accept the job, when you finish training and start out in your area, just remember to listen to your people. In my case I have only been here a few months, and I am supervising 9 full timers, and my 2 of my 4 part timers have been with the company 11+ years. They know what they are doing, they've gone through tons of supervisors, and they probably can give you some pretty good input as to what works and what doesn't. With that said, make sure you're able to decipher when they are trying to help, and when they are trying to manipulate you into doing less work or what have you...
TechGrrl
Space Cadet
Don't know how it works in your district, but where I worked, a move to management was most definitely based on your hourly wage. If there wasn't a raise involved, we couldn't get ANYBODY to go into management. So the 3 month raise would increase what you are making as a PT sup.
I have one question though: it is HIGHLY unusual for someone to be asked into PT management so soon after hire. It makes me wonder about two things: (1) is the PT turnover so bad that they are seriously short handed? which leads to...(2) if (1) is true, what does that say about the environment at that building?
Work hard, make seniority, and keep observing what is going on around you. UPS is a tough row to hoe, and is not everyone's cup of tea. But it can be very rewarding if it is your cup of tea.
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