xmas hours

[damagedbrown]

I just got hired at ups for preload work which starts at 5:30 am for the most part, i'm told during xmas season that we can end up starting as early as 1:30 am, am i required to work these extra hours, i do have a fulltime job which may intefere with the extra hours at ups

 

[dilligaf]

Yes.

 

[beentheredonethat]

Peak is our busiest and most critical time of the year. We told you well ahead of time what the hours are and yes you will need to work those hours during peak.

 

[UPSGUY72]

I just got hired at ups for preload work which starts at 5:30 am for the most part, i'm told during xmas season that we can end up starting as early as 1:30 am, am i required to work these extra hours, i do have a fulltime job which may intefere with the extra hours at ups[/QUOTE

You haven't even made your 30 days and your worried about something 10 months away. I wouldn't worry about it even if you make your 30 days most people don't last a year they either quit or get fired for not showing up to work or on time.

 

[JonFrum]

Coming in four hours early is like working an extra shift before your regular shift (which itself will probably run later than usual during Peak.)

UPS can't make you work an extra early shift unless your Contract Supplement has a strange clause I'm not aware of.

Usually UPS will post a sign-up sheet for willing workers to volunteer to work the extra hours. It goes by Seniority.

UPS can also hire seasonal help to work the extra hours.

The extra hours will probably be for only a few weeks. Some weeks will just be an extra hour, then two, then three, then four, as the volume increases.

 

[dillweed]

Congratulations on getting the job! And for having the backbone to tackle a full and part time job all at once. That's tough.

Don't worry yet about seasonal hours. It's a long ways away. Every center/hub is different in volume and how they handle peak. I work preload and we have sometimes started two hours early but that was years ago before the economy went to pot. Last couple of years were light and this last peak we never worked more than five hours per shift.

You're new to the company - take note of the responses you have gotten here. Some are helpful and kind, some sarcastic and rude. It will be the same in your workplace except the poisonous ones won't have the courage to show themselves. It's easy to be a bully online, no one can see your face.

Show up on time, do the best you safely can and don't trust too quickly. You'll be fine.

 

[dillweed]

I just got hired at ups for preload work which starts at 5:30 am for the most part, i'm told during xmas season that we can end up starting as early as 1:30 am, am i required to work these extra hours, i do have a fulltime job which may intefere with the extra hours at ups[/QUOTE

You haven't even made your 30 days and your worried about something 10 months away. I wouldn't worry about it even if you make your 30 days most people don't last a year they either quit or get fired for not showing up to work or on time.

Shame on you - that's rude.

 

[SnowCitizen]

I would ask the other pre-loaders you work with how many days this occurs and then use that information to decide if it is worth it.

 

[UnconTROLLed]

You should not ever be forced to work extra hours unless your supplement says so. The job you signed on the dotted line for is what you do.

On our preload , we had several people who committed themselves to 3 or 4am start times during peak when others were coming in at 11pm or midnight, up until 3am.

I would not worry about it now - I'm pretty sure if you have solid standing next December you won't be worrying about this.

 

[menotyou]

In my building, its not "extra work". Its required.

 

[themidge]

I worked several ten hour shifts last year on the preload loading four trucks with an average volume of ~1800 pieces. Obviously a lot of my time was not spent in my own cage but it was well worth the money.

Most shifts were a little under eight.

 

[dilligaf]

I had to stop and think about all the responses for a few. Having done so...............

Come on guys, we are talking about peak. UPS will set a preload schedule that suits the buildings needs. If that means working extra hours then YES, the OP will work extra hours. We all know that all bets are off during Christmas. Stop pulling the wool over the OP's eyes. I do agree though, it's a bit early to be worrying about it.

 

[dillweed]

Working the extra hours is going to depend on individual centers. Our center has feeder trucks that just don't arrive until a certain time in the AM. They are at the mercy of the hubs who, I'm sure, have their own schedules and limitations.

We normally start around 4:30 AM and the earliest I've seen us start at peak was 2:45 AM. That was years ago when volume was high. We normally can't stay late because our drivers must get out of the building at a decent time in order to get done. The exception here is when air is late. In those instances very few people are needed to process it so most people are allowed to leave. Higher seniority people usually want the extra hours and air drivers shuttle the air to the regular drivers.

From what I've read on this forum hubs have much different schedules than smaller centers like mine. So dilli, I feel the varied responses may be due to the type of facility one works for. I do agree, though, that we're at the mercy of the "powers" as to what our start and end times are!

 

[dilligaf]

Dillweed, I'm with you on working in a small center. During peak our preload started at 1:30a but only during the last week. The weeks prior to that their start time was 2:30a. We have only 1 preload shift and 1 local sort shift.

My basic answer still remains the same though. If you are scheduled to work early you will work early. All bets are off during peak.

 

[lololmao7]

I just started my job as a part time pre-loader in June (right on my birthday, what a great present I received), and am going to college full time (UPS is my reason). We have a pretty small hub, and I am going to say that getting through my first peak season was a real accomplishment. It sucks, its a really horrible 5 to 6 weeks, but once you get through, and the shifts start at 4:30 again, you'll be real happy. I know that when we were in the swing of things, I really wanted to quit, cause it was really difficult for me to keep up with studying for finals, and waking up at 130 everyday, but you just gotta tough it out. And think of your check that you get at the end of each week. I just want to get out of UPS asap, I dont want to kill myself before I get out of college.