Thinking of going management.

[mikestrek]

This is all a shame, UPS can be so much better. I'd like to go into management. However, when I see management and sup's in my center stressing so bad that they are willing to pass the buck to there driver or loader to make themselves look good or not get the blame for something. Management in our center now talk up the saying " s#@t rolls downhill". I feel sorry for the young sup's. There trapped and they have another 30 years to go. I'm sorry but it's all about the numbers and making the shareholders happy. Some days sup's dont even know I'm there. They call me and think I'm on vacation. I'm just a number now. They don't even know when I'm there. They just know my package car has gone out on route and wished they could have cut that route to make the numbers look better. When I started 24 years ago things were not easy but at least a sup would look in the back door of your vehicle and make a call. Now they look at the computer and say "Have a nice day". Both Cener manager and on road sup's try to team up to cut routs to make there numbers look good and don't even notice one driver staying out until 9 pm and another staying out until 5 pm. Who cares about all that if the numbers look good.

I love my company (UPS) and I love my union (Teamsters) but management is way to scarry these days. Seriously folks.

[drewed]

Originally Posted by tieguy

The part time supevisor in todays world is much better treated and much better compensated then I ever was as a part time sup. Your statement is more accurate in reference to the old days.

With the 850 starting wage the skill level of todays part time sup is much less then we had many years ago. So we either promote someone who is barely literate but knows the job or we promote someone off the street who is literate but does not know or understand our company and the job.

The part time sup works a 5.5 hour day. Anything over that is compensated with overtime. Todays part time sup is nothing more then an hourly worker with a management title.

Ouch that hurts Tie

Not all of us are aimless wonders.

[1989]

I would have went into mgmt if I didn't have to cover so many other jobs. (double and sometimes tripple shifting) and spending 3 or more hours delivering as a pt sup.

[8up]

some darn good replies here. i hope my two cents will be worthy. p/t supervision can be a quick way to increase your income level. the pay is better now than ever in the past for p/t sups. if they work you too much, you start earning overtime pay, and the district comptroller won't want that to happen. if you can get with a good mgmt team that can mentor to you, train you in use of the technology and how to work with people all of that would be beneficial to you. continue to get an education outside of UPS. all of that stuff would look good on a resume for life outside of UPS. i would not suggest going into f/t mgmt without being a driver first, and advancing to top pay scale first. you'll be the lowest on the payroll toteum pole without having driven first, and if you stop to figure your hourly rate, you will think you were better off as a p/t hourly. usually newly promoted f/t sups have their pay set to something like what they would earn at 45 hours of their current pay rate. but i've seen too many of them working 60 hours, you do the math. and now they only get 20% per year of their stock award each year so that keeps the annual income number lower than in the past. anyway get as much info as you can, then good luck with your decision. as long as you can live with it, most of us end up living with the ones we made.
thanx,

[chanzig]

There should be a requirement of atleast 5 years of driving experience before one can become an on car supe. I am sick and tired of the bean counters with absolutely no clue as to how things actually are in the "trenches" of a driver's day and year and yet can have the audacity to make you think your methods or whatever is the causes of over allowed days!

[UpstateNYUPSer]

Originally Posted by chanzig

There should be a requirement of atleast 5 years of driving experience before one can become an on car supe. I am sick and tired of the bean counters with absolutely no clue as to how things actually are in the "trenches" of a driver's day and year and yet can have the audacity to make you think your methods or whatever is the causes of over allowed days!

I agree, although 5 years may be unnecessary. I would say 6 months to include one Peak season.

[cachsux]

Hate to tell you guys but it used to be that way and sups and mgmt were better of it. It worked both ways. They could look at your car and tell you were screwed but they could also tell when you were screwing off. Overall things as a whole ran better. Now if the magic 8 ball tells them something it must be so.

[tellitstraight]

Originally Posted by VoiceOfReason

It is worth it. Your salary will no longer be capped by collective bargaining....

Ask yourself:

Do you really think you can make a difference where others have not?
-Too many of us collecting a check for nothing

Can you forgive, forget and move on with people?
-There are going to be a lot of feelings hurt and standoff's with employees and peers. The best management do not hold grudges.

Are you a computer dork?
-He/She who has the info or can find it, has power and its all trapped in the computer and the 10,000,000 report generating systems.

Drama, can you handle it?
-Your life better be free of it because you will inherit the drama in every one of your employees lives.

Can you "Just Get it Done?"
-You will be thrown into situations where you have zero experience, zero tools, zero training and a deadline that must be met. If you aren't a "Get it done" person now, you will not be successful.

Wow -- well said. Do it for the challenge and the type of work not the money. In my experience at UPS it is far more important to plan and delegate effectively to your employees to make sure things get done on time. As a supervisor or manager you CANNOT DO IT ALL YOURSELF, you need to develop your team, take care of them and I guarantee they will take care of you. I can honestly say that I can manage a good balance between work and home and everything still gets done. Generally the management people you see killing themselves either have ineffective managers, are ineffective managers, or just like working and have no home life.

[Lobofan5]

Originally Posted by tieguy

Todays part time sup is nothing more then an hourly worker with a management title.

I always say, "a part time sup is an hourly in better clothes"

[Channahon]

There is a lot more to being in mangement than dressing in better clothes. There is time invested in training a part time or full time sup, ideally, before they begin their position as a mangement person at UPS.

However, classes are consolidated and dates are set to accomodate, the largest group in a district. Most on here have no concept of the training involved, and it can be overwhelming to a new supervisor, and they are advised to retain as much as they can, and the rest will come with experience. .

Now the challenge is in today's world to keep the management team motivated with less opportunity due to downsizing that has been going on for the last 10 years at UPS.

So when non mangement employees are concerned about more work and less drivers working, think about consolidated districts, with more work and less management available to manage.

Unfortunately, it is the way of the business world, to be profitable, and particularly, in today's economy.

The good times were the good times, the rough times are the rough times, and today we are in the rought times. JMO

[Ironman]

this helped me out alot i am also thinking of going into management and was about to post a thread just like this all this feedback has me torn between the two i want the challenge honestly so i think ill go for it

[dannyboy]

wow

a lot of great feedback. Pman is on to something though, and it does not apply only to sups.

if you go into any job at ups, and dont love the job you do, you will hate what you do.

ups is a love/hate relationship. rarely is there area in between.

those that love the job they do, love their job and would still do it for 30% less. those that dont would love to find something else that would pay them 30% less, but cant so they stay.

if you have a desire to be a leader, go. if leadership regardless of what management you have above you is not what you want to do, then stay hourly. lot less stress and hours.

when ups spread to germany, there was some thought about me going into management. i have often though about that move. how far i could have gone, the security i would have achieved moreso than i have now.

but then again on that flip side of the same coin, had i taken that move, i would have never adopted two of my children. and that though is unbearable to me. so looking back at all the pros and cons, i am glad i stayed hourly.

follow your heart. but listen to your gut.

d

[pissedoffmanager]

Originally Posted by tieguy

The part time supevisor in todays world is much better treated and much better compensated then I ever was as a part time sup. Your statement is more accurate in reference to the old days.

With the 850 starting wage the skill level of todays part time sup is much less then we had many years ago. So we either promote someone who is barely literate but knows the job or we promote someone off the street who is literate but does not know or understand our company and the job.

The part time sup works a 5.5 hour day. Anything over that is compensated with overtime. Todays part time sup is nothing more then an hourly worker with a management title.

From reading your posts, I figured I would never agree with you, but this is a 100 percent true post! The part time sup's in my building where the worst you can imagine, they barely qualified as hourly employees, so management was their way out of the hassle in their own mind. These people were terrible, but they are the current mindset of the part time employees!

[tieguy]

Originally Posted by mikestrek

This is all a shame, UPS can be so much better. I'd like to go into management. However, when I see management and sup's in my center stressing so bad that they are willing to pass the buck to there driver or loader to make themselves look good or not get the blame for something.

I don't condone the practice of passing the buck. But as for the viewing of them stressing out I just watched a football game on tv where each teams management crew was also on the sidelines screaming and stressing out. its all relative to what you do I guess.

[Fnix]

Originally Posted by tieguy

I don't condone the practice of passing the buck. But as for the viewing of them stressing out I just watched a football game on tv where each teams management crew was also on the sidelines screaming and stressing out. its all relative to what you do I guess.

I agree I just try to stay away from people doing those kind of things so I dont get the vibes passed to me.

People say dont join the military you might get killed.
People say dont join the military because of the BS you have to put up with from higher ups.
People say dont join the military because of the hours you'll work.

It is not any different from my job at UPS except it is less physical and you can retire a little bit earlier. Sorry for going so off topic.

[feederdriver06]

In my building the management medical benefits are crap and are paid for by the individual compared to union employees. We just pay dues. You must weigh out everything and compare the two sides from all angles. Me personally- I've got the best job in the company except for the guys flying the planes. I would NEVER consider management-but thats me personally.

If I went into management now it would add 4 or 5 years until I could retire with the full pension and thats a big NO NO.

[drewed]

Originally Posted by feederdriver06

In my building the management medical benefits are crap and are paid for by the individual compared to union employees. We just pay dues. You must weigh out everything and compare the two sides from all angles. Me personally- I've got the best job in the company except for the guys flying the planes. I would NEVER consider management-but thats me personally.

If I went into management now it would add 4 or 5 years until I could retire with the full pension and thats a big NO NO.

The management person paying their own medical is about half correct, the company gives you a dollar amount that covers the cost for basic coverage very similar to unions bennies and if you elect to you can get extra coverage in which case you would pay for that

[opsys]

1. Those of you that have gone management, do you still think that it was worth it?

No. It is the worst job in UPS. If I would have had a functional body left, I would have stayed an hourly.

2. Is the hourly pay increase at least 10% (that's what I've heard)?

I went from ~$230 a week before taxes, to $350 a week before taxes. Now thanks to budget cuts, I'm not allowed to double-shift or earn premium pay. Now I'm at ~$300 a week.

3. What about bonuses, how does that work, and how money do you get?

Half a paycheck in late november. 3-5% raise every January. Like $30-50 a paycheck more a year.

4. I've heard that sups only get paid a certain amount of hours whether they actually do those hours or not. Does this mean that if it's a really long day sups may actually have to work (more like stand around) the last few hours for free?

Supervisor jobs differ tremendously by hub, and area supervised. You get paid a salary, and you are expected to work 27.5 hours. If you're allowed to go over, you get paid 110% of what you earn a week, divided by 27.5 (what you theoretically earn an hour)

You should NEVER work for free. Additionally, depending on where youre put, you may not have time to stand around. I've seen supes do nothing but listen to their ipods for 6 hours, and I've seen some run around like chickens without heads for just as long.

My advice would be to not go into management at all. EVER. NO.

[drewed]

Like its been pointed out the wage for pt sup varies greatly between work assigment and geographic location....
And its really what you make of it.