Home
Forums
New posts
Search forums
What's new
New posts
Latest activity
Members
Current visitors
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
New posts
Search forums
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Home
Forums
The Competition
FedEx Discussions
Fred, Dave, MT3 and the October Surprise
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Ricochet1a" data-source="post: 997409" data-attributes="member: 22880"><p>After the flurry of information that came out last month, it is looking like any potential buyouts will be limited to HIGH "tenure" salaried employees. There was NO firm information on this, but the consensus is that salaried employees that have 25+ years with Express and are over 50 years of age, will be offered some form of incentive to leave. There has been no information come out as to how "generous" any potential early retirement package would be for these individuals.</p><p></p><p>As for wage employees, the "consensus" is that there will be NO form of buyouts. It is looking like Express is getting ready to do some targeted buyouts like they did in 2009 (locations where volume has collapsed), but no hard details on this. If you haven't experienced any dramatic reduction in volumes in your location, you probably won't see any any buyouts. When buyouts are offered to wage employees, the actual amount Express offers is pathetic - so don't think it is some form of "golden parachute". It is just enough to get the employee to "bite" on it - and potentially forgo any unemployment compensation. </p><p></p><p>From other things that I'm hearing, it is looking like Express is cranking up the disciplinary side of the attrition equation, to help shed some employees. </p><p></p><p>The "performance reminder" is making a big comeback, employees are getting OLCCs for what was previously trivial stuff. Employees whose actual work performance is GOOD are getting OLCCs and even performance reminders for little crap (attendance, punctuality, customer complaints, not securing vehicle at ALL stops - you name it). The squeeze is being put on - to hold employees to an absolute standard - or push them out the door with performance reminders (and yes, you can be fired for having performance reminders and committing another "offense" while they are active). </p><p></p><p>Part of the push for handing out OLCCs and performance reminders, is directly attributable to the elimination of the performance review. Employees know their pay increases AREN'T linked to punctuality and attendance anymore, so Express is losing that "control" they had over employees. So the OLCCs are flying, and performance reminders are just waiting for any continued "non-compliance". </p><p></p><p>Then once an employee is pushed out the door, mananement does NOT replace the individual, but eliminates the position and reconfigures work tasks among the remaining employees. This isn't just at a few locations, it is company wide policy now. So don't clock in late, don't clock in EARLY, secure your vehicle, keep your customers happy (you may have to kiss a little butt to do so). To put it bluntly, your employment is at risk if you get enough of these minor things going against you. </p><p></p><p>It is also looking like the sprinters that are being brought in are being HEAVILY placed onto routes operated by the AM part-timers (no real surprises there). I've asked if there is going to be any move to make AM part-timers "Courier-Handlers" (the operation of a sprinter vehicle DOESN'T require a DOT physical), and haven't gotten a definite response yet. This may be yet another part of the October Bomb - part-time new hires which will be expected to operate sprinters will be hired in as Courier-Handlers. I believe that there are current restrictions as to how Courier-Handlers can be used to run "regular" routes, but there is no reason to believe this will remain the same come October.</p><p></p><p>In all of this "squeeze" on the wage employees (going back to 2008, when the pension was terminated), it is looking like Express' strategy is to GRADUALLY implement change, and not do it as to create a massive upsurge in discontent. I know there is plenty of discontent already from Couriers who used to get 50 hours a week regularily, who are now only getting just under 40 (that is a 25%+ reduction in gross wages). The work isn't there - and in 2-3 months, there will be even less work. I have heard that they are trying to pull P2 off of part-time routes to keep the full time routes up to hours, BUT they are also pulling P2 off of full-time routes and placing it on part-time routes (IF possible), to eliminate OT liability for the full-timers. So route balancing will take into consideration whether OT will be incurred by a full-timer, and if the full-timer looks to go into OT territory for the day - they are pulling volume off and handing to part-timers or underutilzed full-timers if possible.</p><p></p><p>I asked about what potential impact that losing the USPS contract would have - my source didn't have a firm answer to this. Right now, the USPS contract basically provided Express with its profit margin last year - losing that revenue would place Express firmly into the red - and there would be NO WAY for Express to compensate for this. However, given the restrictions that exist due to TSA screening of air cargo on passenger aircraft, there isn't much potential for significant volume shifting that could go on there. This means that the air movement of USPS volume is left to two players - Express and UPS. My source suggested what may happen, is that USPS gets a contract that shaves 100 million a year or so off the payments that USPS gives to Express - and that would be about it. </p><p></p><p>There is also the issue of Express drop boxes outside USPS facilites that is under the contract. Express DOESN'T want to lose these locations (I know most Couriers would love nothing more than to lose these locations and not have to deal with the deluge of Ground pieces being placed into them). <em>And yes, I believe that the placement of Express dropboxes outside of post offices where customers dump their Ground has a DELIBERATE INTENT behind it by FedEx... </em> If Express had to move these drop boxes, customers might be inconvenienced enough to start using postal Express Mail service - Express knows this. So Express has a reason to cut the USPS a deal, if push comes to shove.</p><p></p><p><em>I do seem to remember a time when UPS had their dropboxes outside USPS facilites - when was this (if anyone can remember...)</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em></em>There are "larger changes in the works", I'm just curious as to how someone can "admit silently" to such changes... A wink of an eye, write it on a piece of paper while saying nothing??? Just curious...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ricochet1a, post: 997409, member: 22880"] After the flurry of information that came out last month, it is looking like any potential buyouts will be limited to HIGH "tenure" salaried employees. There was NO firm information on this, but the consensus is that salaried employees that have 25+ years with Express and are over 50 years of age, will be offered some form of incentive to leave. There has been no information come out as to how "generous" any potential early retirement package would be for these individuals. As for wage employees, the "consensus" is that there will be NO form of buyouts. It is looking like Express is getting ready to do some targeted buyouts like they did in 2009 (locations where volume has collapsed), but no hard details on this. If you haven't experienced any dramatic reduction in volumes in your location, you probably won't see any any buyouts. When buyouts are offered to wage employees, the actual amount Express offers is pathetic - so don't think it is some form of "golden parachute". It is just enough to get the employee to "bite" on it - and potentially forgo any unemployment compensation. From other things that I'm hearing, it is looking like Express is cranking up the disciplinary side of the attrition equation, to help shed some employees. The "performance reminder" is making a big comeback, employees are getting OLCCs for what was previously trivial stuff. Employees whose actual work performance is GOOD are getting OLCCs and even performance reminders for little crap (attendance, punctuality, customer complaints, not securing vehicle at ALL stops - you name it). The squeeze is being put on - to hold employees to an absolute standard - or push them out the door with performance reminders (and yes, you can be fired for having performance reminders and committing another "offense" while they are active). Part of the push for handing out OLCCs and performance reminders, is directly attributable to the elimination of the performance review. Employees know their pay increases AREN'T linked to punctuality and attendance anymore, so Express is losing that "control" they had over employees. So the OLCCs are flying, and performance reminders are just waiting for any continued "non-compliance". Then once an employee is pushed out the door, mananement does NOT replace the individual, but eliminates the position and reconfigures work tasks among the remaining employees. This isn't just at a few locations, it is company wide policy now. So don't clock in late, don't clock in EARLY, secure your vehicle, keep your customers happy (you may have to kiss a little butt to do so). To put it bluntly, your employment is at risk if you get enough of these minor things going against you. It is also looking like the sprinters that are being brought in are being HEAVILY placed onto routes operated by the AM part-timers (no real surprises there). I've asked if there is going to be any move to make AM part-timers "Courier-Handlers" (the operation of a sprinter vehicle DOESN'T require a DOT physical), and haven't gotten a definite response yet. This may be yet another part of the October Bomb - part-time new hires which will be expected to operate sprinters will be hired in as Courier-Handlers. I believe that there are current restrictions as to how Courier-Handlers can be used to run "regular" routes, but there is no reason to believe this will remain the same come October. In all of this "squeeze" on the wage employees (going back to 2008, when the pension was terminated), it is looking like Express' strategy is to GRADUALLY implement change, and not do it as to create a massive upsurge in discontent. I know there is plenty of discontent already from Couriers who used to get 50 hours a week regularily, who are now only getting just under 40 (that is a 25%+ reduction in gross wages). The work isn't there - and in 2-3 months, there will be even less work. I have heard that they are trying to pull P2 off of part-time routes to keep the full time routes up to hours, BUT they are also pulling P2 off of full-time routes and placing it on part-time routes (IF possible), to eliminate OT liability for the full-timers. So route balancing will take into consideration whether OT will be incurred by a full-timer, and if the full-timer looks to go into OT territory for the day - they are pulling volume off and handing to part-timers or underutilzed full-timers if possible. I asked about what potential impact that losing the USPS contract would have - my source didn't have a firm answer to this. Right now, the USPS contract basically provided Express with its profit margin last year - losing that revenue would place Express firmly into the red - and there would be NO WAY for Express to compensate for this. However, given the restrictions that exist due to TSA screening of air cargo on passenger aircraft, there isn't much potential for significant volume shifting that could go on there. This means that the air movement of USPS volume is left to two players - Express and UPS. My source suggested what may happen, is that USPS gets a contract that shaves 100 million a year or so off the payments that USPS gives to Express - and that would be about it. There is also the issue of Express drop boxes outside USPS facilites that is under the contract. Express DOESN'T want to lose these locations (I know most Couriers would love nothing more than to lose these locations and not have to deal with the deluge of Ground pieces being placed into them). [I]And yes, I believe that the placement of Express dropboxes outside of post offices where customers dump their Ground has a DELIBERATE INTENT behind it by FedEx... [/I] If Express had to move these drop boxes, customers might be inconvenienced enough to start using postal Express Mail service - Express knows this. So Express has a reason to cut the USPS a deal, if push comes to shove. [I]I do seem to remember a time when UPS had their dropboxes outside USPS facilites - when was this (if anyone can remember...) [/I]There are "larger changes in the works", I'm just curious as to how someone can "admit silently" to such changes... A wink of an eye, write it on a piece of paper while saying nothing??? Just curious... [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Home
Forums
The Competition
FedEx Discussions
Fred, Dave, MT3 and the October Surprise
Top