Quick Question - Supervisor Recycling Missed Packages and Missorts

[jibbs]

That's the eventual plan, but this situation developed (new management team) the week I was on vacation, developed an ear infection which went to sinus to bronchitis, so I racked up a few doctor visits in the past two (or 3? it's all a blur, really) weeks and I haven't seen a paycheck (before Thursday) for two weeks.

Plus, I don't wanna be the guy that goes to the doctors office for everything because I really despise going into places like that. I really only consider it if it's an emergency.

But yeah, I'll get that note... I just think it's BS that I need one to begin with just because management's changed, but it is what it is. That's not even what this thread was about, though, for real, I've pretty much got that solution planned out. I just bring it up every now and then because it definitely is a constant irritant so it's easy to have at the top of my mind.

[EDIT:

Meant to hit funny. Relax you're gonna have a stroke

@Over 70 , I replied to this but it either got censored or deleted. idk if you saw it so I'll go with another approach:

Yeah, you're right. I'm pretty sure a stroke or a heart attack'll be what does me in. idk if there's a legit way to check stress and anxiety levels/hormones/chemicals/whatever but if there is and I did it, I'm pretty sure I'd be off the gosh darn charts in that department.

I do know for sure that my blood pressure's in the hypertension range and I attribute that almost solely to anxiety, with a bit of poor nutrition in there relative to how much I move around when I'm not sittin' here at the house.

 

[dudebro]

We don't have those scanners for preload yet...but they couldn't force everyone to wear a belt if they wanted to. There aren't even enough to go around for Noonday, Twilight, and Midnight. Scanner holsters alone, without the belt, are like cigarettes in prison around here. And tape guns.

The belts, like the triggers and other sort supplies, are consumables and easy to order. The management team has a budget, but they can order them whenever they want. There can be plenty to go around, if someone high enough in management wants it.

 

[dudebro]

So go to your doctor....a doctor which is MD and get a waiver/note saying you can't use this type of equipment because it does this or that. Problem solved....play their game

You have to admit - people often abuse the "I have a medical problem". Don't act like that never happens, and the poor worker is always being abused by the evil management person.

 

[km3]

The belts, like the triggers and other sort supplies, are consumables and easy to order. The management team has a budget, but they can order them whenever they want. There can be plenty to go around, if someone high enough in management wants it.

Personally I think they should order new scanners. Loading without a holster isn't a big deal. Spending 45 minutes looking for a scanner that works or doesn't disconnect after 10 seconds kind of is. But hey, I get paid by the hour. If I have to spend an entire hour out of a 5 hour sort walking around just so I can find a working scanner...That's UPS' problem. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again.

Actually, what really drives me nuts is when people tie the ends of the straps on the imager part together. Still can't figure out why anyone would do that. Tightening the strap every 25 scans isn't that big of a hastle. It takes 0.5 seconds to do. Keeping them untied means anyone can use the imager, gloves or no gloves, without having to trade straps with another one.

 

[jibbs]

Actually, what really drives me nuts is when people tie the ends of the straps on the imager part together. Still can't figure out why anyone would do that.

Do you mean when the velcro straps basically fail and they won't stay on your hand anymore?

Instead of constantly re-tying or refitting or whatever I just fit it to my index/middle fingers at the beginning of preload, hold it in place while I take it off and tape the strap together with a tiny little piece of tape, just long enough to wrap around.

Still makes it a little difficult for others to use after that particular shift, but I'm willing to bet it's easier than untangling the Gordian Knots some preloaders come up with with these things.

 

[km3]

Do you mean when the velcro straps basically fail and they won't stay on your hand anymore?

Instead of constantly re-tying or refitting or whatever I just fit it to index/middle fingers at the beginning of preload, hold it in place while I take it off and tape the strap together with a tiny little piece of tape, just long enough to wrap around.

Still makes it a little difficult for others to use after that particular shift, but I'm willing to bet it's easier than untangling the Gordian Knots some preloaders come up with with these things.

Ours don't have velcro. It's just a little strap that clips on. People tighten it around their own two fingers, and tie it as tight as possible thus rendering many of them completely unusable to me with my work gloves.

 

[dudebro]

Personally I think they should order new scanners. Loading without a holster isn't a big deal. Spending 45 minutes looking for a scanner that works or doesn't disconnect after 10 seconds kind of is. But hey, I get paid by the hour. If I have to spend an entire hour out of a 5 hour sort walking around just so I can find a working scanner...That's UPS' problem. It's happened before, and I'm sure it will happen again.

Actually, what really drives me nuts is when people tie the ends of the straps on the imager part together. Still can't figure out why anyone would do that. Tightening the strap every 25 scans isn't that big of a hastle. It takes 0.5 seconds to do. Keeping them untied means anyone can use the imager, gloves or no gloves, without having to trade straps with another one.

We buy them (and a full repair warranty) every 5 years (for as long as we buy scanners, and not a pair of Google glasses or whatever is coming next). I don't know if your building has gotten the new version of the scanners yet (coincides with preload smart scan) or not. You can tell by looking at the function button in the lower left. If it's a black button with a blue outline, it's an old scanner. If the button itself is blue, it's a new one.

After that, it's up to the location to send them to the service center when they don't work right. In my experience, many times in operations no one wants to take the time to assign this to a PT supervisor and make sure broken scanners are sent out, repaired, and returned, but they want to be the first to tell me how much the scanners suck.

We also updated the firmware for the imager that has worked well in testing so far as disassociations and enter ZIP prompts are concerned, where I've given it to a loader and observed it through the sort. Help is coming over the next few months, but the faulty scanners still need to be serviced to take advantage of it.

 

[km3]

After that, it's up to the location to send them to the service center when they don't work right. In my experience, many times in operations no one wants to take the time to assign this to a PT supervisor and make sure broken scanners are sent out, repaired, and returned, but they want to be the first to tell me how much the scanners suck.

We also updated the firmware for the imager that has worked well in testing so far where I've given it to a loader and observed it through the sort. Help is coming over the next few months, but the faulty scanners still need to be serviced to take advantage of it.

It's like I told you before, a lot of new PT supervisors will do their job right the first time...then TSG gets back to them and says, "we're not going to look at this until you go through the procedure a few more times." Then it's no surprise that the PT supervisors stop caring. I'd probably be fired in my first week as a PT sup. I'd be in that office screaming until they agreed to fix it.

 

[By The Book]

You have to admit - people often abuse the "I have a medical problem". Don't act like that never happens, and the poor worker is always being abused by the evil management person.

I'm sure we can agree that the amount of workers at UPS who abuse the doctors is a small percentage....let's keep it that way.

 

[dudebro]

It's like I told you before, a lot of new PT supervisors will do their job right the first time...then TSG gets back to them and says, "we're not going to look at this until you go through the procedure a few more times." Then it's no surprise that the PT supervisors stop caring. I'd probably be fired in my first week as a PT sup. I'd be in that office screaming until they agreed to fix it.

I know the support functions can be frustrating, but it's not that bad. With that attitude you might get *gasp* promoted.

 

[Semi clerk]

@Over 70

Only way you could disagree with any of that particular post is if you were personally there or know me, so hey Erick, get the stick out your @ss, buddy. There's a reason the sort's gone from a three-page sign-in sheet to a single page plus four names on the second since you showed up.

Now I get why you act the way you do on here, man, you just have a shltty personality. It's good to have a face to put with a username, though.

I think I actually was there for that conversation. I walked past on my way to the dispatch office.

While we have lost a lot of employees. I think they also just changed the amount of names that appear on each sign in sheet because new hires were running out of room to put their names.

Problem is every new hire is garbage.

 

[TearsInRain]

It's like I told you before, a lot of new PT supervisors will do their job right the first time...then TSG gets back to them and says, "we're not going to look at this until you go through the procedure a few more times." Then it's no surprise that the PT supervisors stop caring. I'd probably be fired in my first week as a PT sup. I'd be in that office screaming until they agreed to fix it.

i haven't seen a building yet where the scanners are handled and cared for "by-the-book" much less with care, so if your PT sups are actually correct over TSG you must work out of the Shangri-La building

 

[km3]

idk if there's a legit way to check stress and anxiety levels/hormones/chemicals/whatever but if there is and I did it, I'm pretty sure I'd be off the gosh darn charts in that department.

You'd need to see a specialist. I can tell you how to cure it, though: stop caring. Stop caring what people think, what they say, how much crap piles up on your belt, etc..

Just come in, do your job, and don't stress the stuff you can't control. Best thing I ever did.

 

[km3]

i haven't seen a building yet where the scanners are handled and cared for "by-the-book" much less with care, so if your PT sups are actually correct over TSG you must work out of the Shangri-La building

As I said, that only lasts for a day or two. Then they stop caring when they realize no one else does.

 

[jibbs]

I think I actually was there for that conversation. I walked past on my way to the dispatch office.

While we have lost a lot of employees. I think they also just changed the amount of names that appear on each sign in sheet because new hires were running out of room to put their names.

Problem is every new hire is garbage.

Lmao, well if you were, hats off to you, brutha.

The new hires are "garbage" because the new management team doesn't know how to train them well enough to handle method-upon-method-upon-method, they just load with them for 29 days and fire 'em before their 30th.

Treat 'em with respect and patience and the average person'll want to do a good job, if for no other reason than they respect the people above them and it instills a sense of loyalty that keeps them working even when they're stressed and overwhelmed.

Treat 'em like a number, like you're not there to make any friends and just trying to hit production values, and you won't have a leg to stand on when you're wondering why the entire sort can't stand you and you're left understaffed with piles of grievances.

(Keep in mind, bud, I'm using "you" in a general sense and not specifically referring to you.)

You'd need to see a specialist. I can tell you how to cure it, though: stop caring. Stop caring what people think, what they say, how much crap piles up on your belt, etc..

Just come in, do your job, and don't stress the stuff you can't control. Best thing I ever did.

Anxiety disorders have a funny way of making me unable to not care, despite how much of an effort I try. Usually it ends up with me internalizing everything and next thing you know the metaphorical bottle blows from the internal pressure, which is why I like to speak up the instant I see an issue develop. There's only so much "space" I can utilize when I compartmentalize-- eventually something's going to set it all off when I do that.

I get what you mean, though, and it's generally good advice.

 

[Griffin1820]

Ah...wouldn't it be funny if UPS inadvertently raised the market wage for these jobs by chasing everyone away? Although if you ask me, the contractual rate was already below the market rate. People wouldn't even bother if there wasn't a chance to go driving or get insurance.

I ask myself everyday... Is the chance of getting a Driver position in the next couple years really worth doing this crap.

 

[km3]

I ask myself everyday... Is the chance of getting a Driver position in the next couple years really worth doing this crap.

They can't get PTers to sign the list here. Sorry to hear you work in one of those centers where the wait is still more than a year.

 

[Griffin1820]

I must work in the UPS Twilight Zone. Our sups are always working, sorting the belt, stacking etc. because most of our preloaders can't keep up.

If they like work so much give them some Grievance paperwork. They will only run as far as you will let them. No sup violates the contract. Sups are only allowed by us to violate the contract. All part timers need to step up and start enforcing the contract and every sort needs a steward. Teamsters mbers need to adapt a 0 tolerance policy.

 

[Griffin1820]

They can't get PTers to sign the list here. Sorry to hear you work in one of those centers where the wait is still more than a year.

Yeah it's tough I've already waited a year but going by who's retiring and my current seniority I have a chance to get in by December so that will be 2 years. I'll go full time about the same time my Saturday air hits top rate at 28

 

[jibbs]

Yeah it's tough I've already waited a year but going by who's retiring and my current seniority I have a chance to get in by December so that will be 2 years. I'll go full time about the same time my Saturday air hits top rate at 28

Damn, dude!

My only obstacle is one of my own doing-- I'm not competent enough with a manual to pass the on-road (or graduation or whatever) test, in my opinion. Just don't have the confidence... I can drive a stick but "smooth" is not the way I would describe the ride with where I'm at now.

They have trouble gettin' preloaders to sign the sheet in my center, too, so the ones that do (minus a few exceptions for one reason or another) tend to get their shot at Integrad pretty quickly afterwards. It's even at the point where we have way more than a 5:1 or 6:1-- whichever it is-- ratio of inside promotions to outside hires.... pretty much every new driver in my center has been off-the-street for a while now. I can only think of 6 PTers that I've seen over the years actually go into driving and do it successfully without being sent back to the preload or quitting. I'm sure there've been more but that's seriously all the faces I can recall that used to load with me but wear brown's now.