Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
Settle down, its a forum about UPS, not that big of a deal, especially for a seasonal worker.
Safety or lack of it, should I be concerned?
- Thread starter gingerkat
- Start date
Settle down, its a forum about UPS, not that big of a deal, especially for a seasonal worker.
Integrity
Binge Poster
gingergat,
Thank you for your postings and contributions to the Brown Cafe.
I do offer my sympathy and empathy for the way some have treated you both here and on the job.
It is great that you have apparently come to terms with the dysfunctional company that UPS is despite their claim for greatness based upon profits and words alone.
UPS is a dysfunctional place full of dysfunctional people who for a large part seem as if they haven't matured past adolesence.
UPS has a hypocritical safety and ethics culture that the large part of hourly people support, encourage and perpetuate more even than management employees.
This is sad.
But true.
Anyone can deny it all they want but their denial won't make it untrue.
As you see, like in UPS you will find many like that here on this forum.
I appreciate that you have recognized that there are some good ones here too.
I hope I have been respectful and pleasant to you in our interactions.
Blessings to you!
Sincerely,
I
laffter
Well-Known Member
The events in a person's life are that big of deal, to the person who experiences them.
So you apply for a job and get sexually harassed. "It's only seasonal work. Nah, no biggie."
laffter
Well-Known Member
I have something to say to those of you who think, or thought the OP was bsing about anything.
About a year ago I posted on this forum, under a different name, about my experience in driver helping. I was hired in August of 2011. I was, and still pretty much am, new to UPS, for the most part. In November of that year I started driver helping. Management knew that I was a "hard worker", so they put me with a "runner gunner". I was not then, nor am I now, athletic. I am not a runner. My knees and my body are not accustomed to it.
I worked with this guy for one day. He got sick, then I worked with a coverage driver on that route for two days, before the weekend. I ran my ass off. Nobody instructed me about the importance of using the hand rail. Nobody instructed me not to run. In fact, the drivers expected it. I started to experience sever pain in my right knee. I would have described this as the worst pain I have felt in recent (last 15+ years) memory. I started to limp like a cripple, and began taking Aleve, twice daily, for long enough that it began upsetting my stomach - possibly causing inflammation. My work in preload was suffering.
I spoke to management about this. I told them that I cannot run. Not one person told me that I should not have been running. I posted this exact information here, and 80% of the responses were about how I was bsing. No way in hell would management not have told me this. Right...
I stuck it out for another week-ish with this driver - the gunner. When we met up, I delivered to businesses. He sorted and setup the truck. When we got to residentials, I setup the shelves and prepared the next stops while he ran them. I worked preload, so I definitely knew how to organize crap. For some reason he still came to me every morning and asked if I could help him that day, until they found a suitable replacement. He still felt I was better than nothing. Eventually I had to stop helping for a week and a half while my knee recovered.
Most of you laughed at this. You said no way in hell is any of it true. A lot of you are idiots, or blind, or both.
This year, absolutely nothing has changed. When driver helper season began, a sup approached me about helping. He was offering me a spot to help on a mall route, thinking that it would be easier on my knees. At this time, I mentioned that such and such wants to help this season as well. He said, "well she's a runner". Meaning, she'd be better off helping on a route that requires running. This came out of a sups mouth. I have never, not once, heard a sup tell me, or anyone else not to run. I have, not once, heard them lecture anyone about safety - about using seat belts, or hand rails, or anything.
I'm not sure what magical buildings you all work out of where this is given any priority, but this is not one of them.
Nothing the OP has stated sounds unusual to me. The driver I helped all of December in 2011 stares at women/girls as if they are pieces of meat. I helped him several times this year, and he still does the same. This one girl looked, to me, like she was 14-16. I can only imagine how he would treat a female helper.
The OP is in a bad situation. If she quits, she will never be able to work at UPS again in any capacity. Since she has stood up to him about the touching, we can only hope that the driver requests another helper. And maybe they put her with someone else rather than letting her go. Hopefully they are in need of helpers where she is, like they are here. They seem to bug the crap out of insiders here, to help.
About a year ago I posted on this forum, under a different name, about my experience in driver helping. I was hired in August of 2011. I was, and still pretty much am, new to UPS, for the most part. In November of that year I started driver helping. Management knew that I was a "hard worker", so they put me with a "runner gunner". I was not then, nor am I now, athletic. I am not a runner. My knees and my body are not accustomed to it.
I worked with this guy for one day. He got sick, then I worked with a coverage driver on that route for two days, before the weekend. I ran my ass off. Nobody instructed me about the importance of using the hand rail. Nobody instructed me not to run. In fact, the drivers expected it. I started to experience sever pain in my right knee. I would have described this as the worst pain I have felt in recent (last 15+ years) memory. I started to limp like a cripple, and began taking Aleve, twice daily, for long enough that it began upsetting my stomach - possibly causing inflammation. My work in preload was suffering.
I spoke to management about this. I told them that I cannot run. Not one person told me that I should not have been running. I posted this exact information here, and 80% of the responses were about how I was bsing. No way in hell would management not have told me this. Right...
I stuck it out for another week-ish with this driver - the gunner. When we met up, I delivered to businesses. He sorted and setup the truck. When we got to residentials, I setup the shelves and prepared the next stops while he ran them. I worked preload, so I definitely knew how to organize crap. For some reason he still came to me every morning and asked if I could help him that day, until they found a suitable replacement. He still felt I was better than nothing. Eventually I had to stop helping for a week and a half while my knee recovered.
Most of you laughed at this. You said no way in hell is any of it true. A lot of you are idiots, or blind, or both.
This year, absolutely nothing has changed. When driver helper season began, a sup approached me about helping. He was offering me a spot to help on a mall route, thinking that it would be easier on my knees. At this time, I mentioned that such and such wants to help this season as well. He said, "well she's a runner". Meaning, she'd be better off helping on a route that requires running. This came out of a sups mouth. I have never, not once, heard a sup tell me, or anyone else not to run. I have, not once, heard them lecture anyone about safety - about using seat belts, or hand rails, or anything.
I'm not sure what magical buildings you all work out of where this is given any priority, but this is not one of them.
Nothing the OP has stated sounds unusual to me. The driver I helped all of December in 2011 stares at women/girls as if they are pieces of meat. I helped him several times this year, and he still does the same. This one girl looked, to me, like she was 14-16. I can only imagine how he would treat a female helper.
The OP is in a bad situation. If she quits, she will never be able to work at UPS again in any capacity. Since she has stood up to him about the touching, we can only hope that the driver requests another helper. And maybe they put her with someone else rather than letting her go. Hopefully they are in need of helpers where she is, like they are here. They seem to bug the crap out of insiders here, to help.
Integrity
Binge Poster
laffter,
Nice post!
I have heard the helper class daily for weeks now.
The trainer presents all the policy, has everyone sign it and her job is done.
The policy we are all accountable for is very far from the practice that is expected of us by both hourly and management.
It is a chronic culture of safety and ethical hypocricy within the UPS organization.
To all:
Are you part of the solution or part of the problem??????
Sincerely,
I
Indecisi0n
Well-Known Member
LOL maybe next time
soberups
Pees in the brown Koolaid
Sexual harassment and being instructed/expected to work in an unsafe manner is a big deal. The posters status as a seasonal employee rather than a permanent one is irrelevant.
gingerkat
Well-Known Member
Laffter, Integrity, Soberups, Brownmonster, Dracula and all others that responded respectfully... thank you. I'm not picking out the responses that I like, but I'm just scratching my head as to why anyone would think I'm a troll or not a female. At this hub, at orientation, there were about 60% females. Yes, I originally came to this site as a customer, but aren't we all really customers as we all order stuff? I think this makes me a better helper if anything. It makes me a little more sensitive to customers needs.
The comments I can deal with, but the touching & grabbing was too much. I can't even explain how violated I felt because I don't even understand it. I know that most of you men think that I'm just a silly woman complaining, and maybe you can't understand because you're physically stronger and would handle it that way. Well you know what, I might not look like it, but I'm a pretty tough woman, but it took me by surprise. I come from a strict military family that doesn't know the word "quit" or talk back. As much of an
as he is, I feel I have to finish the work. If I go to HR and ask for a new driver, he'll just say I'm a crappy helper and I won't have a chance for re-hire.
I can't risk him bad mouthing me to any of his business clients as I'm the one that lives & shops in this neighborhood. I actually saw two clients yesterday and just about myself. Plus if I say anything about his touchy touch, it's not fair to his family. Maybe if he touches me again, I'll tell him I'm going to make a call to his wife.
Anyhoo, I'm going to tell him I do need to work safer. But, I will continue to kick ass and work hard like I have been.
The comments I can deal with, but the touching & grabbing was too much. I can't even explain how violated I felt because I don't even understand it. I know that most of you men think that I'm just a silly woman complaining, and maybe you can't understand because you're physically stronger and would handle it that way. Well you know what, I might not look like it, but I'm a pretty tough woman, but it took me by surprise. I come from a strict military family that doesn't know the word "quit" or talk back. As much of an
as he is, I feel I have to finish the work. If I go to HR and ask for a new driver, he'll just say I'm a crappy helper and I won't have a chance for re-hire.I can't risk him bad mouthing me to any of his business clients as I'm the one that lives & shops in this neighborhood. I actually saw two clients yesterday and just about
myself. Plus if I say anything about his touchy touch, it's not fair to his family. Maybe if he touches me again, I'll tell him I'm going to make a call to his wife.Anyhoo, I'm going to tell him I do need to work safer. But, I will continue to kick ass and work hard like I have been.
gingerkat
Well-Known Member
What time are we meeting tomorrow?
jaker
trolling
I am going to say this take it how you want and live with it
You need to woman up and tell him straight to his face the moment he picks you up , you do not touch me in any way , I am here to make money and stay healthy doing it , I will bust my butt so we both can get home safely and on time if you can not agree with this well find yourself another helper and walk away and move on
You need to woman up and tell him straight to his face the moment he picks you up , you do not touch me in any way , I am here to make money and stay healthy doing it , I will bust my butt so we both can get home safely and on time if you can not agree with this well find yourself another helper and walk away and move on
gingerkat
Well-Known Member
You are right on this. This is something that I'm at fault on. Something I'm dealing with in life, keeping my mouth shut on the bad things. Tomorrow morning seems so close and far at the same time. He'll call me at some point early AM depending on how heavy his trucks looks. Going to do it!
Thank you
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
A pissed off wife is far more effective than the best lawyer in town.
what do think would happen if she(gingerkat) got a lawyer and filed a sexual harassment suit??
UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)
Well-Known Member
It would come down to a he said/she said and be settled out of court. Calling the wife would put an end to it really quick.
Hi all , sorry to get in on this thread a little late but here goes. The helper sounds like one I would like to have , sounds like she cares about doing the job the right way. I have to keep reminding my helper to 'be safe'. It is like alot of guys in my center (and on here) that say you cannot be safe and do the job. YES YOU CAN , you just need to take it upon yourself to work safely . no matter how much work you have. We had a miiror in my center that said 'meet the person responsible for your safety' . . . . very corny yet very true. I do not move faster or slower depending on how much work I have. On a personal note , why would 'gingerkat' lie ? She was just looking for some advice on how to handle a situation , she has worked for UPS for 5 days . . some of us have been there for 20 , 25 , 30 years . . . . she thought she was coming to the right place for advice. Best of luck gingerkat and keep working safely , it is your health.
Most lawyers would not take the case she doesn't have a case against UPS she hasn't notified UPS of any problems that they need to fix. She could sue the driver than it would be her word against his.
