SFA Meeting Aftermath

PSP

Active Member
Just watched our workgroup raise hell with our relatively new manager (few months). It all came back to the cutting of hours, as we are the PM shift. They tried to organize this SFA meeting in groups, so each group could answer two questions that were given to them. These questions are the ones that were of focus, pertaining to our manager. Since our manager bombed the SFA, we had eight questions. After answering one question, the whole work group went on a rant about how no one can afford to feed their child, and with the little notice we had (a day), their families were not prepared for this major income decrease. We are being told that hours are being reduced to save the company money and keep the business afloat as domestic numbers are down, while international shipping is at an all time high. Thoughts on this Brown Cafe folks?
 

Purplepackage

Well-Known Member
Just watched our workgroup raise hell with our relatively new manager (few months). It all came back to the cutting of hours, as we are the PM shift. They tried to organize this SFA meeting in groups, so each group could answer two questions that were given to them. These questions are the ones that were of focus, pertaining to our manager. Since our manager bombed the SFA, we had eight questions. After answering one question, the whole work group went on a rant about how no one can afford to feed their child, and with the little notice we had (a day), their families were not prepared for this major income decrease. We are being told that hours are being reduced to save the company money and keep the business afloat as domestic numbers are down, while international shipping is at an all time high. Thoughts on this Brown Cafe folks?

I assume you work part time at a ramp?

Whenever we hit a slow time the first people to get there hours cut are part time employees, that's just how the game works
 

PSP

Active Member
Nah, part time pick up route at a medium sized station (not at a ramp). The thing is, we have these stops still. They are sending 10-15 stops a day to AM routes that may or may not be on their manifest, but are within the route area. I understand they are trying to make the PM pickup operation smaller, but it just doesn't feel right since the AM drivers are complaining about working too much while we struggle to pay the bills.
 

PSP

Active Member
10-15 stops meaning per PM route, so these stops were originally on a PM pickup route and are now AM stops. I understand 2PM ready times are justified to go to the AM, but again...It doesn't feel right.
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
Just watched our workgroup raise hell with our relatively new manager (few months). It all came back to the cutting of hours, as we are the PM shift. They tried to organize this SFA meeting in groups, so each group could answer two questions that were given to them. These questions are the ones that were of focus, pertaining to our manager. Since our manager bombed the SFA, we had eight questions. After answering one question, the whole work group went on a rant about how no one can afford to feed their child, and with the little notice we had (a day), their families were not prepared for this major income decrease. We are being told that hours are being reduced to save the company money and keep the business afloat as domestic numbers are down, while international shipping is at an all time high. Thoughts on this Brown Cafe folks?
It's all :bsbullf: that they are ordered to tell us. The unbrainwashed managers will tell you that. Don't believe the lies. The corporate jets are still flying and the executives are still getting their bonuses.
 

PSP

Active Member
It's all :bsbullf: that they are ordered to tell us. The unbrainwashed managers will tell you that. Don't believe the lies. The corporate jets are still flying and the executives are still getting their bonuses.

I'm with you on this one. Starting to wish I joined UPS years ago...To make matters worse, I was steps away from management. Just starting to wonder if its worth it, working for a corporation that doesn't care about its own employees.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
Just watched our workgroup raise hell with our relatively new manager (few months). It all came back to the cutting of hours, as we are the PM shift. They tried to organize this SFA meeting in groups, so each group could answer two questions that were given to them. These questions are the ones that were of focus, pertaining to our manager. Since our manager bombed the SFA, we had eight questions. After answering one question, the whole work group went on a rant about how no one can afford to feed their child, and with the little notice we had (a day), their families were not prepared for this major income decrease. We are being told that hours are being reduced to save the company money and keep the business afloat as domestic numbers are down, while international shipping is at an all time high. Thoughts on this Brown Cafe folks?

Do you expect them to use more hours of labor than necessary? If so, how many?
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
It's all :bsbullf: that they are ordered to tell us. The unbrainwashed managers will tell you that. Don't believe the lies. The corporate jets are still flying and the executives are still getting their bonuses.

The "unbrainwashed" managers usually don't know any more than the people they manage. Not that the "brainwashed" ones do, but there's this misconception that a manager who presents himself as being "on the courier's side" and criticizes his employer is a beacon of intelligence and honesty.
 

PSP

Active Member
Do you expect them to use more hours of labor than necessary? If so, how many?

I wouldn't expect any company to give hours for work that isn't there. However, sending all these stops to the AM is only increasing overtime pay. When they could have a PM pickup route grab the same stop for less pay. Isn't the point to only keep a certain amount of routes on road at a given time anyway? I just don't understand the logic, because it really could be taken both ways. Also, why such short notice? Literally, our manager gets on a conference call and has direct orders to start us all later the next day. While I understand the reasoning to an extent, I still think it's bull:censored2: to spring it on part timers with a day notice. Luckily, I got hired at two other jobs as supplement income to balance the loss. Still complete bull :censored2: how they handled this whole situation. This is what makes the "PSP" philosophy questionable. Sure, it will blow over...But where does it stop?
 

Operational needs

Virescit Vulnere Virtus
I wouldn't expect any company to give hours for work that isn't there. However, sending all these stops to the AM is only increasing overtime pay. When they could have a PM pickup route grab the same stop for less pay. Isn't the point to only keep a certain amount of routes on road at a given time anyway? I just don't understand the logic, because it really could be taken both ways. Also, why such short notice? Literally, our manager gets on a conference call and has direct orders to start us all later the next day. While I understand the reasoning to an extent, I still think it's bull:censored2: to spring it on part timers with a day notice. Luckily, I got hired at two other jobs as supplement income to balance the loss. Still complete bull :censored2: how they handled this whole situation. This is what makes the "PSP" philosophy questionable. Sure, it will blow over...But where does it stop?
Lol. There are MANY things that make the PSP philosophy a thing of the past.
 

DeliveryException

Well-Known Member
After our station not making the numbers since the change, am or pm, it was decided by the higher ups that us and a couple other stations in the area would be moved back to 1300 cutoff on a trial basis. We'll see if it lasts.
 

whenIgetthere

Well-Known Member
The "unbrainwashed" managers usually don't know any more than the people they manage. Not that the "brainwashed" ones do, but there's this misconception that a manager who presents himself as being "on the courier's side" and criticizes his employer is a beacon of intelligence and honesty.

A better way to cut hours would be check ride the hours whores for a week or two, managers know who they are. My loop as an example, check ride one courier, could save the company ten hours a week. Another courier on the way back to the station yesterday, saw her truck parked on the side of the road, nothing around. He thought she was broken down, so he stopped to check on her. She wasn't broken down, she was reading the paper and told him "Stick with me, I'll show you how to get all the hours you want." Like I said, could save ten hours a week on a topped out thirty-five year employee.
 

59 Dano

I just want to make friends!
I wouldn't expect any company to give hours for work that isn't there. However, sending all these stops to the AM is only increasing overtime pay.

In a few cases, yes. Overall it's reducing total hours spent on-road, which is the point.
 

vantexan

Well-Known Member
The "unbrainwashed" managers usually don't know any more than the people they manage. Not that the "brainwashed" ones do, but there's this misconception that a manager who presents himself as being "on the courier's side" and criticizes his employer is a beacon of intelligence and honesty.
I found that most mgrs who portrayed themselves as being on the employees side were just playing us for better SFA scores. They know which side their bread is buttered on.
 

PSP

Active Member
I found that most mgrs who portrayed themselves as being on the employees side were just playing us for better SFA scores. They know which side their bread is buttered on.

It's a shame, because I've always wanted to be compassionate about my work group, but FedEx is making it seem near impossible with micro management.
 

Purplepackage

Well-Known Member
I could see this only getting worse with GPS tracking. Cost effective, yes...People oriented? Hell no.

I don't want to sound like Old Fart but to be honest you are part time and as long as they are paying you 17.5 hours a week thats really all you can count on. Anything after that is technically extra in fedexs opinion
 

PSP

Active Member
I don't want to sound like Old Fart but to be honest you are part time and as long as they are paying you 17.5 hours a week thats really all you can count on. Anything after that is technically extra in fedexs opinion

Yup. All you can do is adapt. Business isn't what it was 30 years ago, etc.
 

Oldfart

Well-Known Member
We tried sending pu ready before 1300 to AM for about a week. It just didn't do anything positive to the operation. Our PM rts still do not get the amount of hours that AM gets. I still suggest stations that are cutting hours are overstaffed. Our station and many others have plenty of freight and always run lean staffing numbers. OT is plentiful and even PT people get as many hours that they want, should they decide they want to work more hours. Many stations take the easy way out by having too many rts and that results in less hours for the couriers. By having more rts than needed, the managers eliminate a good many headaches and that makes their job easier. I believe our station runs about 12% OT and nothing is ever said even for those that bust 60 hrs.
 

Star B

White Lightening
I wouldn't paint with that broad of a brush fart. some stations may need the extra bodies to handle volume surges.

Run too lean, you have accelerated burnout and the inability to handle surges.
Run too fat, wasted money from idle hands.

However, every station is different and it should be up to local management to decide that, not some pinhead in MEM.
 
Top