Thinking about a jobt at UPS, a few questions?

[c2cxjr]

Hello everybody, I am 17 years old and am considering applying as a Part-Time Package Handler at the Phoenix location. I do however, have a few questions about the position.

1) Is this a union position?
2) What benefits come with part-time employment? (Health Insurance, Pension, etc?)
3) I am planning on working at UPS for as long as possible, could this position possibly lead to higher advancement within the company later in time?
4) What kind of company is UPS to work for? (Do they treat their employees fairly?)

I greatly appreciate all your responses!

 

[feederdryver]

(Sounds like FedEx HR to me...hahahaha !!)

c2cx,

Answers to your questions in the order you requested them.

1) It all depends if the state is a "right-to-work" state. I don't know about Arizona since I'm in Ohio. We are Union here.

2) UPS has probably the BEST health insurance/benefits anybody could get while working part-time. Your pension most likely would be handled by UPS if you remained part time.

3) Depending on what type of career you want at UPS. There are 3 types.
a. Management
b. Hourly (driver, hub worker, customer counter)
c. Administrative (HR, IE, BR, dispatch, etc.)
As with most companies, there is always the possibility of "higher advancement". Some people say "it's who you know" and others say "you put in the hard work and you'll reap the rewards". For me.... it was the hard work..LOL !!

4) There is no "perfect" company to work for. People have issues and emotions everday and you'll be around a lot of people and you'll have to deal with them.
So for the most part...as long as you treat everybody as you would want to be treated, work hard and not be greedy... I bet you'll be treated very fairly.
I believe UPS is a very good company to work for overall.
(better than the horror stories I've heard from a few employees at FedEx.)


Hope this helps...good luck !

 

[c2cxjr]

feederdryver, thank's for your reply. I currently work at Sam's Club here in Phoenix, but I don't see how there is much more room to move up. I have a few friends at UPS and they all tell me how much they enjoy working there.
I appreciate your response!

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">You should "shop around" at other places (including the competition) before making the decision. Allot of people would say work at UPS simply because they do and fee its right but I like to be honest and tell people that they should check other places out first. </font>

 

[c2cxjr]

upslocal480, I've thought about FedEx but you must be 18 to work for them. Also, and this might sound funny, but I get a better feeling from UPS that from FedEx. I don't know why, and I most certainly can't explain it.

 

[proups]

Then go with your gut feeling. That's what I did 20+ years ago.....the best decision I ever made.

UPS is a great place to work.

 

[kidlogic]

C2 I would suggest asking some people in the center you are going to work at. Some buildings are bad some are good. It all depends on the attitudes of everyone that works there.
If you are planning to make a career at UPS remember a few things. If your going into managment you will work tons of hours which will weigh heavy on your family life if you choose to go there. Also you will be moved. UPS likes to move its managment people around to different centers. So if you are closed to your family or church you can plan on moving away from them. I have never seen the same managment person for more then 3 or 4 years at my center.
As an hourly everything is on seniority not merit.Moving up the ladder is sort of like waiting for a ride at disney. When it your turn to move up. You get the chance. Some times it's a short wait sometimes it's a long one. You will have to be 21 before you can become a driver.
Pay is great but I wouldnt ask anyone here on how the job really is. What you read here is either candy coated or total negative. So go ask the people with whom you are going to work with and find out how they feel it is. And if you dont like hard work UPS isnt the place for you. From Managment down to the part time sort person you will be expected to work very hard. They dont pay us well because it's easy.

 

[upslocal480]

<font color="0000ff">That pretty much sums it up for anyone wondering what UPS is generally like. In my opinion someone just wanting a part-time job for a few years and wanting to make the most money should pick Fed Ex Express but anyone else wishing to work longer should pick UPS and tough it out because "money wise" it is the better company to work for in the long run. Oh yeah...there is the whole job security thing that comes with it being a union job and that is always a plus but also brings with it some people that abuse that benefit and that was one of the things that shocked me when I first started. </font>

 

[daveups2]

If you are thinking about a career at UPS, think long and hard. I was a part-time sorter for SIX years before being offered a full-time driver position. In my 2 years as a driver, I've been laid-off for 10 months. Some thanks for the hard work they put you through as a part-timer, huh? Yes, the money is great (if you're working) and it's a great workout, and the benefits are good. If you're just getting in it for part-time work-I say go for it. If I had it to do over again as a career move, I'd have to say no. It's been a lot of hardship put on me and my family. As a 17 year old as you are, though, you may not hve much to lose. UPS is a stable, rich company, and you may be stable and rich in 10 years or so as well. I wish they would have told me how hard it was gonna' be (financially) when they hired me as a full-timer. Hope this helps your decision. The work is really fun, though. The seniority thing stinks, though.

 

[toonertoo]

Six years seems like a long time to wait especially if you have a family, and when you go fulltime and are "on call" its kind of hard to work anywhere else on the side. But I look at it like if I had been working anywhere else I may have been laid off also, and when you work a day or two every month you still have benefits at least. But it does get better, and before you know it you will have to beg to get a day off. At least thats how it was in my world. Good luck!!

 

[kidlogic]

Where do you guys work that you get laid off??? Where we are once you make book. You are guaranteed 8 hours every day.

(Message edited by Kidlogic on June 09, 2003)

 

[clarkie]

We are too. If they lay you off...you're supposed to be out of work for one day. Then you can get your eight by working preload, running air (if there is any needed), working local sort. And I believe you get paid equal to the highest paid person on that shift.

 

[toonertoo]

Where I work you are guaranteed 8 but only God knows what you will do for those 8 if they dont need you for all day driving. So mostly people agree to hours only, instead of standing around trying tolook busy. I didnt spend much time on layoff since I already knew how to wash package cars, clerk, preload, reload, but some buildings have different unions for some jobs, so not all work is available to laid off drivers. And the people just moving to full time dont know their options, such as the common management move where they tell you it will be 3 hrs for the next shuttle of air, etc to come in so they tell you to be on personal time. But be available....And I know I will see a lot of flack on this statement, but it happens, and when you are new and dont want to cause conflict you just do it. If it never happened to you, God Bess ya it happens. Also when you are on call they will tell you to call back til hell freezes over, but you only have to call once at the time they told you to. And if they dont have anything for you then you are not obligated to call again that day, unless you want their schedule to dictate your life , as it will soon enough.