This P/T Sup is fed up!

CHAABA

New Member
I have been a p/t sup for three years. I'm tired of always being suprised with new responsibilities. In particular... I was approached by my manager in December and told to be in my building the following morning for a class. I assumed it was just a basic safety class or similar. Turns out it was a 32 hour class to teach the designated responder classes. I've been a manager responder for a year, but had I known this was to teach the class I would have politely declined (I should have left the class when I found out what it was). Why not have the friend/t people, or other managment, do this? I'm not getting paid enough for the headache.

I get a call today telling me that I have a 12 hour class starting tomorrow. A little more notice would have been nice, I'm nowhere near prepared. A manager sent me home early from my regular sort because they don't want me to go over 27 hours (even had us sign papers saying that we wouldn't go over 27 hours) but the only reason I went in at all was so that I could print out everything I needed for this class. So I get mad and voice my concerns and he gets mad at my "attitude". Now, I'm going to show up at 8 in the monring for a 12 hour designated responder class with nothing. And, I just know I will get in some sort of trouble, or at least have to deal with PO'd managers because of what is certain to go wrong. I don't have a computer to show visuals, I don't have training manuals for the students, tests, forms for them to sign... I'll have to dig around in offices to find enough pens in case the students don't bring one with them. Don't even get me started on the fact that some of them may be coming from buildings with SCBA.
What can I do? I like having a p/t job and need the insurance for myself and children, otherwise I'd quit. This is just the tip of the iceburg of what they ask of me and some of the other p/t sups. We have more responsibility than the friend/t sups and managers who get paid much more (my last check was a little over $300). I'm tired of them passing the buck.
 

InTheRed

Well-Known Member
have you spoken to your manager about your concerns? That's pretty beat you were blindsided with teaching a class.

if you have spoken to that manager and have no satisfaction, I suggest speaking with the division manager if accessible. If not, seek out the employee relations manager in HR.
 

longlunchguy

Runnin on Empty
Part time supervision, in our center, is the worst job to have. Full time management treats you like cap. Drivers don't listen to a word you say. Even part time employees don't respect you. I'm glad I just drive the truck.
 
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westsideworma

Guest
I have been a p/t sup for three years. I'm tired of always being suprised with new responsibilities. In particular... I was approached by my manager in December and told to be in my building the following morning for a class. I assumed it was just a basic safety class or similar. Turns out it was a 32 hour class to teach the designated responder classes. I've been a manager responder for a year, but had I known this was to teach the class I would have politely declined (I should have left the class when I found out what it was). Why not have the friend/t people, or other managment, do this? I'm not getting paid enough for the headache.

I get a call today telling me that I have a 12 hour class starting tomorrow. A little more notice would have been nice, I'm nowhere near prepared. A manager sent me home early from my regular sort because they don't want me to go over 27 hours (even had us sign papers saying that we wouldn't go over 27 hours) but the only reason I went in at all was so that I could print out everything I needed for this class. So I get mad and voice my concerns and he gets mad at my "attitude". Now, I'm going to show up at 8 in the monring for a 12 hour designated responder class with nothing. And, I just know I will get in some sort of trouble, or at least have to deal with PO'd managers because of what is certain to go wrong. I don't have a computer to show visuals, I don't have training manuals for the students, tests, forms for them to sign... I'll have to dig around in offices to find enough pens in case the students don't bring one with them. Don't even get me started on the fact that some of them may be coming from buildings with SCBA.
What can I do? I like having a p/t job and need the insurance for myself and children, otherwise I'd quit. This is just the tip of the iceburg of what they ask of me and some of the other p/t sups. We have more responsibility than the friend/t sups and managers who get paid much more (my last check was a little over $300). I'm tired of them passing the buck.

Theres a lot of that going around...most of the PT Supes at my building like ducks on a pond, calm on the surface (looking like they've got it all together) but underneath those little feat are kicking like crazy. It's gotten to the point that our manager is seemingly getting frustrated that no one volunteers to help anymore when something comes up. He can't figure out why. Belittling an area's supervisor in front of it's employees is unacceptable to me and unprofessional, but its becoming common practice at my building. It's pathetic really. I've yet to have this happen to me but its only a matter of time. Not to mention we're being told how to run our areas, so we're really not in charge, but puppets. Some of us listen, some don't and take some licks for doing it our own way (whether the results are positive or not). It's really got to the point where many supes just don't care anymore because nothing they do is right or good enough (sound familiar? same way the hourlies are treated).

Believe it or not guys many part time supes go to bat for their employees a lot more than many seem to think. That angers upper management apparently. They say don't take excuses, even valid ones. If it seems like our hourlies defend our actions and viceversa you'd be right. We get that we're all in this together. Far above us they seem to want to further the divide of "us vs them". It isn't really working though. We see the effort being put in, upper management sees a spreadsheet. We see the slides filling up at 700 and backing up into the primary due to late loads, they see the unload went down at 708 and can't understand why the loaders are still on the clock. Blind to the actual happenings of the sort.

Then they want volunteers for responders, a safety committee, sort newsletter etc and such after they've beaten and broken the spirit of once proud employees and can't fathom why no one wants to help them out.

I'm not complaing and I'm not crying, I knew what I was in for when I signed up for this job...I just think theres a better way to do this stuff and no one above us seems to care.
 

Covemastah

Hoopah drives the boat Chief !!
Westside its always been this way..# ###'s thats all they see on paper , this place can't be run like those silly training videos were all is perfect.and they know that!!In this economy they will make it even harder so the weak will quit>> keep your chin up,you are a survivor!! Rent a movie this weekend for your self!! Its called THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI !!!!!! this was recommended to me yrs ago when I was a newbie here and I think this applies to life at UPS .
 

UPSGUY72

Well-Known Member
Welcome to UPS. Just another reason why I'm in the UNION and not in management.

I would talk you building manager if you have a problem. Are you the junior P/T Sup? It seems that your out of the loop? So you need start asking question and listen. Show up to work a little early each day and find out what's going on.
 

jennie

Well-Known Member
Yup they push you to see how much you can take, just thank god you have job, have INSURANCE! Don't let them get the best of you......ever:peaceful: Always remember "it could be worse"
 

UnconTROLLed

perfection
The fact of the matter is, the friend/T sups are not having as much of a hand in this as one would think. This is a corporate decision. I had a talk with the DM up here and a few friend/T sups.

The problem is with the economy, layoffs, volume down, there are too many cooks in the kitchen as far as P/T sups are concerned. They want them to be as BUSY as possible and taking on as much responsibility as they can take. This will undoubtedly weed out at least of a few of the weak and unwilling without having to offer seperation papers. This sounds like a case of a P/T sup caught in a bad place to work at a bad time and now the 'eat their young' stigma is coming to surface.
 
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westsideworma

Guest
Westside its always been this way..# ###'s thats all they see on paper , this place can't be run like those silly training videos were all is perfect.and they know that!!In this economy they will make it even harder so the weak will quit>> keep your chin up,you are a survivor!! Rent a movie this weekend for your self!! Its called THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI !!!!!! this was recommended to me yrs ago when I was a newbie here and I think this applies to life at UPS .

With Sir Alec Guinness? I've seen it haha I'll have to watch it again to refresh my memory. I saw it once and didn't realize it was obi wan kenobi from the original trilogy at the time.
 

drewed

Shankman
A little glimpse into a supervisor's salary.... I have never got a legitimate response when asking a supervisor how much they make.
The reason its not a straight answer, it varies a lot from geographical area. A preload sup in the middle of Montana doesnt make as much as a air load sup in ONT. Being sups they they adjust for cost of living in the area, places with a higher cost of living get paid more.
 
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