Just curious if anyone is held accountable if they don't answer the phone or come in? We have an RCA that has another job Monday thru Friday. He is only available on Saturday. During the week everyone fills in for his unavailability. He has more senoirty than others. It just seems like it's unfair to others who pick up his slack. If a route opens up he will slide into it.
Accountability for Availability
- Thread starter Richard
- Start date
Richard -- "Just curious if anyone is held accountable if they don't answer the phone or come in? We have an RCA that has another job Monday thru Friday. He is only available on Saturday. During the week everyone fills in for his unavailability. "
-- Accountability depends on manglement doing its job. If manglement is only scheduling him for one day a week, apparently their mind is clear. He shows up and runs the route -- no problem ( at least in their mind ).
-- Different matter if he is scheduled several days, but does not show up - and other RCA's have to fill in.
-- Must be the office "pet", or
-- Has "something" really good on manglement, or
-- Manglement is really adhering to the PMG's edict "to keep RCA's at all costs."
-- Might invite your Assistant District Representative to look into the mater.
-- Certainly not fair for those RCA's toiling away to cover for the RCA only to have him "slide" into the next opening.
-- Karma could rear its ugly head if the RCA somehow manages to mess up the e-bidding process.
-- Accountability depends on manglement doing its job. If manglement is only scheduling him for one day a week, apparently their mind is clear. He shows up and runs the route -- no problem ( at least in their mind ).
-- Different matter if he is scheduled several days, but does not show up - and other RCA's have to fill in.
-- Must be the office "pet", or
-- Has "something" really good on manglement, or
-- Manglement is really adhering to the PMG's edict "to keep RCA's at all costs."
-- Might invite your Assistant District Representative to look into the mater.
-- Certainly not fair for those RCA's toiling away to cover for the RCA only to have him "slide" into the next opening.
-- Karma could rear its ugly head if the RCA somehow manages to mess up the e-bidding process.
I just find it crazy, even when he knows the reg needs a day off. Nope sorry I' have another job find somebody else. Basically he is scheduled for 52 Saturdays. He took 2 off to go on vacation. While the reg who is a 2080 issue worked to cover him. There has to be a rule out there for accountability for availability. The matrix will never work in an office if there wasn't any accountability.
Shafted
Well-known member
We had one of those “place holders”, ( the senior rca waiting for next reg route who has every excuse under the sun not to work m-f, has another job, has school, has kids to watch blah blah blah.). That situation is so unfair. The self entitled attitude that went along with it was disgusting.
EthelAnne
Well-known member
This is not an uncommon situation--the other RCAs need to file disparate treatment grievance and that will force management to disciple the RCA with the other job for unavailability until s/he quits or gets fired.
We had one of these "placeholders" in my office as well when I first started--it didn't even come down to disciplining him. Another RCA filed the grievance, the PM had a "come to Jesus" talk with him and he resigned rather than be fired (he thought he might want to apply for another Federal job at some point, and didn't want the termination on his record). It was all over within a week even though this guy had been "place-holding" I think for something like six years in the office.
We had one of these "placeholders" in my office as well when I first started--it didn't even come down to disciplining him. Another RCA filed the grievance, the PM had a "come to Jesus" talk with him and he resigned rather than be fired (he thought he might want to apply for another Federal job at some point, and didn't want the termination on his record). It was all over within a week even though this guy had been "place-holding" I think for something like six years in the office.
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
Back when I was hired those were the terms that I applied for and was hired to do. There was no Amazon with its Sundays and Holidays package deliveries. I was hired to cover my Primary Carriers days off and annual leave days. I had full time job as well. If the USPS couldn't hire me full time they cant expect me to wait by the phone full time.
Haychica
Well-known member
Didn't I read somewhere that the regular is to submit leave requests taking into consideration the availability of the leave replacement?...?smh
Haychica -- "Didn't I read somewhere that the regular is to submit leave requests taking into consideration the availability of the leave replacement?..."
-- You sure did! Article 10.2.A and also in the Question Box section of the May 2019 issue of the national magazine. In part:
It shall be the responsibility of each rural carrier to plan annual leave at times when a leave replacement is available.
-- Put that way, could be a problem for those without a sub as manglement probably doesn't invite them to help plan the upcoming work schedule -- so they would not know if or when a sub would be available ( IMHO ).
-- You sure did! Article 10.2.A and also in the Question Box section of the May 2019 issue of the national magazine. In part:
It shall be the responsibility of each rural carrier to plan annual leave at times when a leave replacement is available.
-- Put that way, could be a problem for those without a sub as manglement probably doesn't invite them to help plan the upcoming work schedule -- so they would not know if or when a sub would be available ( IMHO ).
After reviewing this matter, we mutually agree that no national interpretive issue is fairly presented in this case.
FEDUP Amazombie
Active member
I was always told that I had to be available for 2 hours each day that I could be called in to cover a route. That made it next to impossible to have a normal other job. Sucks to be a Sub!
Amazombie&FedUP -- "I was always told that I had to be available for 2 hours each day that I could be called in to cover a route. That made it next to impossible to have a normal other job. Sucks to be a Sub!"
-- Just another one of those "unwritten" postal sayings.
-- Just like having a second route-ready vehicle if a POV carrier.
-- At least there is a Step 3 ruling from 2003 that says "There is no requirement for RCA's to be on standby or to wait by the phone to be called in to work.
-- If one wants to get nit-picky, the PO-603 and M-38 mention providing A VEHICLE. ( not "vehicles" )
-- Just another one of those "unwritten" postal sayings.
-- Just like having a second route-ready vehicle if a POV carrier.
-- At least there is a Step 3 ruling from 2003 that says "There is no requirement for RCA's to be on standby or to wait by the phone to be called in to work.
-- If one wants to get nit-picky, the PO-603 and M-38 mention providing A VEHICLE. ( not "vehicles" )
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
I guess the key here is that if when hired you gave them that as your availability then that's the rules you should go by. I told them that I would be available weekly on Saturday's (my primary routes relief day) and do my best to be available for all planned annual days. I was hired so you would have to assume we were both in agreement with those terms. Also in my situation I picked up as many sick days as I could, but the majority of those were pick up by the secondary or tertiary RCA. After all that's why we have the matrix system in place!
So what happens on the matrix for your secondary and tertiary positions you picked? I guess when your absent? The other RCA's again pick up the slack. Really no sense in having a matrix in an office then? Or mabey they should exclude you from picking anything on it? Not sure?
Haychica
Well-known member
Yup..the magazine...I knew I read it somewhere..ugh
Haychica
Well-known member
LMBO...fas
gerl2
Well-known member
Wouldn't this depend on how many routes they have in the office, just saying when I was an RCA our lead RCA just worked Saturdays and had a full-time job through the week? It was claimed because he had seniority he was able to say no and push it onto the next RCA, kind of like the overtime list It rolls downhill, this would be different though if you had a shortage of RCA's, in that case, I would assume senior RCA would not need another job.
Voglio-il mio
Well-known member
Obviously you must be a new RCA, times have changed. Back when I started you were fortunate to be scheduled for two days a week. It was very rare that the tertiary level was ever reached. Unlike now where its very rare that an RCA will have more than one day off in a week. For example in a ten route office there were eight RCA's. So going to the secondary position on the matrix was usually enough to cover the route.
What I don't understand is why you are coming across as being so bitter about this! If its because of my not working is giving you more hours its totally has me baffled. The point of my earlier statement was that USPS hiring management and myself agreed to my terms of employment so they cant be changing the rules as time goes on. "The other RCA's again pick up the slack!" If you don't have the kahunas to stand up for yourself and your rights don't come crying to the rest of us for your short comings.
Now if you think that I haven't paid my dues I'm here to correct you on that issue. I worked 10 years as an RCA, the first 2 years was limited due to my working full time at another job. After the first two years I worked in several local towns and had 26 routes that I knew and delivered weekly. During those 10 years (keeping in mind very limited hours for the first two years) I worked a total of 20059.85 hours, that's an average of 38.58 hours a week. If I didn't include the first two years, my average for the eight years would be about 46 hours per week.. Additionally a worked 30 plus days in a row on several occasions.
So in any event I been there and I have the T-Shirt!
