advantage and disadvantage of formula office

[bobbob]

our office is implementing formula. we dont have enough subs to cover 30 K routes. we have a total of 38 routes and we have 15subs.
what are the advantages and disadvantages aside we can pick any day aside from saturday.
i have got few questions tho.
will the route increase more if we go formula or it will stay the same?
how long till we can revert back to non formula?
how many subs do we need in order to revert back? (i have seen the math but my mind aint mathing. please elp)

38 routes in total and only 30 K-routes. about 15subs.

thanks

 

[justacarrier]

I will put it like this. I have been told that when the office becomes fully staffed, in your case 38 RCA's, you come off the formula. I will just say this, show me that in writing ANYWHERE. I have never seen any language anywhere that takes an office off the formula.

 

[neciat]

There is language , some of which is below, by which management must abide before formula is implemented ;

b. In offices where the Employer determines it is
necessary to change the relief day of one or more
regular routes due to a shortage of leave-
replacements, regular rural carriers working their
relief day on more than an infrequent basis, and the
office having documentation of hiring efforts
consisting of a minimum of four (4) hiring lists within
the last six (6) months, the following formula will be
utilized. The minimum number of routes on which a
Saturday relief day must be authorized will be
calculated using the total number of leave
replacements assigned and working in the office.........

While formula may indeed take place, make sure that management is and HAS BEEN doing THEIR job. An office cannot contractually " just decide to go formula".

 

[Soccer Playing Carrier]

I will put it like this. I have been told that when the office becomes fully staffed, in your case 38 RCA's, you come off the formula. I will just say this, show me that in writing ANYWHERE. I have never seen any language anywhere that takes an office off the formula.

I did a mutual transfer last november so I am not there to know the details but my old office came off of Formula sometime in January this year. We were warned if we went formula we would never return from it. I used the option of picking a Wed to keep my over burdened route cut only to a 45K... we were officially formula as I won that argument. Not sure how the union rep(he is a state rep also) got them reverted to non-formula but it can happen.

 

[Soccer Playing Carrier]

The advantage of formula is that it should allow coverage/cost effectiveness to be more efficient and allow carriers who have been non stop mandated to achieve getting days off. In theory the RCA's would be more likely to get more hours if they plan out their matrix and pick covering carriers lower down the table with weekdays off. It should be more cost effective. Often it isn't run that way.

The disadvantage are for those not quite high enough to choose a Saturday off that get stuck with split days off. Holidays can change days off for regulars because if a holiday is on a Monday then their day is moved to Saturday off and the Saturday carriers may lose their normal day off due to lower seniority carriers getting priority so you expect your 3 day weekend to find out you have been mandated. What hurts the most is when there are many J routes because now a senior carrier may lose their choice day off.

The only thing going formula can do for the size of a route is those that voluntarily take a Tues, Wed, or Thurs from the start of formula and maintain the same route the whole time can not be cut below a range around 55 standard hours which is a 45 or possibly a 46k. You have to fight for your right for that to happen and prove you willingly picked that day and maintained it. Other than that one thing there is nothing formula does to help your route size. Also I guess having the same sub do your route each day off can mean you have the opportunity to show 1 person your expectations of RRECS scans and coverage so less likely it gets screwed up and hurts your evaluation in the future but that still depends on who the sub is.

One of the worst things that not having your route consistently covered and if you route is split is that your scans and data can get neglected or screwed up for future evaluation. 1 time isn't going to kill your evaluation but if your route is split every week then expect to go down next count because your data can't be getting captured correctly. So staffing can matter for route size if you are covered properly. Then again an incompetent RCA can hurt just as much if you are staffed.

 

[Rt2mailman]

There's nothing good about an office being forced to be formula. You should make sure your manager jumps through all the required hoops before being allowed to convert your office to formula. There is nothing that ever requires an office to return to normal from formula. I've never heard of one going back. All criteria required before becoming a formula can be found on our union site at "Implementation of the formula" .

 

[Mountain girl]

It sucks and unless you are senior carrier you will work Saturdays until you retire like me. We've been formula for 4 years and it will stay that way for-evah. Management loves it because they have total control and they love to make rural's lives miserable. Sorry for the negativity, but I'm being real.

 

[gotstamps]

It sucks and unless you are senior carrier you will work Saturdays until you retire like me. We've been formula for 4 years and it will stay that way for-evah. Management loves it because they have total control and they love to make rural's lives miserable. Sorry for the negativity, but I'm being real.

This is not necessarily true for all offices.
It depends on the size of the office and how many subs you have.
Also, you can obtain a Saturday relief day by bidding to a route that already has one. Winning a Saturday route in a bid is typically how some Junior carriers got their Saturdays. Only a recalculation of the Formula can force a Junior from their Saturday if the recalculation calls for it.

 

[Surprise!]

My old office is the only one I know of that went back to normal after becomming a formula office. I got the impression that switching back is not a common situation.

Talk about grey areas.

 

[Rogtar]

Formula helps Management and your Reliefs. Nothing for the Regs really unless you wanted a non-saturday.

I term your RCAs that, as with 30 K routes your formula will require at least 3 PTFs. Allowing 3 RCAs to get benefits, COLAs, Step increases, TSP, etc. The reliefs will now work USPS like a normal job instead of once-ish a week. Ks will move across the week, upsetting everyone who enjoyed saturday offdays, but this should stop forcing Regs to be mandated their off-days and denied 3971s. Supposedly. The reliefs will hopefully plan their matrix and get plenty of work across the week.