[Merged] Ask Me About Working For Canada Post

[crosscheck]

(GTA)

Just a heads up on the plant-side of things. Gateway saw a massive hiring of part-timers in December.
Now there's a big hiring going on right now moving people from casual to perm part-time status over at South Central come March.

That is amazing news! I have my transfer put in for Gateway, SCLPP and YDC as well, hope I can be a part of this big hiring. Seniority date of early 2011 though, so I don't have my hopes up but on the other hand, if a bunch of people above me do get hired and I don't, surely that means us terms will be moving up that list!

Thanks for the heads up Great news either way.

FYI if I could look back I would but the previous pages are not working for me. It is not a matter of being lazy.

No offense but if you don't mention the fact that you cannot see the previous pages then how are we supposed to know that? I don't think any of us can read minds here. Sorry if you were offended, but surely you can see where I'm coming from as well.

[mailman1]

That is amazing news! I have my transfer put in for Gateway, SCLPP and YDC as well, hope I can be a part of this big hiring. Seniority date of early 2011 though, so I don't have my hopes up but on the other hand, if a bunch of people above me do get hired and I don't, surely that means us terms will be moving up that list!

Thanks for the heads up Great news either way.



No offense but if you don't mention the fact that you cannot see the previous pages then how are we supposed to know that? I don't think any of us can read minds here. Sorry if you were offended, but surely you can see where I'm coming from as well.

no offense taken. Good luck to you.

[Krosty]

(GTA)

Just a heads up on the plant-side of things. Gateway saw a massive hiring of part-timers in December.
Now there's a big hiring going on right now moving people from casual to perm part-time status over at South Central come March.

Those are great news but I only believe when I see it actually happening here in the Pacific Region.

[Canuck000]

wtf, 151 pages about working for canada post?

whats so complicated. I dont even think the training manual is this long.

Troll post from a bank teller, read back on his other posts. Every one of them in every other thread has the same tone. Doesn't work at CP, and has nothing of value to add, wouldn't last 1/2 a day at CP. Thought I would mention this since he said "training manual". Those two words implied that he's seen one, despite the fact the only one I have ever seen is called a Letter Carrier Self Instructional package. Which by the way has 215 pages in it. Who says the LC (or ANY position at CP for that matter), is easy?????? I wouldn't normally play into a troll's hands, except I don't want anyone coming here to discuss working at CP to think this guy has any credibility, background or knowledge. He's clueless, ignore him. Wish I could insert an image of the cover sheet of the LC self instructional, I keep getting the "max size" error (the file size is actually 194 kb, weird.)

[fishscale4sale]

Do they try to accomodate you to a station where you live?

When I was hired (in Toronto), I was put onto a call-list for Central Toronto. There's also an East (Scarborough) and West (Mississauga) call-list. I am assuming you are placed in East, Central or West based on where you live. Each area has many stations, and I can be called to work at any one of them. The furthest one for me has been a 30min drive from my home, and the closest one is 5min away.

Here is an entire list of all the stations in Ontario for LCs (For other provinces, just click the link 'Provincial Index')
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpc2/addrm/...xa/caONu-e.asp
As you can see, some cities only have 1 or 2 stations, others (like 'central' Toronto have many).

Also, when you are called for work you are sometimes able to choose assignments from several different stations (assuming there ARE lots of stations in your area). You can ask to work at the closest one if you choose. This has been my experience in Toronto; I'm sure other cities/towns are different. But I remember when I applied, candidates had to live within a 50km radius, so I'm guessing that you will never be expected to drive further than 50km?

[mailman1]

When I was hired (in Toronto), I was put onto a call-list for Central Toronto. There's also an East (Scarborough) and West (Mississauga) call-list. I am assuming you are placed in East, Central or West based on where you live. Each area has many stations, and I can be called to work at any one of them. The furthest one for me has been a 30min drive from my home, and the closest one is 5min away.

Here is an entire list of all the stations in Ontario for LCs (For other provinces, just click the link 'Provincial Index')
http://www.canadapost.ca/cpc2/addrm/...xa/caONu-e.asp
As you can see, some cities only have 1 or 2 stations, others (like 'central' Toronto have many).

Also, when you are called for work you are sometimes able to choose assignments from several different stations (assuming there ARE lots of stations in your area). You can ask to work at the closest one if you choose. This has been my experience in Toronto; I'm sure other cities/towns are different. But I remember when I applied, candidates had to live within a 50km radius, so I'm guessing that you will never be expected to drive further than 50km?

I am in scarborough area, so more than likely it would be central or east correct? Also do they call you each week on thurs or Friday ? Do you know if a temp has ever asked for vacation would they refuse you if you need to take two weeks at a time in the summer?Thanks for the info.

[fishscale4sale]

I am in scarborough area, so more than likely it would be central or east correct? Also do they call you each week on thurs or Friday ? Do you know if a temp has ever asked for vacation would they refuse you if you need to take two weeks at a time in the summer?Thanks for the info.

Correct, you would most likely be East (I believe anything East of Victoria Park is on the 'East' call-in list).
Yes, in my experience they call on Thursdays and Fridays, around 9am-1pm. Keep in mind that you may be called for a one-week assignment to a particular station, but then you either stay on that walk for more than a week, or the supervisor there tells you that you are on another walk for next week.

For example I was called once to do a 1-week assignment on a walk. At the end of the week, the supervisor told me I would be back next week to do the same walk again. Third week, the same thing. Fourth week comes, and the supervisor basically told me that this was 'my walk' from now on. I was on that same walk for several months. In another example, I have worked at one station for 2-3 months, but doing different walks every week. I didn't get called on thurs/fri, but rather the supervisor just told me on Friday what walk I'd be covering the following week.
Most of the time though I get called, I work for 1 week, then I get called again and I move to another station.

Regarding vacation for temps, last summer I wanted a week off (cottage with friends). I had been getting 1-week assignments for a couple months, so I figured that once my cottage-week came, I would simply refuse work for that week. A few weeks before my cottage-week, I was put on the walk that I would eventually do for several months straight that I talked about above. Realizing that I was 'stuck' on this walk, I called the person who originally gave me the work assignment. They basically laughed and said that temps don't get vacation time. So I asked my supervisor if I could take some days off in a couple weeks...

In the end I asked the supervisor for 2 days off, and luckily they were able to accommodate me. My vacation was only a cottage, but if you have something like a week-long trip overseas or a wedding etc, my advice would be to ask beforehand if an assignment is only 1 week long. When you near your vacation time, ask supervisors on your first day if the assignment is indeed only 1 week long and inform them of your planned vacation.

If you're lucky though, you will just receive a call for work the week before your vacation, and then you can just refuse work for that week..

[postiewiththemostie]

Troll post from a bank teller, read back on his other posts. Every one of them in every other thread has the same tone. Doesn't work at CP, and has nothing of value to add, wouldn't last 1/2 a day at CP. Thought I would mention this since he said "training manual". Those two words implied that he's seen one, despite the fact the only one I have ever seen is called a Letter Carrier Self Instructional package. Which by the way has 215 pages in it. Who says the LC (or ANY position at CP for that matter), is easy?????? I wouldn't normally play into a troll's hands, except I don't want anyone coming here to discuss working at CP to think this guy has any credibility, background or knowledge. He's clueless, ignore him. Wish I could insert an image of the cover sheet of the LC self instructional, I keep getting the "max size" error (the file size is actually 194 kb, weird.)

Clearly doesn't work @ CPC as a LC. I got 3 manuals from LC School, and I didn't really learn anything until I was thrown to the wolves (as everyone else!). I can only speculate the reasons behind a haters post. Must have been rejected from CPC as a LC. Big surprise there. I'm shocked.

[LennyG2011]

I keep getting mail from another address, the four numbers are the same as mine but it's on the street beside mine.

You can always leave the letter with the wrong street hanging by the mailbox, or on top of the mailbox. Not sure about the other LCs, but I have a curious habit of checking to see what's up with out-of-the-box mail. It's usually a good indication there's something extraordinary about the mail, and 9 times out of 10 I find it's usually the wrong address, or duplicate address + different street so I take it back for re-sorting.

If that doesn't work with your LC, call the supervisor and let them know. I had a route littered with duplicate addresses awhile back, and it was a major headache. Had a complaint come in, supervisor came over and colour-plasticized the 2 duplicate addresses. So everytime I am out there, I give special attention to those 2 addresses, especially the complainant's one. Just don't be nasty and write nasty things on the letter though. LCs are humans - we make mistakes, we have *feelings*, and just like you, we have a *regular* mailbox back home, and believe it or not we sometimes have problems with LCs delivering *our* mail as well (my items get carded all the time even though my name is on the bloody panel and the wife is HOME!!! ). Hope that helps.

[mailman1]

Correct, you would most likely be East (I believe anything East of Victoria Park is on the 'East' call-in list).
Yes, in my experience they call on Thursdays and Fridays, around 9am-1pm. Keep in mind that you may be called for a one-week assignment to a particular station, but then you either stay on that walk for more than a week, or the supervisor there tells you that you are on another walk for next week.

For example I was called once to do a 1-week assignment on a walk. At the end of the week, the supervisor told me I would be back next week to do the same walk again. Third week, the same thing. Fourth week comes, and the supervisor basically told me that this was 'my walk' from now on. I was on that same walk for several months. In another example, I have worked at one station for 2-3 months, but doing different walks every week. I didn't get called on thurs/fri, but rather the supervisor just told me on Friday what walk I'd be covering the following week.
Most of the time though I get called, I work for 1 week, then I get called again and I move to another station.

Regarding vacation for temps, last summer I wanted a week off (cottage with friends). I had been getting 1-week assignments for a couple months, so I figured that once my cottage-week came, I would simply refuse work for that week. A few weeks before my cottage-week, I was put on the walk that I would eventually do for several months straight that I talked about above. Realizing that I was 'stuck' on this walk, I called the person who originally gave me the work assignment. They basically laughed and said that temps don't get vacation time. So I asked my supervisor if I could take some days off in a couple weeks...

In the end I asked the supervisor for 2 days off, and luckily they were able to accommodate me. My vacation was only a cottage, but if you have something like a week-long trip overseas or a wedding etc, my advice would be to ask beforehand if an assignment is only 1 week long. When you near your vacation time, ask supervisors on your first day if the assignment is indeed only 1 week long and inform them of your planned vacation.

If you're lucky though, you will just receive a call for work the week before your vacation, and then you can just refuse work for that week..

I just wanted to thank you for your information. I do plan on taking two weeks hopefully I get a supervisor who is nice. Worst senario I will take it anyway...lol

[postiewiththemostie]

I just wanted to thank you for your information. I do plan on taking two weeks hopefully I get a supervisor who is nice. Worst senario I will take it anyway...lol

Re: Vacation Time - - - As terms/temps we can "bench" ourselves...they made that clear out west when we started. People had all kinds of reasons for doing so: trips, weddings, even other jobs! I know of people who fall in each category. If you are relieving a long term bid, or hold a position down (really the same thing), then you lose the position if you take more than a day or 2 off. So that means you have to re-bid once your time off is over. This is life, so CPC can't expect us to not have other things going on. Maybe your supervisor didn't want to give you the time off since the Summer is a popular vacation time for permanent LCs and needed you. Or maybe it is in the wording, it is not a "vacation" per se, but rather a request for time off (with out pay). There is an official CPC form with various codes on the back that you can fill out if you want time off. I only saw it once so I know they exist. I haven't needed any time off so I haven't taken any time off (other than being benched). I would ask around for that form, but not the supervisor you had with a great sense of humor (not!) Good luck! I can't see why they would say no when there is a large pool of terms available!

[tbgiant]

Hi, I applied for a LC temp position in Thunder Bay. I wrote the GAT on Wed.

I had previously applied for the same position in Oct 2010, passed the test, attended the interview but did not pass the interview.

I was just wondering, if I pass the test this time, how will my application be viewed in the interview. Will I look better since I am serious and reapplied? What are your thoughts? After I failed the last interview I did not call back for a post interview meeting (even if they would have talked to me) to see where I went wrong. I thought I did really well and was surprised I’d failed. A friend who works at CP said that sometimes they hire based on “who you know” and for various reasons.

Thank you very much. I hope you can help me.

[ttwinnee]

Hi, I applied for a LC temp position in Thunder Bay. I wrote the GAT on Wed.

I had previously applied for the same position in Oct 2010, passed the test, attended the interview but did not pass the interview.

I was just wondering, if I pass the test this time, how will my application be viewed in the interview. Will I look better since I am serious and reapplied? What are your thoughts? After I failed the last interview I did not call back for a post interview meeting (even if they would have talked to me) to see where I went wrong. I thought I did really well and was surprised I’d failed. A friend who works at CP said that sometimes they hire based on “who you know” and for various reasons.

Thank you very much. I hope you can help me.

how the interview, application and testing process was explained to me was that you accumulate "points" and you need to get more points than everyone else to land the job. There is no 'fail' or 'pass'.

after I applied, tested and interviewed in June, I was not hired, but when they needed to fill the same position later in August, they called saying I still had more points than everyone else and do I still want the job? I have been working since Sept 28

[Canuck000]

how the interview, application and testing process was explained to me was that you accumulate "points" and you need to get more points than everyone else to land the job. There is no 'fail' or 'pass'.

after I applied, tested and interviewed in June, I was not hired, but when they needed to fill the same position later in August, they called saying I still had more points than everyone else and do I still want the job? I have been working since Sept 28

Kind of the same thing occured with my wife, except she got a letter the first time saying that she did not successfully complete one requirement of the interview, or something like that. So she said "that's that" with CP. She didn't understand what went wrong during the interview, just that she didn't pass it. Only 3-4 days later, the position was reposted on the website, so she reapplied just to see what would happen.

So this time she gets to the interview stage and it's the same guy,and he recognized her. He said she was so close last time that they wanted her to give it another shot. So she interviewed again, the same as before, and suddenly she got the invite for the road test/physical/LC school and here we are today.

I think it was just to see how serious she was in working there. I believe many others would say to hell with it and give up, but the sheer fact that you went again may be the ticket you need. At least IMO. To me, there is no other explanation as to what happened with my wife.

[postiewiththemostie]

Kind of the same thing occured with my wife, except she got a letter the first time saying that she did not successfully complete one requirement of the interview, or something like that. So she said "that's that" with CP. She didn't understand what went wrong during the interview, just that she didn't pass it. Only 3-4 days later, the position was reposted on the website, so she reapplied just to see what would happen.

So this time she gets to the interview stage and it's the same guy,and he recognized her. He said she was so close last time that they wanted her to give it another shot. So she interviewed again, the same as before, and suddenly she got the invite for the road test/physical/LC school and here we are today.

I think it was just to see how serious she was in working there. I believe many others would say to hell with it and give up, but the sheer fact that you went again may be the ticket you need. At least IMO. To me, there is no other explanation as to what happened with my wife.

My experience was that I applied for about a year and a half every time CP had openings for a postal clerk, MSC, and Letter Carrier positions. I must have applied at least 15-18 times and as I was ready to give up, I finally got an invite to write the GAT (for LC). Once the wheels were in motion it was smooth sailing all the way. Every step of the way I was being told by CPC that I was a "natural fit" or some variation of that. So, that being the case, why did it take almost 2 years just to get a chance? I can't help but to think that CPC kept track of how many times I applied and thought that I must really want the job...until I talk to people that applied just once and got in