David Probett

Review of Angard Staffing

I work at Gatwick Mail Centre and my Consultant is...

I work at Gatwick Mail Centre and my Consultant is the excellent Ibby Nur.

Ibby has been an excellent consultant and tries to be fair when allocating shifts. Always calm under pressure and very polite and professional.

His efforts appear to be hamstrung by the local RM 'management who over-order Angard staff, then cancel a large proportion of them and then telephone selected ones direct in order to make up the constituents of a shift that are either more to their liking or who can actually 'get things done'.

For example, on most Mondays, the busiest day of the week, the building is usually swamped by Angard sending in up 60 new staff. That is hopeless for getting the work done.

One recent Monday, RM booked 65 staff through Angard, then cancelled 25 and subsequently direct-telephoned 31 - some of whom were in the 25 originally cancelled.

Things like this happen all too frequently.

It does not help that the shift make-ups are distorted by one Senior RM Manager renting bedsits and flats to at least 11 staff and that person ensures that his tenants receive ample shifts in order that they may be able to afford to pay their rent!

Another Manager ensures that their stepson attends every Late Shift - nothing like keeping it in the family!

All this reduces the number of Angard staff who are simply trying to obtain regular shifts on a fair basis. It does cause some resentment among my colleagues.

It must be a nightmare for my Consultant.

I like the work and, at my time of life, I don't mind the zero-hours nature of the employment. However, it IS a little nerve-wracking waiting until at least 18:20 each evening, not knowing whether or not a shift will b forthcoming.