3w ago

Aotearoa Weekly Kōrero 1/8/2025

Welcome to this week’s casual kōrero thread!

This post will be pinned in this community so you can always find it, and will stay for about a week until replaced by the next one.

It’s for talking about anything that might not justify a full post. For example:

Something interesting that happened to you
Something humourous that happened to you
Something frustrating that happened to you
A quick question
A request for recommendations
Pictures of your pet
A picture of a cloud that kind of looks like an elephant
Anything else, there are no rules (except the rule)

So how’s it going?

12 comments

I started working for UPS as a delivery driver in the USA and I am so surprised (and also sadly not surprised) at just how bad it is. Not just how demanding the work is, but:
no benefits (health insurance, retirement, unemployment) for the first six months
no access to medical leave (I planned a surgery before getting the job, and when asking for unpaid leave the response was "the optics aren't good, can you come in the day after?")
tons of unpaid work before/after shift
not getting paid if we leave the facility early (tried adjusting the start time myself once and they changed it back right away, although this is a certain manager I think)
Maybe I am spoilt after living and working in NZ and Europe, but it just seems so insane and such a horrible way to treat people.
Also I am dreams/nightmares about trying to find things quickly (like a package in a package car) or being stuck while driving 😅
- To be fair, in NZ I believe delivery drivers for NZ Post are contractors. So other than healthcare and unemployment, I think the rest would also apply here (including the chance of a crappy manager).
  But it's something in the media from time to time, how it's pretty crappy to be a delivery driver.
  
  I guess it is. I'd be really interested to know if it's the case in Germany/France. I know Uber is banned because they can't classify drivers as contractors, so I wonder if delivery companies face any of the same restrictions.
  And maybe I wouldn't mind so much but my delivery route is kinda rural, so I'm delivering to Trump supporters and it's the combination of factors that get to me.
- Maybe I am spoilt after living and working in NZ and Europe, but it just seems so insane and such a horrible way to treat people.
  Not spoilt. It is horrible. It's inhumane.
  
  It's just pushing me even further to the orft than I already am 😅
Some stunning weather in welly today! Was nice to get out and soak it in

12 comments