
The Man's Message
Established 2003 | "Tetritus fortis sine gym"
Friday, May 01, 2026
Crew Of The Weeks


This edition's COTW belong to Ben Van Doorn and Jason Harper with this scintillating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ survey.
"Ben and Jason were not only friendly, patient, and kind but very professional. They worked like Trojans. I helped where I could and they got the job done 30 minutes earlier. Amazing!!
They provided excellent, engaging customer service and we had a few laughs too - they have good senses of humour! They were only 10mins late. No biggie. They called to say so.
This is the 3rd time I've used MWAV over many years and again I'll be recommending you. THANK YOU!!!"
This is a top effort in how to provide customer focussed service direct from the top shelf so well done Ben & Jason. Shake their hands when you see them in Cranbourne. Jack Tandy is zooming down the South Gippsland Fwy to bestow rewards upon thee.
Trivial Recap




Last Friday night, Alex (Formerly No Drive) (Now Yes Drive) Morris, took hold of the mic and delivered an exceptionally entertaining evening of trivia in the intimate surrounds of the Abbotsford depot lounge room.
It was described by one onlooker as "a lively and raucous affair without anyone going over the top".
Well done to "Immense Strength" who came from behind to claim outright 1st place, narrowly besting "Sick Chumps". You still have your prizes awaiting collection from Tandy's desk. 3rd placed "Glue" (because they are the core crew which binds MWAV together) provided non stop great moments throughout the evening and overcame last placed "Nepobabies" who took home (read: left out the front of the depot) their consolation lemon tree in a broken pot.
Micah owes Gabe $50.
A big shoutout goes to the Cranny Crew who were prevented from attending MWAV Trivia due to a giant blowout in Ormond which required all hands on deck. You were all sorely missed!
Let's do something similar soon!
Lateness Policy

This is important stuff. It’s in the EBA but what does it mean? Here it is
Late Policy:
- Staff are entitled to 4 hours of employment or equivalent payment unless they have received a minimum of 12 hours of notice that their services are not required. This may occur in the instance of a last minute job cancellation or other extenuating circumstances.
- Any staff member arriving later than their allotted shift time must provide reasonable notice or may face disciplinary action.
- For staff arriving after their allotted shift time, all efforts will be made by management to deploy staff on to later shifts where available.
- After a reasonable amount of time without notice or arrival has elapsed, staff may not be required for their shift and forgo the entitlement to 4 hours of employment or equivalent payment.
- Staff who arrive at the depot late for a shift will be offered employment for a minimum of 4 hours or offered the option to go home without payment.
- Each time an employee arrives more than 10 minutes late without reasonable cause, they earn 1 late strike. 2 late strikes per 3 months may result in a written warning, 3 late strikes in a 3 month period may result in termination.
- Any performance management or disciplinary action must take into account individual circumstances.
- Reasonable cause shall be defined as:
- A reason that is objectively verifiable with evidence supplied by the employee
The Late Procedure:
When a staff member swipes on 10 mins or more later than their SMS'd time for a shift:
- Morning manager keeps track of all late staff (+10 mins) and reasons in Daily Report where possible
- Daily email sent to managers at 11am of all staff members who have signed on +11min after their sms’d time.
- Per roster policy: “Each time an employee arrives more than 10 minutes late without reasonable cause, they earn 1 late strike. 2 late strikes per 3 months may result in a written warning, 3 late strikes in a 3 month period may result in termination.”
- At each strike, an SMS is sent to the staff member:
- “On [date] you arrived x mins after your start time. This is the XX time in a 3 month period this has occurred. As per the MWAV Late Policy, please contact a manager to discuss the circumstances. Depending on the outcome, you may receive a written warning. If you would like a staff representative to be present you can contact Alex or Paul. Please make sure you arrive at work on time in the future.”
- Following the meeting (or non attendance) the late box will then be ticked if appropriate.
The Long Drives

This Sunday will be soggy and sodden so MWAV's next golf day has been delayed to:
Sunday, 24 May @ Ringwood Golf
The Long Drives will tee off again and they would love for you to join in on the fun.
Please speak with Matt Windsor or Stu Daulman if you’d like to know more or you can just...
Join The Long Drives on WhatsApp™
Click >>here<< or scan the QR Code to join the WhatsApp chat and have a fun time.

Sweep Dreams


Ever noticed how all the brooms are broken? Ever thought about putting them literally anywhere else other than jammed between the roof and steel beams
Secure brooms in the blanket stack and they will live a longer happier life.
HSR needed in Abbotsford

What a difference 22 weeks can make. Back on Friday, 28th November, James Walshe was elected to a three year term as a Health & Safety Representative of the Abbotsford depot.
He has now resigned as the HSR as he has been offered his dream role in the Triple Zero Victoria call centre as a dispatcher.
The Man sincerely thanks James for his service and dedication to safety and wishes him well as he continues to keep Victorians safe.
The other HSRs Thom Lidgerwood (Abb) & Maxx Gilbert (Cran) remain at the helm.
Nominations for James' replacement are now open.
If you are passionate about health, safety, and representation then nominate yourself.
Email your nomination to managers@mwav.org before the DEADLINE: 6pm Friday, 8 May.
If only one person nominates, they will be appointed as the new HSR unopposed but if two or more people nominate, it will be put to a vote. The more the merrier.
Lifters Guild

The Lifters Guild met up on Friday, 24th to discuss all the great many happenings at MWAV.
They were treated to a demonstration of the New System & Mobile App by Mark Putter of the IT Dept to great acclaim. Crews may find themselves testing the new system on the road by the end of May and throughout June. This is genuinely exciting stuff.
More Training - There will also be an introduction of structured assessment at the 3 month and 5 month mark. See the Post-Training Training section for more details.
Workplace Health & Culture Audit - Read Culture Review section for more details.
Working with Difficult Customers & Risk Management - Conduct dynamic risk assessment on-site. Clearly communicate limitations to customers. Escalate to management when needed. The Key Principle - Staff must not must not perform unsafe tasks nor work in unsafe spaces. Suggestion - Develop standard phrases for handling difficult situations.
Asking for Help on Jobs - If a crew needs help on a job, 1st problem solve with the customer if more help is the solution. Then call the office as early as possible, the more time they have to find a solution, the easier it can be.
Social Events - Next social event scheduled shortly after meeting. Future ideas to be discussed next meeting
The next meeting will be held in Cranbourne & chaired by Ben Van Doorn!
Post-Training Training

As part of The Man's attempt to continue to provide the Victorian public with Melbourne's premier lifestyle relocation service™, a decision has been carried by The Lifters Guild to extend training well after the initial five days of training has finished.
There will be secondary training shifts at both the three month and five month mark that a new member of staff is put through their paces to lead a day - much like Day 5 of training - and show that they understand and can demonstrate knowledge in all areas of the job like knowing and explaining what is and isn't covered by our damage guarantee, understanding invoices, careful driving, proper signalling, et cetera.
Culture Review

Man With A Van is undergoing a culture review through the Victorian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (VECCI). As part of this, a survey will be sent out to all staff within the next fortnight.
The survey is both anonymous and voluntary. And secondably, once the surveys haver been completed, focus groups will be conducted to dive deeper into understanding MWAV's culture. Participation in focus groups will be paid.
More Post-Training Training

How to not damage furniture.
Get out of those bad habits and lift like a legend. Protect yourself from damage to your body and damage to customer's belongings.
Jack Tandy is busy doing the rounds to train, re-train, and up-skill staff in how to look out for the often overlooked pitfalls of the job.
Dunk Report

Shifters™ (2nd) proved why they are the form team of the league on Wednesday night, jumping out to a 21-3 lead inside the first 8 minutes of play mainly thanks to Ravi Vallance from deep, Stew's sweet dishes, Ryley Warrener's unstoppable drives, and Sachin Smith's monster blocks.
King Cobras (3rd) recalibrated their play and smartly chipped away at the lead with smarter offense, sneaky steals, and a tougher rebounding effort until Shifters™ called a sorely needed time out with only 6:30 left in the match. With the scores 32-30 barely in the Shifters™ favour, the team called upon elder, Noah Shute, to steady the ship and hit fire with fire.
Where there was a 6'7" rebounding behemoth, there was Noah. Where there was a teammate under intense double teamed pressure, there was Noah. Where there was an opponent streaming down the court on a fast break for an easy lay up, there was Noah. Where there was a teammate with their head down low on confidence, there was Noah. Shifters™ galvanised behind him and they ran away victors 42-34. It was only fitting that Noah scored his only basket and the final two points of the match to ice the result with 15 seconds to go.
Cheer them on as a fellow Shift-head™ @ Coburg Basketball Stadium for their last game of the regular season before finals!
Wednesday, 6 May
6:15 PM vs Swishful Thinking (8th)
Wednesday, 13 May
Finals Round 1 vs TBC
Rust In Peace

An ode to Abbotsford's unsung hero.
"Oh Breville, you revelled in roasting those toasties
Your scars of faux-pas;
Stainless-steel still stained, skinned, and stripped your teflon
Or the night that we left you but your heat was left on
Thanks and a good clean were rarely asked but rarer still given
Your hot-plate cooked recklessly as your power cord withered
The drip-tray flowed over with old bacon fat rancid
'Til your solemn plea for death was finally answered
Your body now stripped for reuse in a factory
Like the proud work horse last thought of when sent to the knackery
New Breville arrived so we think that life's better
But we remember you fondly in this here letter."
Is This the Right Report?

Are you filling out dummy answers to multiple fields while submitting a damage/vehicle/incident report? Chances are high you're filling out the wrong type of report! Here's a quick refresher on which type of report to fill out when something goes wrong during the move.
1) Damage Report. The classic, this is for when anything other than a vehicle has been damaged. Scratched a wall? Damage report. Dropped a box full of china? Damage report. Reversed the truck into a lamppost? You'd best believe that's a damage report.
2) Vehicle Accident. For when one of our vehicles has collided with someone else's vehicle. This report contains the fields above which are important if there's another owner/driver involved.
3) Injury Register. For when you or your offsider has been injured whilst on the job.
4) Safety Issue. For when you or your offsider have discovered a safety issue that requires action. Cracked side mirror? Safety Issue. Wonky ramp? Safety Issue.
After logging any type of report call the office straight away! It's important the office team and morning manager know what's going on and if any urgent help or action is required.
Tommy's Tales



Some rather nasty vehicle-related damage this fortnight as a team snagged this brick mailbox leaving the pick up address. A rather involved repair, this piece will need to be broken apart and rebuilt to ensure it's stable for future use.
Please remember to always have your offside outside of the vehicle spotting you when exiting/entering any driveway. An extra set of eyes can help avoid very low or very high obstacles that are difficult to see from the driver's seat.
The Vibe

Some incredible feedback from MWAV customers this fortnight with literally nothing but positive praise coming our way. A stunner of a result any way you slice it and an overall fantastic effort, amazing work team! 🤯
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