Postal Workers Report Being Directed to Hide Mail to Meet Targets
Postal workers from across the UK have informed the BBC that senior management has instructed them to move or conceal mail to create the appearance that delivery targets are being met.
They told BBC Your Voice that managers often use the phrase "take the mail for a ride" when workers raise concerns about having too many parcels to deliver alongside letters.
Royal Mail executives are scheduled to respond to questions from MPs on Tuesday regarding ongoing postal delays affecting millions across the UK.
The company stated it takes allegations of post being hidden "very seriously" and reported that 92% of letters are delivered on time.
Royal Mail is legally required to deliver first class post six days a week.
Since the initial publication of claims from postal workers that they are consistently asked to prioritise parcels, signs have appeared in many delivery offices reminding staff that first class mail must be delivered.
However, with no additional staff, reduced overtime, and continued pressure to deliver parcels, workers say it is often not feasible to deliver letters as well.
The delays have caused significant issues for the public, with individuals missing hospital appointments and other important correspondence.
One customer, frustrated by the delays, now takes the bus every weekend to his local delivery office to collect his mail personally.
'Embarrassing and Deceitful'
Ten postal workers from various delivery offices, who spoke anonymously to avoid risking their employment, told the BBC that the phrase "take the mail for a ride" is commonly used in their workplaces.
"Say we have a senior manager coming in from outside the delivery office, any mail that has been left would get hidden by the line managers.
It gets put into a york (a trolley) and taken somewhere, and brought back to you the next day."
One worker explained that when someone raises concerns about having too many parcels to deliver alongside letters, "they'll quite often just say 'take the mail for a ride'."
"If someone comes in from the outside it looks like you've cleared the round, when in actual fact you'll be bringing it straight back when you finish."
"It's embarrassing and deceitful," he added.
A postal worker in Wales said:
"It just means that our boss can say that all rounds went out the door, knowing full well they are not going to be delivered."
Another worker said that "taking the mail for a ride" meant that if inspections were conducted at the delivery office, first class mail would not be visible.
"This meant the round could be classed as complete… to manipulate the delivery success of the office."
A fourth worker commented:
"They are just trying to cover themselves, it means that posties are having to take the first class out on a daily basis even knowing that they are just going to bring it back."
Ofcom, the communications regulator, has fined Royal Mail £37 million in recent years for poor letter delivery performance and warned that fines are "likely to continue" if improvements are not made.
In the 2024-25 financial year, Royal Mail delivered 77% of first class mail and 92.5% of second class mail on time, falling short of its targets of 93% and 98.5% respectively.
Royal Mail told the BBC that the postal workers' claims "do not reflect how our delivery operations work."
"We would take any suggestion that colleagues are hiding mail very seriously," a spokesperson said.
"We will investigate the specific cases raised... where there are local issues, we focus on restoring normal service as quickly as possible and supporting customers."
'I Pick Up the Mail Myself'
Anthony Lobo, a pensioner living in Welling, Kent, is so frustrated by irregular post deliveries that he collects his mail every Saturday morning from Bexleyheath Delivery Office personally.
"I shouldn't have to do it but [I do] in order to save me the hassle as I receive a lot of mail. And if I don't go, it will just be sitting there."
On his last visit, Anthony collected 20 letters, some from the NHS. He says that complaining to Royal Mail has not improved the situation.
"Royal Mail is a huge company and I'm just a small ant to them so I just take the easy option and go and pick up the mail myself."
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU), representing postal staff, attributed delivery failures to "low wages and poor conditions" that have caused a "recruitment and retention crisis."
"This devaluing of a postal worker's job, combined with a toxic managerial culture, has created chaos and demoralisation in almost every workplace across the country," a CWU spokesperson said.
'Impossible to Complete Workload'
Royal Mail has submitted written evidence to the Business and Trade Committee explaining the reasons behind the delays that cause customers to wait days or weeks for their post.
A key part of its defence is the need to change delivery rules so that second class mail can be delivered less frequently.
The company has received approval from Ofcom to implement this plan and claims it is working well in pilot areas.
However, three staff members in pilot areas told the BBC that the situation has not improved.
"Nothing has really improved, it's gotten worse," one said. "It feels each week that the line managers are looking for a new way to blame any failures of the new delivery system on the posties, rather than looking at what the failures actually are."
Another worker said morale was at an all-time low.
"It makes people miserable. You feel like you're flogging a dead horse. There are people off sick, people off with stress.
"I resign myself to the fact that I can't complete my workload. It's just impossible."
A Royal Mail spokesperson responded:
"Delivery performance has improved in pilot areas, with the proportion of addresses receiving mail each day increasing from around 92% to around 97%."
"The pilots have shown us what works and what needs adjusting. Deploying our new delivery model will result in a more reliable, efficient and financially sustainable service for our customers."
