Royal Mail is facing renewed scrutiny over delivery performance, with postmen reporting significant staffing shortages and a backlog of undelivered mail even after the peak Christmas period. While the company maintains it is returning to normal operations following an exceptionally busy December, accounts from employees on the ground paint a different picture.
Several Royal Mail staff, speaking anonymously, have described a situation where overtime opportunities have been drastically reduced since January. This reduction in overtime, coupled with staff absences due to annual leave, is reportedly leading to some postal routes remaining undelivered for weeks.
One postman, identified as Bob, explained the core issue: “There’s not enough staff.” He detailed how the temporary influx of seasonal workers during Christmas helps manage the workload, but the situation deteriorates significantly afterward. “Every day there’s mail left behind, one, maybe two, maybe three rounds which are not covered… The tracked recorded parcels are done every day, because they make a difference to the stats for the office, but anything that’s not tracked every day there’ll be mail that’s not going out.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson acknowledged the review of overtime, stating that a reduction was “to be expected” after the Christmas rush, but insisted that performance is “monitored on a daily basis.”
The concerns over delivery delays come as regulator Ofcom has already levied £37 million in fines against Royal Mail in recent years due to poor letter delivery performance. Ofcom has stated it “will continue to hold the company to account.”
The issues extend beyond staffing levels. Reports suggest a prioritization of tracked parcels, driven by their impact on internal performance statistics. This means non-tracked mail is more likely to be delayed or left undelivered.
Meanwhile, Members of Parliament and Members of the Scottish Parliament have publicly thanked postal workers for their efforts during the Christmas season. John Lamont MP and Rachael Hamilton MSP recently expressed their gratitude to posties in the Borders region, acknowledging the increased demands during the holidays.
Royal Mail has published its last posting dates for Christmas 2025, urging customers to act fast to ensure timely delivery of their mail and parcels. The dates vary depending on the destination, with earlier deadlines for international shipments.
