Real reason Royal Mail postal workers wear shorts in freezing weather

Posties work outdoors in all weather

Londoners may be bundled up in their winter gear at this time of year, but often there is one puzzling exception: our postal workers.

For the majority of us, shorts have become a distant warm-weather memory, yet postal staff are renowned for their steadfast commitment to delivering our post in shorts, come rain or shine. Some inquisitive Brits searched for answers on Reddit, and the agreement amongst posties was unanimous.

The primary reason boils down to practicality: “It really is just because it gets hot doing the job,” one postman explained. Another chimed in: “One round I cover, I wear trousers just because of the wind. I made the mistake once and had windburn all up my legs, but that particular village happens to be the highest point of the town and is a massive wind tunnel. All other rounds I’m in shorts pretty much all year.”

Given that a postal worker’s daily routine involves virtually continuous walking, it’s hardly surprising that shorts are preferred for regulating body temperature, according to the Mirror.

The Reddit conversation disclosed that overheating was a frequent complaint amongst the Royal Mail workforce, with one postie bluntly declaring he ‘hates sweating’.

Nevertheless, during the harshest weather conditions, some delivery staff confessed to donning waterproof trousers – though one cheeky postie retorted with ‘skin is waterproof’.

A former Royal Mail worker also revealed details about a rivalry amongst the posties.

These posties would engage in friendly competition to see who could hold out the longest before giving in to trousers during the chilly winter months.

One postman shared that each participant would contribute £1 weekly to a collective fund, with the victor – the one who endured the cold in shorts for the most extended period – having the privilege of donating the accumulated sum to a charity of their choosing.

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