HR Magazine – Royal Mail to hire 20,000 Christmas temps

The roles include 12,000 mail centre sorting positions in England, 2,000 in Scotland, 600 in Wales, and 400 in Northern Ireland.

A further 3,000 delivery and collection roles are to be made available nationwide, alongside 2,000 temporary driver positions.

Contracts are to run from late October 2025 to early January 2026, covering key shopping events such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Employers hiring temporary staff need to pay close attention to the wording of the recruitment documentation and the contractual terms governing the arrangement, explained Liz Stevens, professional support lawyer in the employment team at law firm Birketts, speaking to HR magazine.

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Stevens explained that the contract or letter of appointment should accurately reflect the employment status of the individual being recruited, whether as a ‘worker’ or ‘employee’, and it should be clear that the arrangement is a temporary one with a fixed termination date.

Careful thought should also be given to the hours of work, and documentation should include the ability for an employer to give notice during the fixed period, she added.

Carolina Merlin, compliance manager at global HR and employment solutions provider Mauve Group, told HR magazine that when hiring temporary staff, employers should begin with the fundamentals: understanding local classification laws and determining whether they are engaging an employee or a contractor.

In the UK, she explained, IR35 is used to make this distinction, based on factors such as control, dependency and the nature of the working relationship.

“Employers should always provide written agreements that outline responsibilities, payment terms, and the length of time a temporary hire will work for the company,” Merlin said. Written documentation for reporting lines and expectations avoids ambiguity about whether the worker is a contractor or employee, she added. 

Stevens suggested that employers should ensure that any temporary recruits have the right to work in the UK, noting that immigration checks may apply regardless of the proposed duration of the contract, and that employers may be fined for a failure to conduct appropriate checks.

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Stevens added: “Don’t forget that fixed-term employees are protected under the Fixed-term Employees Regulations 2002, which gives temporary fixed-term employees the right not to be treated less favourably than comparable permanent employees.” 

She highlighted that this means that a fixed-term employee is broadly entitled to the same terms and conditions, including benefits, as a comparable permanent employee and must not be subjected to any other detriment due to their fixed-term status. 

Merlin advised that employers should avoid assuming one-size-fits-all rules or neglecting clear contracts. “Even short-term staff need guidance and clarity to work effectively and comply with local regulations,” she said.

She suggested that when it comes to onboarding temporary staff, “temporary hires should receive a thorough induction to company policies, so they understand systems and safety procedures”.

Stevens added: “An employer may be able to objectively justify [treating a temporary worker differently], but in order to do so must give proper consideration to and be able to show good business reasons for the difference.”