Royal Mail prepares for peak season with 16,000 new hires

UK postal operator Royal Mail has confirmed it is preparing for the peak festive season, with 16,000 additional workers set to be hired between late October and January 2025 to assist its 85,000 posties sort the mail and the increasing number of parcels it expects to process.

The temporary peak season shifts will be in two parcel hubs (Daventry and Warrington), five seasonal parcel sort centers (Atherstone, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Daventry and Greenford in London) and 37 mail centers across the country, with a variety of shifts available. There are also 5,000 delivery and collection roles available in local delivery offices across the country.

Royal Mail is also adding almost 4,000 new vans, trucks and trailers to its fleet as part of the company’s wider plans to renew its fleet with a total of 5,000 new vehicles, including 2,100 electric vans. In addition, over 1,200 road haulage contractors are being hired to transport the festive mail and parcels across the country.

The operator confirmed it will also be working closely with its sister business Parcelforce Worldwide to maximize the capability of both networks, with Parcelforce better placed to accommodate larger items posted within the networks.

Alistair Cochrane, chief operating officer at Royal Mail, explained, “Every year we pull out all the stops to deliver Christmas for our customers. It’s our busiest time of year and we plan all year round to help ensure we deliver the best possible service for UK consumers and businesses.

“We are continuing to make a substantial commitment in additional resources including the recruitment of thousands of temporary workers to handle the festive mailbag and the growing market of online Christmas shopping.”