Postal worker

Postal workers collect mail from post boxes and take it to be sorted. The mail is then delivered to homes, factories, offices and other places.

Work activities

Postal workers collect, sort, distribute and deliver mail. Duties include sorting mail according to addresses, ready for filling delivery bags. They are then responsible for delivering letters. This could be on foot, by bicycle, bus, car or van. Work can start very early in the morning. Mail sorters sort mail that has been posted in their district, ready to go to other parts of the country. They also sort the mail that has arrived from outside the district, ready to be delivered to local sub-post offices for final sorting and delivery. Some mail has to be re-directed or returned.

Some postal workers are employed as drivers. Large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers transport mail over long distances. Local drivers deliver mail from central offices to local offices, collect mail from boxes and may sometimes sort mail. Drivers are usually experienced postal workers. Parcel work is similar to that of letters. It is the postal worker’s responsibility to get the post from the sorting office to the destination. They may be delivering important documents that must arrive at the correct address.

Postal workers wear a uniform and carry mail bags during their delivery rounds.

Personal qualities and skills

To do this job well, you’ll need:

• To be fit and healthy enough to carry heavy bags or push trolleys of mail.
• A good memory for streets and addresses.
• To be organised, honest and reliable.
• Self-reliance, as you’ll be working on your own for long periods of time.
• Good people skills for when you are dealing with customers.
• To be a quick and careful worker.

A driving licence can be useful for this type of work. To work as an LGV driver, you will need the appropriate licence.

Pay and opportunities

The pay rates given are approximate. Postal workers earn in the range of £16,000 - £25,000 with experience.

Postal workers usually work 30-43 hours per week. Sorting office staff must be prepared to work unsocial hours that involve shifts. Delivery staff start early in the morning – from 4.30am onwards. Some postal workers, including large goods vehicle (LGV) drivers, work shifts through the night and on Sundays.

Demand for postal workers is steady. However, this can be a popular career to enter, so competition for places may be strong. There are opportunities for temporary work, such as during the busy Christmas season.

Royal Mail employs postal workers. Opportunities for postal workers occur in Royal Mail offices in towns and cities throughout the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

You’ll find vacancies on the Royal Mail Group website.  Vacancies are also advertised on all the major job boards, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

There are no set entry routes into this career. Applicants are given an aptitude test and interview.

You may be able to apply for a level 2 (intermediate) express delivery operative apprenticeship.

Successful candidates take an induction course that introduces them to the workplace, and covers subjects such as health and safety, employment conditions and working practices. Trainees then spend a period working with experienced staff. This on-the-job training covers subjects such as sorting and delivering mail.

The Royal Mail’s promotion scheme means that it is possible to apply for more senior positions.

Qualifications

No educational qualifications are required but some GCSEs are useful. You may need to pass an entrance test.

To apply via an apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Background experience in delivery or driving work can be useful. Practical work, such as warehousing, packing or stores work, is also helpful.

For some jobs, a clean, current driving licence is necessary, while for others the applicants may have to be willing to ride a bicycle.

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