Royal Mail has announced that it will recruit 20,000 temporary workers to help cope with the pressures of Christmas, as well as Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The workers will help transport, sort and deliver the additional parcels and mail the company expects to process over the season.
There will be 15,000 mail sorting roles across the UK, 3,000 delivery and collection roles, and 2,000 temporary HGC and MGV driver’s roles.
The roles will be in two parcel hubs, four seasonal parcel sort centers and 37 mail centers across the country. An extra 118,000m2 of temporary space has been made in the parcel sort centers in Atherstone, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Daventry.
Royal Mail interim chief operating officer Jamie Stephenson said, “As we do every year, we will be pulling out all the stops to make Christmas special for our customers. It’s the busiest time for us, and we work tirelessly behind the scenes – planning months in advance – to ensure everything runs smoothly. From delivering festive parcels to supporting online shopping, we’re investing heavily in extra resources, including thousands of seasonal team members, to help make sure every delivery arrives on time and with care.”
The seasonal roles will run from late October through to early January 2026. The period for the additional temporary work includes Black Friday and Cyber Monday but will be at its peak in December. Parcelforce Worldwide is also recruiting additional drivers and indoor workers.
The roles have been advertised for those looking for extra income over the festive season, with no previous experience being required and shift working on offer. According to Royal Mail, competitive pay and the opportunity for long-term work will be offered.
Royal Mail says it is adding 6,800 hire vans to its fleet of 48,2000 to support its seasonal campaign. Over 1,2000 road haulage contractors are also being hired.
In related news, the Post Office has announced a scheme to include postmasters in the running of the business