Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 head office jobs

Royal Mail plans to cut 2,500 head office jobs

Royal Mail said posties are protected from the proposed cuts

Postal service company Royal Mail has said it intends to eliminate 2,500 head office and other support roles by the end of 2027.

Frontline postal staff — including posties and drivers — are not included in the proposed restructuring.

The job losses would amount to around 2% of the company’s 131,000-strong workforce.

Royal Mail said the reduction, aimed at boosting efficiency, would come through voluntary redundancies and employees deciding to leave the business.

"These proposed changes remove duplication and allow us to invest further in the service we deliver for our customers," said chief executive Alistair Cochrane.

Royal Mail has been having difficulty meeting its delivery targets for first and second class post, and has been fined by the regulator in recent years for failing to hit those targets.

Letter volumes have fallen, and the company has repeatedly argued that its Universal Service Obligation (USO) – a legal duty to deliver letters six days a week to every address in the UK – is outdated and needs reform.