Royal Mail to cut up to 2,500 head office jobs by end of 2027
The proposed cuts would fall on the Farringdon Road head office and support roles through natural attrition and voluntary redundancy, with no compulsory redundancies and no cuts to frontline delivery staff.
Royal Mail is planning to cut up to 2,500 head office and support jobs by the end of 2027, the company has announced, in the first major organisational shake-up under its new private ownership.
The proposed cuts would fall on the head office on Farringdon Road in London and on support function roles, through an “organisational review” that is subject to consultation. Royal Mail said there would be no compulsory redundancies, with the reduction achieved through natural attrition and a voluntary redundancy programme, and no cuts to frontline delivery and processing roles, including posties and drivers.
The 2,500 roles represent less than 2 per cent of Royal Mail’s 131,000-strong workforce.
These proposed changes remove duplication and allow us to invest further in the service we deliver for our customers.Alistair Cochrane, Royal Mail chief executive
The company said it was undergoing a “significant transformation” as it implements reform of the universal service obligation and adapts to a market in which letter volumes have fallen sharply while demand for parcels has surged.
“These proposed changes remove duplication and allow us to invest further in the service we deliver for our customers,” said Alistair Cochrane, Royal Mail’s chief executive. He said the company was committed to treating staff fairly and working closely with the unions.
The shake-up is the first main organisational shift since Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky’s EP Group completed its £3.6 billion takeover of International Distribution Services, Royal Mail’s parent company, last year, after agreeing undertakings with ministers that included a government golden share.
Last July, Ofcom agreed changes to the universal service obligation after years of lobbying by Royal Mail, including an end to Saturday deliveries of second-class letters.
None to date. The Journal corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
