Postal workers across the UK have accused Royal Mail of encouraging practices aimed at making delivery performance appear better than it is, as the company faces increasing scrutiny over persistent delays.
Employees who spoke anonymously said managers routinely instructed them to “take the mail,” a term used to describe undelivered letters being removed from view during inspections to make delivery rounds appear complete.
The allegations come ahead of a parliamentary session where Royal Mail executives are due to be questioned by MPs about the deterioration in service levels affecting millions of customers.
Staff at several delivery offices told the BBC that when they raised concerns about workloads, particularly the growing volume of parcels compared to letters, they were often told to prioritize parcels and temporarily remove letters from view.
In some cases, undelivered mail was reportedly placed in carts during inspections and moved to another location in the depot before being returned for delivery the next day.
One worker described the practice as “embarrassing and fraudulent,” adding that it allowed managers to claim walkthroughs were completed even when letters were not delivered.
Others said the approach was used to evade scrutiny from management and external inspectors, effectively concealing operational deficiencies.
Royal Mail is required by law to deliver first class mail six days a week, but its recent performance has fallen well short of regulatory targets.
In fiscal year 2024-25, the company delivered only 77% of first-class mail on time, against the target of 93%. Class two performance also missed its benchmark, reaching 92.5%, compared to a target of 98.5%.
Regulator Ofcom has already fined Royal Mail £37m in recent years and warned that further penalties were likely if service levels did not improve.
Royal Mail has strongly denied the allegations, saying the claims “do not reflect how our delivery operations work”.
A spokesman said the company would investigate all individual cases raised and stressed that the vast majority of mail, about 92%, is delivered on time. It added that in the event of local problems, efforts will be made to quickly restore normal operations.
But the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) said the problems stemmed from deeper structural problems, including low wages, staff shortages and what it called a “toxic leadership culture.”
The union warned that challenges in recruiting and retaining staff have left many delivery offices understaffed, putting unsustainable pressure on workers and contributing to falling service standards.
The ongoing delays are having a tangible impact on the public: reports of missed hospital appointments, delayed legal documents and disrupted personal communications.
Workers say morale has deteriorated sharply. Many report stress, absences due to illness and the feeling that the workload is “impossible” to cope with.
In areas where Royal Mail has been testing a new delivery model, including a reduced frequency for second-class mail, staff told the BBC that conditions had not improved, with some suggesting the system had increased operational pressures.
However, Royal Mail claims the pilot has increased delivery reliability and claims the proportion of addresses receiving mail daily has increased from around 92% to 97%.
The dispute highlights the wider challenges facing the UK postal system as traditional letter volumes decline and parcel deliveries, driven by e-commerce, become the dominant part of the business.
Royal Mail has argued that delivery rules need to evolve to reflect this change, including reducing the frequency of second class deliveries to improve efficiency and financial sustainability.
For now, the hidden mail allegations add a new layer of controversy to an already embattled service, with MPs expected to push for answers on both operating practices and the long-term future of the UK’s universal postal obligation.
