The secret life of…’ pulls back the curtain on professions you’ve always wanted to know more about. If you want to anonymously reveal all about your job, email money@telegraph.co.uk.
Before becoming a postman, I was a manager at a local supermarket. I worked long hours and weekends, with shifts running from 3pm to midnight. I didn’t have any work-life balance, and I thought to myself, “What else is out there?”.
My mum spotted a job opening at Royal Mail. Luckily, I had an uncle who worked in the same sorting office, so I was able to ask him what it was like. I applied, had an interview, and got the job.
I started on a 25-hour-a-week contract, with most of my days running from 9am to 2pm. I’ve now been a postie for five years, and it’s become clear that the work suits me. I really like the outdoors, and I enjoy staying active.
We joke in the office that we get paid to exercise, and I don’t think there are many jobs where you can say that. During the winter, especially over Christmas, our busiest time of year, I do ache a bit, but I’d still take that over a sedentary job.
Moving around and being outdoors, especially in the summer, has been fantastic for my mental health. I really couldn’t ask for a better job in that respect.
But I think the main factor that swung it for me was the set hours. Right now, I’m working Monday through Saturday. I start at half past seven and, depending on how busy it is, finish between two and four o’clock. It’s one of those jobs where, when you finish, you’re done. I don’t go home worrying about delivering the post.
That said, the job has changed over the years. Sadly, the days of the postie with an everyday route, like Postman Pat, are gone. We’re here, there, and everywhere nowadays. The route I do most of the time is my favourite, covering roughly 550 houses.
Postmen who’ve been on the job for a long time – say, 15 years or more – might get to pick their routes. They tell me it’s completely different now. There used to be far more letters and fewer parcels. Now, it’s the opposite. Letters have declined massively, while parcel deliveries have skyrocketed.
During lockdown, parcel volumes spiked because people were ordering everything rather than going out. It’s settled down a bit since then – I’d estimate that for every five letters, there’s one parcel in my postbag. Over half of Royal Mail’s revenue now comes from parcel delivery.
Even when I started, I had doubts about the long-term viability of being a postman. The people who rely on letters are mostly over 50 years old. Younger generations do everything digitally, using apps for banking and email for invoices and bills.
The part of the job I love is walking around delivering letters, so I don’t love when the day is particularly heavy with parcels and I’m just going back and forth to the van to collect them. I worry about all the stuff we order online too.
I deliver items from Shein and Temu every single day. Deliveries from those two companies have soared over the last two years. Each to their own, but how many things do all of us actually need? People perhaps should look at what is essential in life before they click “buy”.
I do think Royal Mail will eventually become a parcel-focused delivery service. However, we often say in the office: “There’s always going to be a job at Royal Mail.” Even if letters disappear, parcels will remain.
More and more, it’s about competing with companies like Amazon and Evri. Those firms got a foothold in the delivery business, and Royal Mail is playing catch-up. It’s hard to compete with Amazon Prime’s next-day delivery for convenience. Royal Mail offers 24-hour tracked delivery, but even that can’t match Prime’s speed.
What we do have going for us is reliability. People trust us with private and confidential deliveries, like NHS letters. An Amazon or Evri driver might leave your parcel outside and leave, whereas Royal Mail will try again if necessary. I think we’re seen as a trustworthy delivery service.
On a typical day, I arrive at the depot in the morning and find out what route I’m on – it changes often. I’ll gather the letters, small packages, and larger parcels, sign out my van keys, load up, and head out.
We mostly work in pairs, with a walker and a driver, though we both deliver on foot. I’m usually teamed up with someone different each day. The job isn’t for everyone – you need to be physically fit and able to keep up a good pace. We’ve had new starters who quickly decide it’s not their cup of tea.
My contract is for five days a week, but I usually work my day off as well. Though I’m contracted for 25 hours, I end up working 35 to 40 hours a week with overtime. My pay is around £13.70 an hour – which is above the current minimum wage of £11.44. For my overtime, I get paid the same as my contracted hours and I earn between £22,000 and £24,000 a year.
I think the pay is fair, though others might disagree. Compared to my old job, being a postman is better in every respect, not just for work-life balance and being outdoors, but also for pay. When I was a shift leader at the supermarket, I earned less and dealt with 10 times as much stress.
As an employee, I also have benefits like sick pay and holiday pay, which many delivery drivers on zero-hours contracts don’t get.
The real challenge is dogs. As a postman delivering letters or parcels, you’re a stranger coming into their territory. Management tells us not to enter properties if we see or hear a dog. You hear horror stories about postmen ending up in A&E.
I’ve been nipped twice through letterboxes, with dogs biting my fingertips as I slid letters through. Royal Mail advises using a device for delivering letters, but if I used that every time, I’d never finish my round.
Weather is another challenge. Icy conditions, especially in hilly areas like mine, make the job tricky.
I wish they’d hire more staff on full-time contracts. It would provide more consistency for customers and a more efficient service with people getting their deliveries in the time they should, with fewer last-minute route changes. But part-time staff are cheaper, so they fill gaps instead.
The friendly atmosphere in the office is one of the best parts of the job. It’s a pleasure to chat while sorting the post. I also love being outdoors, and the exercise has done wonders for my health.
Some regulars from my routes always say hello. In retail, I dealt with complaints and stress, but now people greet me warmly, which is much nicer.
I feel proud when I put on the uniform. Even without a fixed route, you’re still recognised as a postie, and I take pride in that.
