You’ll find them at your front door most days the week, they’re a walking pillar of the community and, come rain or shine, they will deliver your mail. They even kept us going throughout a pandemic; whilst the rest of us were locked down, the trusty mail carrier soldiered on, ensuring we received what we couldn’t leave the house for ourselves. Their red uniforms are as recognisable for Brits as any landmark, and Royal Mail is up there with a nice cup of tea, Dame Judi Dench, and the Queen herself, as far as British institutions go.
But do you even know your postie’s name? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. At bakergoodchild, we conducted a survey that found that just under three-quarters of the British public don’t know the name of their postie.
There is an underappreciation of our nation’s mail carriers regardless of how hard the job can be and despite how much we might rely on them. The amount of post we send in the UK is at an all-time high, the Covid-19 pandemic meant we were buying 60% of all household goods online, increasing our dependence on the mailing industry massively.
Despite returning normality and the opening up of the nation’s shopping centres and high streets, this reliance on the post has not waned, with the number of people using post increasing by a third since the pandemic. This Christmas also looks likely to be the busiest yet for our nation’s postal workers, with online shopping spending expected to increase by 25% compared to the last four years of figures. But staff shortages are rife, reports of the suspension of daily deliveries in some towns due to covid absences and lack of staff have left Royal Mail looking for 20,000 temporary workers to see them through the next few months.
Whilst there are other issues at play when it comes to staff shortages, it doesn’t help that a posties lifestyle isn’t an appealing one for most. The average postie is forced to embrace early mornings, walk for miles carrying heavy loads and face British weather in all its extremes, as well as the nation’s pets. Our survey found that 53% of postal workers have issues with dogs on their daily routes and that just under half of dog owners think their dog actively dislikes their postie. Dog attacks are one of the leading worries for postmen and women, and with good reason, last year there were 33 dog attacks on mail carriers every week in the UK or 1,690 over the whole year, and that was a good year! Contactless deliveries meant dog attacks were down by a third on 2019’s figures.
It’s undoubtedly, not a job for everyone, and with 62% of mail carriers saying they regularly feel unsafe when doing their rounds, are we really doing enough to make our postal workers feel appreciated for the challenging, often thankless but much-needed job they do?
We think it’s time that changed, we think it’s time that the post men and women of the UK were truly appreciated for the continued service they provide for us all. We’re not suggesting another Thursday night clap, instead, think of ways you can show your postie your appreciation, no matter how big or small. A simple thank you can make someone’s day but if you’d like to go a step further, offer a cup of tea or coffee to warm them up on their route. Give them a Christmas card or a Christmas tip if you can afford to. Or simply place a little thank you poster in your window to let them know you appreciate the work they do every day. If you’d like to do this, we’ve saved you the effort of having to make one yourself, click here to download our Praise a Postie poster pop it in your window for your postie to see on tomorrow’s rounds!
