Temporary Christmas Jobs with Royal Mail

If you’re not ready for the “C” word just yet, then I recommend you look away now – Christmas! Yes, it’s right around the corner and for some, it’s the most expensive time of the year. Trying to keep up with the ever increasing costs that make up Christmas can be difficult but one way to temporarily increase your income to help fund it is by grabbing yourself a temporary Christmas job with companies like Royal Mail.

Each Christmas the Royal Mail need to seriously increase their numbers to cope with the sheer volume that the festive period brings. From mid-September they start recruiting for their temporary Christmas worker roles which start mid-November until December 23rd. These roles are available across the country including some of the major cities such as Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

What Jobs Are Available?

The jobs titles vary greatly from city to city but they are sorting office roles (role titles include Mail Centre Distribution, Parcel Sort Centre and Delivery Office) obviously they are all internal positions rather than actual mail distribution as that takes additional training and learning routes.

What Hours Are Offered?

Both part and full time roles are offered and you will be asked for your shift preference with the options being earlies, lates, nights or weekends. The actual availability and hours can vary for each role but typical shifts are:

Earlies: 06:00 – 14:00

Lates: 14:00 – 22:00

Nights: 22:00 – 06:00

Shifts are allocated on a first registered basis so if there is a specific shift you require then registering early is recommended.

What Is The Pay Like?

The pay rate varies according to the time of your shift with higher rates being given to night and weekend work, below is an example of the pay rates.

Monday – Saturday: 06.00 – 22.00    £7.20

Monday – Friday: 22.00 – 06.00    £8.20

Saturday: 22:00 – 06.00    £9.50

Sunday: 06:00 – 22:00    £8.50

Sunday: 22.00 – 06.00    £9.50

Job Specifications

These roles can be quite demanding so before applying make sure you are what they are looking for, you’ll need to be: 

Punctual and reliable

Able to work to tight deadlines

Accurate and have attention to detail

Flexible and adaptable as you are likely to undertake several different tasks in one shift

Able to stand for long periods of time

Able to push trolleys weighing up to 250kg

How Do You Apply?

To apply, simply visit the Royal Mail Christmas Casuals website and search for your location to see what is available. Please note that if you are under 18 that you won’t be able to do the night shifts.

Sometimes Royal Mail will require additional help for the post-Christmas mail so there is a chance that this work will extend beyond the 23rd December date but that will depend on the work available at each centre.

These roles are great if you’re only looking for a temporary boost in income so are ideal for students or parents who can organise childcare over a very short period of time. A simple way to ensure your Christmas is a debt-free one.