PostNL struggling to deliver post due to staff shortages and absenteeism

PostNL wants to enter into talks with the new future cabinet about an amendment to the Postal Act because mail delivery in some parts of the country is under strain, de Telegraaf reported on Tuesday. The number of packages delivered is increasing, but mail delivery is lagging due to a thousand vacancies and high absenteeism.

"We are not managing to fill these vacancies quickly. We are doing everything we can, for example recruiting in different target groups such as students, the elderly, and status holders. We offer permanent contracts right away, but we have competition from other industries," explained the CEO of PostNL Herna Verhagen.

PostNL is legally required to deliver mail within 24 hours and empty mailboxes five days a week. Last year, they achieved a 91 percent on-time delivery rate, missing the 95 percent standard. However, this mandate only covers private mail, just 6 percent of yearly letters.

The leading executive believes adjustments are necessary to ensure a reliable national mail service. “We can merge locations and routes and work more efficiently ourselves, but we will also enter into discussions with politicians," she stated. Addressing staff shortages is challenging for PostNL, as mail delivery roles are typically part-time, with contracts averaging ten hours weekly.

After a decline following the pandemic, PostNL's parcel division saw a 3 percent increase in parcel deliveries. Verhagen anticipates an 8 to 10 percent growth next year due to the continued rise in online shopping.

Despite expecting a 100 million euro profit, the company plans to cut 200-300 jobs at its parcel sorting headquarters to save costs. According to Verhagen, these are different types of work. "That is a different population of employees, also somewhat younger. Absenteeism is now higher in the mail services because more work remains for the rest. They have a harder time going door-to-door in all weathers," she said.