Royal Mail to cut up to 2,500 head office jobs

Royal Mail is removing up to 2,500 head office and support roles by the end of 2027, fewer than 2% of its more than 131,000 staff. There are to be no compulsory redundancies: the reduction is meant to come from natural attrition and a voluntary programme, and delivery, processing and driving roles are exempt. The company points to its implementation of Universal Service reform and to letter volumes down by more than 70% from their peak; formal consultation with the CWU and Unite CMA unions has begun. Royal Mail is part of International Distribution Services (Personnel Today, 7 Oct 2026; second source: Reuters, 7 Oct 2026).