The TaxPayers' Alliance has discovered that 287 Royal Mail employees were last year languishing in a 'surplus pool', potentially costing taxpayers over £8 million a year.
The previous year the figure was even higher, with 458 employees on the payroll with no official job title, potentially costing taxpayers almost £13 million.
Staff have been left without specific roles after restructuring. Some have been in the pool for as long as 6 years.
Our key findings were:
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"It beggars belief that so many staff are being kept on the payroll when there clearly isn't a role for them. This is yet more evidence that Royal Mail bosses are yet to face up to the devastating situation the group's finances are in. Taxpayers cannot afford to continue to keep paying the wages of surplus employees."
Click here for the full press release, or see below for the original documentation.
Royal Mail Freedom of Information response, including data
Royal Mail initial refusal
Royal Mail 'surplus staff' policy documentation
The TaxPayers' Alliance has discovered that 287 Royal Mail employees were last year languishing in a 'surplus pool', potentially costing taxpayers over £8 million a year.
The previous year the figure was even higher, with 458 employees on the payroll with no official job title, potentially costing taxpayers almost £13 million.
Staff have been left without specific roles after restructuring. Some have been in the pool for as long as 6 years.
Our key findings were:
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"It beggars belief that so many staff are being kept on the payroll when there clearly isn't a role for them. This is yet more evidence that Royal Mail bosses are yet to face up to the devastating situation the group's finances are in. Taxpayers cannot afford to continue to keep paying the wages of surplus employees."
Click here for the full press release, or see below for the original documentation.
Royal Mail Freedom of Information response, including data
Royal Mail initial refusal
Royal Mail 'surplus staff' policy documentation
The previous year the figure was even higher, with 458 employees on the payroll with no official job title, potentially costing taxpayers almost £13 million.
Staff have been left without specific roles after restructuring. Some have been in the pool for as long as 6 years.
Our key findings were:
- 287 Full Time Equivalent Royal Mail employees were deemed as surplus in 2010-11
- In 2009-10 there were 458 surplus staff
- 2 Royal Mail employees were surplus for nearly 70 months - almost 6 years
- 53 employees were deemed surplus for over 20 months, or nearly 2 years
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"It beggars belief that so many staff are being kept on the payroll when there clearly isn't a role for them. This is yet more evidence that Royal Mail bosses are yet to face up to the devastating situation the group's finances are in. Taxpayers cannot afford to continue to keep paying the wages of surplus employees."
Click here for the full press release, or see below for the original documentation.
Royal Mail Freedom of Information response, including data
Royal Mail initial refusal
Royal Mail 'surplus staff' policy documentation
The TaxPayers' Alliance has discovered that 287 Royal Mail employees were last year languishing in a 'surplus pool', potentially costing taxpayers over £8 million a year.
The previous year the figure was even higher, with 458 employees on the payroll with no official job title, potentially costing taxpayers almost £13 million.
Staff have been left without specific roles after restructuring. Some have been in the pool for as long as 6 years.
Our key findings were:
- 287 Full Time Equivalent Royal Mail employees were deemed as surplus in 2010-11
- In 2009-10 there were 458 surplus staff
- 2 Royal Mail employees were surplus for nearly 70 months - almost 6 years
- 53 employees were deemed surplus for over 20 months, or nearly 2 years
Matthew Sinclair, Director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"It beggars belief that so many staff are being kept on the payroll when there clearly isn't a role for them. This is yet more evidence that Royal Mail bosses are yet to face up to the devastating situation the group's finances are in. Taxpayers cannot afford to continue to keep paying the wages of surplus employees."
Click here for the full press release, or see below for the original documentation.
Royal Mail Freedom of Information response, including data
Royal Mail initial refusal
Royal Mail 'surplus staff' policy documentation