2023 Priority link is out for Christmas Casuals

[Andrewpenn]

https://jobs.royalmailgroup.com/content ... ity-Apply/

[livewirer]

Hi, Yes as a previous Seasonal Sorter I received the "2023 Seasonal Mail Sorter roles now open for applications" email on Sept 1st which had the 2 priority links in the mail. What use that was as both the links were, and still are broken/ invalid and opens nothing!
As I had applied before I knew where to look for the "hidden" Priority page to see all the seasonal jobs for the UK.
The link in your above post also allows you to look for roles and start the application process.

By Sept 9th my application was complete, and my pre-employment & criminal checks had been cleared and verified. I received confirmation of those checks with 2 letters received in the post on Monday.

Yesterday I received an email offering me a position as a Christmas Seasonal Mail Sorter.
So all I have to do is click on View/Accept Offer link to access my offer details to read the full offer, terms of engagement and pensions details.
The email asks me to treat it with some urgency because:
1) This offer may expire in 24 hours and 2) This offer is subject to verification of your documents on your first day of work.
** From 2020 – 2022 all documents where checked and verified at a Post Office, weeks in advance of starting work, so why the change?! **

So guess what you click on the View/Accept link and the 2023 Job offer is missing !
ALL I see is my previous Offer History (2020 – 2022) and not the 2023 one.

So how to resolve that? No email contact (as it was a no-reply one received) . I then used Seasonal Mail Sorter queries link which opens up a BOT chat (no human live chat). After 20 mins no way to get an answer and BOT offers up a contact. Receive an email 3 hours later with 2 links that again are no good and do not display the job offer.
The other problem during this year’s Candidate application process has been logging in to ‘View Profile’ to see the progress of your 2023 application which you were asked to do. Well that too was useless with no sign of a new Applied Job status and just displaying old job applications (dating back to 2015) 3 of which were dated 2022 which was incorrect.

The online Recruitment Team really should make sure their system info is working correctly and update things like Job status and test that links actually work before sending emails out!
I'm sure I read that they said they are making it "quicker and easier" to apply.

[dipinmohank]

Sorry to hear bro.. I applied on 1st week of september and last week i passed the security checks and still waiting for the offer mail..
Its been a week im waiting.

[livewirer]

Sorry to hear bro.. I applied on 1st week of september and last week i passed the security checks and still waiting for the offer mail..
Its been a week im waiting.

Thanks for the reply.
In terms of making the application "easier and quicker" I was surprised this year that there was no requirement to submit a full 5-year job history. Maybe this year the recruiters have some way of checking this?

I presume in that priority Sept 1 email you too found the links did not work?
Having worked previous years as a Christmas Casual I actually did not receive the priority application email last year but did this year.
It was only knowing where to look for the priority apply page, that like you, i got my application underway at the start of the 2nd week of September.

I'm not so keen on taking in personal original documents for checks on the first day of work at the mail centre. That was fine when they had face to face interviews pre 2020 when the whole process was done in a couple of hours. They have stuck with the post Covid online application method.
Lets hope this gets sorted out. You would think it would be a matter of urgency.

[dipinmohank]

Hii..
I actually found the link online. Its my first time applying for seasonal job. I did apply online and everything went smooth, now i have been waiting for the offer. As i havnt received any mails after passing the security checks.
Waiting for the offer

Also try this mail id ChristmasRecruitment@royalmail.com

You will get a reply

Thanks

[Micky2020]

I received a priority link this year which did not work and soon after received another. My application was completed very quick this year and I received an offer on 19th Sep which is very early considering I’m not due to start until 19th November (hopefully get a earlier start), I would possibly put in another application if it is not showing in the account. Best of luck

[dipinmohank]

Oh no 2months to get started ? Thats a long period. At least u got a confirmation. Im still waiting for the offer letter or confirmation from the royal mail. Let’s see the coming weekend.
Actually I tried to reapply but unfortunately the job which i applied has been expired..

[guardianangel]

Sorry to hear bro.. I applied on 1st week of september and last week i passed the security checks and still waiting for the offer mail..
Its been a week im waiting.

Thanks for the reply.
In terms of making the application "easier and quicker" I was surprised this year that there was no requirement to submit a full 5-year job history. Maybe this year the recruiters have some way of checking this?

I presume in that priority Sept 1 email you too found the links did not work?
Having worked previous years as a Christmas Casual I actually did not receive the priority application email last year but did this year.
It was only knowing where to look for the priority apply page, that like you, i got my application underway at the start of the 2nd week of September.

I'm not so keen on taking in personal original documents for checks on the first day of work at the mail centre. That was fine when they had face to face interviews pre 2020 when the whole process was done in a couple of hours. They have stuck with the post Covid online application method.
Lets hope this gets sorted out. You would think it would be a matter of urgency.

They cant even drag people off the street ,we have had 7 new starters and 5 never made it past the first month,dont walk past any delivery offices they will be press ganging people this xmas.

[MarkClayton]

Hi I created an account just to post my side. Applied sameday through the link you provided, like everyone else the one I got through the email was broken. Process was fast and easy, uploaded my ID documents and a week later on 09/09/23 got my letter & DBS through the post. As the person in the forum posted, no need to go through ID check via post office.

10 days on 19/09/23 later got my offer which I accepted, due to start on 06/11/23, 2 weeks earlier than last year but this time I've been given a 5 hour shift rather than the usual 8?

Now this is another change I've noticed. Usually they would send the tax/PAYE form by post before you start but this year they're demanding you fill the details online via the Gov site which you'll have to email to them instead. I've sent my details to the email they provided,
christmas.tax.forms@royalmail.com

However I got an automated message which reads:

Thank you for your email.

Now that all Christmas Casual employment has been ended or transferred to Angard we will no longer process any tax forms received.

If your query relates to your tax paid whilst working with us as a Christmas Casual we will respond to you as soon as we can.

If your query relates to unpaid hours or your holiday pay you must contact either your line manager or the helpline at christmas.pay@royalmail.com

If your query relates to receiving a P45 these are issued within 2 weeks of your employment ending. Please note we cannot issue duplicate P45s.

Please note as you have left employment before 5th April you will not receive a P60 in May.

Kind Regards

Statutory Deductions & Pensions Team

Looks like this was generated for last years Christmas Casuals and hasn't been updated. I am wondering if I should send my details by post just to be on the safe side?

[livewirer]

I received a priority link this year which did not work and soon after received another. My application was completed very quick this year and I received an offer on 19th Sep which is very early considering I’m not due to start until 19th November (hopefully get a earlier start), I would possibly put in another application if it is not showing in the account. Best of luck

I am sure I read if you re-apply you will be discounted from the process.
If you decline the offer you will end up dropping down the line waiting for an alternative shift/hours.
Last year I had a start date of Nov 25th. In the last week of Oct I received an email saying that my starting date was brought forward to Oct 31 which may have been attributed to pending strike days in November.

Finally yesterday (Sept 25) the offer link/ offer letter appeared on my profile.
Someone from Flexible Recruitment Royal Mail HR Services phoned me on Friday and asked me to send screenshots of my Candidate Offer Page and Jobs Applied page. Royal mail's systems support looked into it and resolved it. The Job Offer (invisible on my screen) made to me on Sept 20 had expired (which I feared) and a new offer was made Sept 25.
Hopefully this will mean others who experienced the same difficulties may now find everything is OK.

I was also told the post office are not involved in the process this year "to make the process more streamlined" and so that a Royal Mail managers are checking the documents instead.
Quote "On your first day, please remember to bring the original copies of all the documents you uploaded to your application for a verification check. Without these documents, you will be turned away".

Now this is another change I've noticed. Usually they would send the tax/PAYE form by post before you start but this year they're demanding you fill the details online via the Gov site which you'll have to email to them instead. I've sent my details to the email they provided,
christmas.tax.forms@royalmail.com

However I got an automated message which reads:

Thank you for your email.
Now that all Christmas Casual employment has been ended or transferred to Angard we will no longer process any tax forms received.
If your query relates to your tax paid whilst working with us as a Christmas Casual we will respond to you as soon as we can.
If your query relates to unpaid hours or your holiday pay you must contact either your line manager or the helpline at christmas.pay@royalmail.com
If your query relates to receiving a P45 these are issued within 2 weeks of your employment ending. Please note we cannot issue duplicate P45s.
Please note as you have left employment before 5th April you will not receive a P60 in May.
Kind Regards
Statutory Deductions & Pensions Team

Looks like this was generated for last years Christmas Casuals and hasn't been updated. I am wondering if I should send my details by post just to be on the safe side?

Yes I also think it might be worth printing out documents and post it to Tax Team, HR Services.
That's an odd automated message and something you'd expect at the end of January after completing Seasonal Sorter/ Christmas Casual contract.
Angard are doing Northern Ireland applicants this year but not rest of UK.
I am waiting for a P45 to be sent from my last employer. Do they want you to scan it and attached to the email?

[dipinmohank]

When is your start date? I'm still waiting for the offer.

[MarkClayton]

I am waiting for a P45 to be sent from my last employer. Do they want you to scan it and attached to the email?

That's right, don't think it'll do any good to make you feel assured but I emailed the recruitment team about the automated message and got this response:

Good Afternoon,
If you have submitted your forms and this was the auto message that got sent then it would be purpose for advice only, also make note of other email address given xmas pay one just in case you have to submit to that email after.

With kind regards
Mani
Royal Mail Christmas Recruitment Team
Royal Mail HR Strategy & Services
Remote working

[dipinmohank]

After a long wait i got mail stating

Thank you for applying for one of our Seasonal Mail Sorter roles.



We previously contacted you to advise that we had placed you in our ‘Waiting List’ poll as we had been inundated with applications for the site you had applied to, although we are unable to make any offers for our Seasonal Roles at this time, we wanted to share a great opportunity with you, why not join our helping hands group this Christmas!

Our helping hand group is in the process of being built to support Royal Mail, to help deliver more to our customers doorsteps this Christmas. Simply register your details here and if support is needed in your local area we will reach out to let you know. Please note there is no guarantee of work and work assignments may range from a day or two, to a week.

Best Wishes,

Royal Mail Christmas Recruitment Team

[MarkClayton]

Update: Been contacted by the mail centre I've applied for. Told me to pop in this week to get my documents verified before my induction starts.

[Micky2020]

My induction is 4pm on 17th and start date is 19th 22:45 , is your induction still the came as was on the offer and what was it?