Just months after local drivers quit over pay concerns and parcels reportedly piled up undelivered, courier firm Evri has announced the creation of ‘hundreds’ of new self-employed roles across the Isle of Wight.
Back in May, Island Echo reported significant delivery issues across the Island, with local sources alleging that some drivers had walked away from their rounds due to low pay, resulting in widespread delays and uncollected parcels at the Newport depot.
Residents in several towns and villages were left frustrated, with many experiencing days – and in some cases weeks – without deliveries.
Now, Evri says it is expanding its self-employed courier network across the Isle of Wight as part of a nationwide recruitment drive.
New roles offer flexible working between 08:00 and 20:00, with an average hourly earning rate of £20.86, according to the company. The jobs are a mix of flexible and permanent opportunities, with the possibility of continuing through peak periods such as Christmas.
Evri has also relaunched its ‘Evri Plus’ initiative which provides eligible self-employed couriers with access to 28 days paid holiday, pension contributions, and the national minimum wage guarantee. Additional benefits include parental leave and access to a Digital GP, physiotherapy, and retailer discounts.
Martijn de Lange, CEO at Evri, has said:
“We continue to deliver phenomenal growth at Evri, and none more so than within our hard-working courier network, who are truly the backbone of our business.
“We know that service, reliability and quality are critical factors for our clients and consumers, and so by expanding our self-employed network further across the Isle of Wight, we remain focused in delivering on each of those areas.”
The company is also encouraging drivers to go electric, offering up to £3,300 over 2 years as part of its ‘Go Electric’ scheme to support the transition to more environmentally friendly delivery vehicles.
Anyone interested in applying for a role can visit www.evri.com/beacourier for more information.