Yodel delivery bosses 'turn a blind eye to packages being thrown around'

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Managers at delivery firm Yodel turn a blind eye to workers lobbing fragile parcels over fences, a TV documentary has claimed.

Undercover reporters from Channel 4’s Dispatches spent 12 days at the company, where they reportedly saw packages being tossed around on a regular basis.

The programme – called Where’s My Missing Mail – will be screened tomorrow at 8pm.

It claims drivers at Yodel are often paid per package, and regularly cut corners to make sure they deliver as many parcels as possible.

The documentary also alleges that sometimes drivers earn less than the minimum wage.

In one instance, The Sunday Times reports, an undercover reporter tells a colleague: ‘You’ve to be careful throwing picture frames.’

The worker responded: ‘It’s not mine, is it?’

The reporter said: ‘It would be impossible for the management not to see what’s happening.

‘They would have to go around with their eyes shut.’

A second undercover reporter took a job as a driver, and was paid 60p per parcel, and not paid for mileage.

As a result, the documentary claims, her earnings fell short of the £6.70 minimum wage.

Unhappy customers have posted videos on social media purportedly showing Yodel drivers dropping items – including a new PC – over fences.

In November 2014, a Tower of London ceramic poppy was thrown over a fence.



Yodel apologised, and said the worker would face disciplinary action.

Yodel, which says its staff are trained not to throw packages, and says damage to parcels is in line with the industry average.

A company spokeswoman told metro.co.uk: ‘At the time of writing we haven’t been provided with the undercover footage captured by Dispatches.

‘However, the allegations brought to our attention indicate some unacceptable practices that we are already addressing. If further issues come to light we will take appropriate action.

‘We are very sorry for the occasions when we have let customers down.’

She continued: ‘We handle over 155 million parcels every year and the vast majority of these are delivered successfully thanks to our committed and valued people.

‘Clearly there are still improvements to be made and we will accelerate activities which have already seen our customer satisfaction score increase from a disappointing 35 per cent two years ago to over 80 per cent today, which is among the best in the industry.’