Royal Mail tells Edinburgh customer: 'Your mail wasn't delivered because your postie is dyslexic'

A CUSTOMER who complained to Royal Mail about her letters being dumped on the landing in her tenement was told the problem was her postie was dyslexic.

Shan Ross, who lives in the Royal Mile, twice found her mail left in a pile instead of being put through her letterbox.

Among the letters was a bank statement, which she says could have been used for identity theft if it had fallen into the wrong hands.

After she rang to complain she was visited by a postwoman who said her manager had asked her to “have a word” with her.

“She said the postman who had been delivering the mail in my street and surrounding streets had dyslexia and that there had been other complaints.

”She said for example he could not distinguish between 4/7 and 7/4 and she said there was nothing they could do because that would be discrimination.”

Ms Ross, who works for The Scotsman, said she was shocked that Royal Mail passed on personal information about an employee to a member of the public.

And she said if the postman was dyslexic Royal Mail should be giving him support to do his job. “I 100 per cent support anybody with a disability having equal opportunities in the workplace.

“However, I have read up the guidelines and Royal Mail have fallen down by not providing support for this postman.

“In order for the mail to be delivered safely he would need to have someone with him. You only get once chance to put something like a bank card through the right letterbox.

”I can’t help noticing Rico Back, the Royal Mail chief executive, is on an extremely lucrative salary package - perhaps some of that could be redeployed to meet their equal opportunity responsibilities.”

Cathy Magee, chief executive of Dyslexia Scotland, said it was not appropriate to disclose the fact a postman had dyslexia without his permission.

And she said changes could be made to help him do the job. “Dyslexia is recognised as a disability under the Equality Act, which means employees are entitled to have reasonable adjustments put in place.

”In this case I’m sure there are adjustments that could be made, perhaps some kind of chart the postman had with him which highlighted the different numbers and what they might mean.

Every individual with dyslexia has their own different needs, but often by asking the employee themselves what would help you can find quite simple solutions that makes a difference to their everyday ability to do their job.”

She said people with dyslexia were often good with people and aspects of a postman’s job might appeal, but other aspects might be difficult.

“It really does depend on the individual,” said Ms Magee. “We have heard of situations where people have been in the sorting room and that probably has not been the best place for some people with dyslexia and if they are moved to other parts that can make a significant difference.

Royal Mail has been approached for comment.