Happy feet

If Royal Mail footwear cannot be worn due to medical reasons you can claim up to £34 towards alternative footwear.

You’ll need to provide a valid (within three years) GP note or podiatrist letter to Sam Dixon, our national uniform manager (via your own manager) for approval. Once approved you will need to provide a receipt to your manager who will submit a T&E claim on your behalf.

Furthermore, if you have a disability covered under the Equality Act 2010 and require specialist footwear - including insoles - your manager can arrange for these to be purchased via the Disability helpline. 

‘We’re trying to make the whole process around uniform ordering and the options available more straightforward,’ said Sam. ‘And we also want to make sure that colleagues are aware of what options are available to them.

‘There is practical and financial support to help colleagues overcome barriers while working for Royal Mail.’

Managers can download a poster, which gives you a general view of the footwear available at Royal Mail, from the ‘Your uniform one-stop shop’ intranet page. Here you’ll also find the process on footwear reimbursements as well as plenty of other information relating to uniform and footwear.

Postwoman, Karen Regan, from Warrington mail centre, who is also the CWU women’s officer on site, said: ‘I think the simpler we can make things for colleagues who might have difficulties, the better.

‘The poster will be really useful to many. It’s a simple, at a glance view of the range of footwear available, so you'll know instantly which shoes offer a wider fit, a female fit or half sizes.’

If you think you require alternative footwear on medical grounds, please speak to your line manager in the first instance.