SIP statement

This week, eligible employees will receive their annual Share Incentive Plan (SIP) statement.

The statement will show the number of shares you hold in the SIP, including any Free Shares and Partnership and Matching Shares, as well as any dividends paid to you over the last year as a beneficial shareholder in the Company.

SIP 2014 five-year anniversary - 9 April 2019

If you hold SIP 2014 Free Shares, your statement will also highlight that these shares will change from ‘conditional’ to ‘available’ status on 9 April 2019. This means that, if you wish to, you will be able to sell your SIP 2014 Free Shares tax-free from this date. If you want to keep your shares, you do not need to do anything.

Temporary change to dealing service

Real-time dealing via the Employee Share Plan (ESP) Portal (www.royalmailemployeeshares.co.uk) will be suspended from 4.30pm on 8 April 2019 for a period of time. This is in case the demand to sell SIP 2014 Free Shares from 9 April 2019 results in more individual orders to sell Royal Mail shares than can be processed in an orderly way. Look out for a notification on the Portal homepage when real-time dealing becomes available again.

You will find a letter from Equiniti Limited, the Share Plan Administrators, enclosed with your statement, which provides more information on this anniversary and the sale process for colleagues who want to sell their shares at that point.

If you have any questions about your SIP shares, please log on to the Portal or call the Employee Shares Helpline free on 0800 012 12 13.

Please note: The value of shares can go down as well as up. If you have any questions about what you should do with your shares, you should get independent advice from a suitably qualified and authorised independent financial adviser. The directors and employees of Royal Mail, Equiniti Share Plan Trustees Limited (‘Trustee’) and Equiniti Limited (‘Equiniti’), the Share Scheme administrator, are not authorised to provide independent tax or financial advice.