Providing the right HR services

HR services and support are essential for our people, enhancing the overall employee experience, promoting career development, ensuring fair treatment, and contributing to a positive work environment. This results in greater job satisfaction, productivity, and employee loyalty, benefiting both our people and PostNL as a whole. We have a mix of people working for and with us, from internal employees to those employed through logistics partners.

Equal pay for equal work

PostNL believes in equal pay for equal work, irrespective of gender or background. We stand for equal opportunities for all. We respect the statutory minimum wage levels and have a payment policy that does not discriminate based on gender or background. And as importantly, given our place in society, we think it is essential to set an example in fair and equal pay and have a positive social impact.

We aim for equality, transparency and consistency in our pay policies, which is reflected in our job grading system and salary structure. Those are mainly embedded by collective labour agreements (CLAs), which have been agreed upon with trade unions.

For 2023, we are reporting on our gender pay gap for the first time. The unadjusted gender pay gap discloses the difference between average gross hourly earnings of male and female employees in the Netherlands. The adjusted gender pay gap gives a more specified and balanced outcome, taking various CLAs, job levels and age groups into account. With this adjusted reporting figure, we strive to provide more specific information on how we deal with equal pay for equal work.

Our unadjusted gender pay gap over 2023 amounted to 9.27%. This gap is predominantly an indication that there are more male employees in higher salary scales than female employees. In comparison, the gender pay gap in Europe averaged 13 % (2021), while in the Netherlands it was 16.4 % (2022). Calibrated, the adjusted gender pay gap over 2023 amounted to -0.05% which means that, on average, within PostNL women and men are paid more or less equally. While we are clearly pleased with this outcome, in 2024 we intend to conduct further analyses on our gender pay gap and embed these analyses within our regular processes.

It is expected that in 2026 the EU Pay Transparency Directive will be translated into national law. In preparation of this, we will continue to analyse our pay structure and policies, increasing transparency where possible. Our ambition is to prevent any non-neutral decisions on pay determination and pay increases and to improve equal opportunities in career paths for men and women at all pay levels.

Collective labour agreements

At the beginning of 2023, we announced an agreement with the trade unions BVPP and CNV on a new CLA for PostNL and one for Saturday deliverers (the CLA for PostNL applies to nearly 18,000 people, while the one for Saturday deliverers covers around 200. Mail deliverers have their own CLA). The agreements specify a total wage increase of up to 9.5% over two years. In addition, in February 2023, PostNL made a one-time payment of 1.5% of annual salary. Both CLAs are effective as of 1 April 2022 and end on 31 March 2024.

Changes to the minimum wage in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the statutory minimum wage was increased significantly at various moments in 2023. An initial increase of 10.15% was implemented on 1 January 2023. The regular biannual indexation on 1 July 2023 (3.15%) and 1 January 2024 (3.75%) were higher than previous years, as the overall CLA wages in the Netherlands increased more. Additionally, on 1 January 2024 a new law came into force that introduces a statutory minimum hourly wage instead of a statutory minimum monthly wage, resulting in additional wage increases. A further increase to the minimum wage of 1.2% on top of indexation is expected as of 1 July 2024, but this still needs to be formalised in law.

As of 1 January 2024, the minimum wage had increased by 22%-29% compared to 31 December 2022. For PostNL, and depending on the applicable collective labour agreement, in 2024 this will result in higher wages paid of €40 million - €45 million compared to 2023. We expect 18,000 employees from across the company to benefit from this.