Only for employees
Reorganization at PostNL
Is your position at PostNL being eliminated, are your hours being reduced, or have you received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement?
Are you facing a reorganization at PostNL? Unlike most employers, the downsizing here does not stem from a one-off cost cut, but from a structurally declining mail market and a government decision allowing post to be delivered more slowly. For many staff on part-time or small contracts, that means less work or fewer hours. Before you sign, it is wise to know your rights and whether the proposal holds up under legal scrutiny.
Does this apply to you?
- Your position is being eliminated or your site is closing
- Your hours are being reduced
- You have been declared redundant
- You have received a dismissal proposal or departure arrangement
- You have received a settlement agreement
Why employees turn to ReorgLegal
ReorgLegal specialises in reorganizations and works solely for employees, never for employers. We assess your proposal and stand beside you.
Do not wait too long. Reorganizations often come with short response deadlines. Have any proposal assessed before you agree to it.
The situation at PostNL
The volume of mail has been falling for years. Since 2014 the number of postal items has dropped sharply, and that decline continues. It mainly affects mail delivery and sorting.
Longer delivery times, less work
At the end of 2025 the government decided that PostNL may take longer to deliver mail: from 1 July 2026 within two days, and from 1 July 2027 within three days. Mail still goes out five days a week, but fewer daily rounds are needed. As a result there is less work for mail deliverers over time.
The trade unions expect this to cause a large number of delivery jobs to disappear. PostNL has not attached a fixed figure to it. For you, what matters most is what the downsizing means for your position and your hours.
Sorting and sites
There are changes in sorting too. The work of several sorting sites, such as in Enschede and Goes, has been merged with other locations. That can mean your work moves to a different place.
The figures and arrangements around a reorganization can change. This page was last updated in July 2026; the facts shown apply as far as known at that time.
In short
- Structurally declining mail volume
- The government allows longer delivery times: two days from 2026, three days from 2027
- Fewer daily rounds, so less work for deliverers over time
- The work of sorting sites is being merged
- Many staff have a part-time or small contract
- Have your situation assessed before you sign
Fewer hours or losing your job?
Many people at PostNL work part-time or on a small contract. A reorganization therefore plays out differently than at an employer with mainly full-time jobs.
Losing hours counts too
A reorganization does not necessarily mean you lose your whole job at once. More often it involves a reduction of your hours. Depending on the way in which the working hours are changed, this too can amount to a partial dismissal, and in certain circumstances you may be entitled to a partial transition payment or other compensation. So do not simply agree to fewer hours without having it reviewed.
A small contract, all the more reason to check
Those with a small contract usually also receive smaller compensation on departure. That is precisely when every euro counts, and precisely when it matters that the calculation is correct and that a proposal is not signed too quickly. A low payment is used up sooner, which can affect your income afterwards.
Are you losing hours or is your position being eliminated? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
Watch for this on a part-time contract
- A reduction of hours can be a partial dismissal
- Even then, there can be entitlement to a partial transition payment
- Check the calculation based on your hours and years of service
- Watch the consequences for your unemployment benefit and your income afterwards
- Do not sign under time pressure
How does a reorganization at PostNL work?
A reorganization at PostNL runs through fixed phases, from cutting positions to a possible departure. In each of those phases there are moments where you can steer the outcome.
Which positions disappear and who is affected
PostNL first determines which positions disappear and which positions are mutually interchangeable. Within such a group of interchangeable positions the choice does not lie freely with PostNL: the reflection principle in principle sets the order of dismissal, subject to the statutory exceptions to it.
Reassignment first, departure only after
In addition to the statutory reassignment obligation, the social plan provides a period in which other work is sought, within or outside PostNL. A departure only comes into view after PostNL has investigated whether there is a suitable position for you, if necessary after retraining and within a reasonable period. If you are offered a position at another location, its suitability depends on all the circumstances, including the travel distance and your personal situation.
An offer or a UWV procedure
If a suitable position does not materialise, PostNL often offers a departure through a settlement agreement; if PostNL wants to enforce the dismissal, that runs through an application to the UWV. In both cases a careful review is appropriate before you commit.
Your moments to step in
- At the announcement: request the social plan and your personal status
- If you are made redundant: have the application of the reflection principle recalculated
- On a reassignment offer: assess the travel distance and the content of the role
- On a proposal: commit to nothing without a legal review
What does this mean for you?
A reorganization at PostNL follows the statutory rules for dismissal in a reorganization, supplemented by the collective agreement and the social plan. You have rights at each of these points.
Selection is not free
PostNL does not decide for itself who has to leave. Within interchangeable positions the reflection principle in principle sets the order, subject to the statutory exceptions. If that application is not correct, it can strengthen your position.
Investigate reassignment first
Dismissal may only be at issue after PostNL has investigated whether there is a suitable position for you, if necessary after retraining and within a reasonable period. If that investigation is missing, a dismissal procedure can fail.
Your compensation
If PostNL ends the employment, there is usually an entitlement to the statutory transition payment, unless the social plan or the applicable arrangement offers a different or additional compensation. Have it recalculated whether the amount matches your hours and years of service.
The settlement agreement
A departure is usually recorded in a settlement agreement. Do not put your signature to it before the content and the consequences, including your unemployment benefit rights, have been assessed.
The social plan at PostNL
PostNL and the trade unions have agreed a social plan for employees affected by a reorganization. According to the unions, that plan applies for the period until the end of August 2027.
Placement period and support
The social plan usually provides a period in which other work is sought, with support from PostNL, and compensation for those who cannot be redeployed. How long that period lasts often depends on your years of service.
Not every arrangement is equally generous
The unions have criticised the arrangement for mail deliverers, among other things on the level of the compensation and on the support towards other work. That makes it all the more important to check which arrangements apply to your role and your contract, and whether the offer you receive matches them.
Not sure what the social plan offers you? Have your situation assessed before you agree.
What to watch for
- Which collective agreement and social plan apply to your role
- The length of the placement or mediation period
- The amount and the calculation of your compensation
- The end date and the final discharge in the agreement
- Whether reassignment at another location is feasible for you
What you can do now
If the reorganization at PostNL affects your position or your hours, take the following steps before you sign anything. The sooner your position is clear, the more room remains.
- Request the social plan, your collective agreement and the proposal from PostNL in writing
- Have it checked whether the reflection principle and the selection have been applied correctly
- If it is about fewer hours, have it assessed whether that amounts to a partial dismissal
- Have the compensation recalculated on the basis of your hours and years of service
- Do not sign a settlement agreement before a lawyer has looked at it
Is there a dismissal proposal or settlement agreement from PostNL? Submit it to us for review before you make a final decision.
Get in touch in any case if
- There is a settlement agreement on the table
- Your position is disappearing or your site is closing
- PostNL wants to reduce your hours
- You doubt whether the compensation offered is correct
- You have only a few days left to respond
Frequently asked questions
What PostNL staff ask us most often when their position or their hours are at stake.
Is there already a dismissal proposal or a settlement agreement? Send it to us and we will take a look.
My hours are being reduced. Is that dismissal too?
A reduction of your hours can be a partial dismissal. Whether it is a partial dismissal or a change to your employment contract depends on the way in which the change is carried out. In certain circumstances you may then be entitled to a partial transition payment or other compensation. So do not simply agree without having it assessed.
I only have a small contract. Is it worth objecting?
Yes. Even on a small contract you have rights, and precisely then it matters whether the calculation and the terms are correct. A low payment is also used up sooner, so it pays to have it checked in advance.
Do I have to move to another location if my work relocates?
PostNL may offer reassignment at another location. Whether a position is suitable is assessed on the basis of all the circumstances, including the travel distance and your personal circumstances. Have it assessed before you reject or accept it.
What if I am declared redundant?
Redundancy is an intermediate step, not a settled dismissal. If the reflection principle has been applied incorrectly or the reassignment has not been sufficiently investigated, that can strengthen your position.
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