Postman who was banned from starting work at 5am by Royal Mail wins £13,000 payout https://t.co/9IF5jMvcdc
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) February 24, 2026
A postman has received £13,000 compensation from Royal Mail after being banned from starting work at 5am.
Darren Williams had worked on his early morning rounds in Eccles, Greater Manchester, for decades but was ordered to start later after returning from sick leave.
Starting at this time helped Mr Williams’ anxiety as he could avoid crowds and it meant getting home earlier to care for his wife who has her own health issues, a tribunal heard.
Mr Williams was signed off sick from November 2022 to February 2023. When he returned, he was told to start later on a different walk route by Royal Mail, in an effort to reduce the risk of long-term sick leave.
His manager peppered him with emails about the shift time change while he was off work, to which he replied: ‘I DON’T WANT TO CHANGE MY HOURS.’
Mr Williams was diagnosed with autism and mental health issues in 2022 so decided to sue Royal Mail on grounds of disability discrimination, with his claim was upheld.
He had said he wanted to start as close to 5am as possible, but was told that it had been moved to 6.45am and 7.30am on Tuesdays.
At the tribunal, he claimed that he felt harassed after getting ‘constant email and letters telling me I have to change my hours’.