Royal Mail has issued an apology after a poorly thought out April Fool's prank.
It's not unusual for businesses to get involved in April Fool's Day, with the first day in April often proving a fun time for them to announce some weird new collaboration, product or idea to get people talking.
This year, for example, saw Babybel declare they were going to turn their iconic round cheese into a square (horrifying), Robinsons announce a controversial new ham and pineapple squash (get out of here), and Pizza Express launch a savoury Easter Egg (okay, I'm intrigued).
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But while these ideas were just ridiculous enough for people to recognise as fake, Royal Mail's prank only served to get workers' hopes up.
On 1 April, the Gloucester North delivery office put up a letter to employees which promised their wages would be increasing by 11 per cent.
It was a timely notice, coming amid a long-running dispute between Royal Mail and the Communications Workers Union (CWU), which is fighting for better pay and working conditions.
Strike action has cost the company £200 million in lost business and the cost of covering striking staff, but while the two groups have so far failed to reach a resolution, the notice shared by Gloucester North delivery office suggested otherwise.
The letter claimed Royal Mail had 'reached an agreement' with the CWU, and claimed that as a result, staff would be getting a salary increase of 11 per cent; 10,000 new 'telegram boys' and a 'brand new fleet of diesel vans and bicycles to replace electric vans'.
It further alleged that staff would be able to use their own cars to make deliveries, and even encouraged those in the office to spread the word on social media.
The news was naturally welcomed by staff, but it wasn't long before their excitement was crushed as it emerged that the poster was an April Fool's prank.
The company was hit with widespread criticism when the truth emerged, with Twitter users branding the joke as 'nasty'.
"That's poor taste by the Royal Mail for an April Fools joke," one person wrote.
The CWU was among those slamming the prank, saying: “Throughout the postal workers’ strike, Royal Mail workplaces have seen managers engaging in unprecedented levels of intimidation against postal workers . . .
"For many employees, the workplace is now a completely toxic environment where nasty, tone-deaf ‘jokes’ such as these are considered culturally acceptable.”
In response to the backlash, Royal Mail issued an apology, saying: "The poster was removed and the local manager has apologised.
"We apologise for any upset caused by this misjudged April Fools' joke at one of our delivery offices."
Emily Brown