Australia Post to hire 3500 Christmas casual workers seeking extra holiday income

As parcel volumes balloon ahead of the festive season, Australia Post is recruiting an extra 3500 workers.

The seasonal work includes mail sorting, warehouse work and deliveries in October and November.

Work delivering mail could also extend through to Christmas if the national postal service still has a large amount of parcels to deliver in December.

The jobs are open to anyone over the age of 16 who meets safe working requirements.

Mail sorters over the age of 21 are paid $35.83 per hour for the role, with junior rates applying to younger employees.

The same hourly rate can be expected for van drivers and forklift drivers.

Base rates for truck drivers with casual loading starts from $42.26 per hour.

“Every year, our seasonal team plays a huge role in keeping Australia connected. Last year alone, they helped us deliver almost 103 million parcels in the lead-up to Christmas,” Australia Post said.

“Be part of one of Australia’s most diverse and inclusive workforces. Earn extra income during the holiday period.”

Parcel sorter Sarem said in her “day in the life of a parcel sorter” promotional video for the recruitment drive, employees in the role are assigned to three stations per shift, which allow for a mix of physical movement and stationary tasks conducive to chatter.

“You could be paired up with your friend and have a chat while you work, talk about life, talk about what you did today, and it makes time go faster,” she said.

Australia Post also said applicants who wish to work at the same site or on the same shifts as one of their friends can submit their preferences, but there are no placement guarantees.

Applications are now open for the roles, with recruiters warning successful applicants that they will have to wait until the busy period before they are called up for their first shift.