Isle of Man Post Office
67 FOI requests | Full disclosure rate: 71.6%
The Freedom of Information requests to the Isle of Man Post Office reveal an authority that is largely transparent regarding its operational statistics, workforce structure, and spending on procurement, yet cautious about disclosing sensitive financial and legal details. A dominant theme is the intense scrutiny of the workforce, with cases like 1216881 and 1595485 providing granular data on salary scales and average remuneration. The data paints a picture of an organization managing financial constraints, evidenced by the suspension of staff vouchers due to forecast losses (1074761) and the significant expenditure on the Mutual Agreed Resignation Scheme (1815102). The Post Office has been open about safety incidents, such as dog attacks (553138) and delivery failures (671265), and has disclosed detailed training costs and MBA support (1569037), suggesting a commitment to staff development despite financial pressures.
Key Cases
Case 1216881 — This case provides a comprehensive 'open book' view of the organization's human resources, disclosing full salary grading tables and staffing structures from executives to postmen, which is rare in its level of detail for public sector employment data.
Case 1568073 — Highlights a significant operational failure regarding the printing of Onchan Polling Cards. While the authority admitted to the error and time spent, it invoked commercial sensitivity to withhold the specific reprint costs, illustrating the tension between accountability and commercial exemptions.
Case 1074761 — Reveals the direct impact of financial forecasting on employee morale, explicitly stating that discretionary Christmas vouchers were withheld due to a forecast financial loss, connecting corporate finance directly to staff benefits.
Case 2310066 — A critical case regarding legal transparency. The authority refused to disclose specific costs and details of legal disputes over seven years, citing legal professional privilege, which limits public understanding of the organization's legal liabilities and risks.
Case 2446957 — Demonstrates the limitations of the FOI process when the request is based on a misunderstanding of policy. The case lapsed because the 'restriction' on insurance was actually incorrect staff advice, resolved as a customer complaint rather than a data disclosure, highlighting the need for accurate frontline information.
Related FOI Stories
Workforce Costs, Salaries, and Benefits — #1216881, #1216981, #1595485, #1815102, #1856326
Staff Absence, Health, and Disciplinary Action — #1664670, #1664869, #1523190, #1873791, #2351498
Operational Failures, Safety, and Service Quality — #671265, #893963, #553138, #1568073, #2446957
Governance, Whistleblowing, and Legal Accountability — #1810302, #1873790, #1873889, #1194049, #2310063
Procurement, Spending, and Training — #1679989, #1715229, #1569037, #2310061, #1173349
| Date | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2020-11-17 | FOI request number: 1522591 | All information sent |
| The request sought details on training providers, qualification dates, list availability, and usage of managers for return-to-work interviews. The authority disclosed that all 24 managers trained in late 2018 via the Lisa Lowe Centre, confirmed the list is unpublished, and stated these managers conduct return-to-work interviews. | ||
| 2020-11-16 | Recruitment | All information sent |
| The Isle of Man Post Office responded to a request for job vacancies advertised since August 14, 2020, by disclosing a list of eight specific roles including their contract types and hours. | ||
| 2020-11-16 | HR Professionals | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Post Office regarding HR qualifications, funding, and disciplinary actions within their department. The authority confirmed that most staff hold CIPD memberships, which are fully funded, and stated that no disciplinary action has been taken in the last three years. | ||
| 2020-10-20 | Mental Health Manager Training | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Post Office regarding their mental health training for managers and support programs. The authority confirmed they offer their own training, disclosed that 24 managers completed it in the last three years, and detailed how staff are advised of available support. | ||
| 2020-10-20 | Disciplinary | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request was made to the Isle of Man Post Office regarding disciplinary cases over the last four years, specifically focusing on gross misconduct and dismissals. The authority responded by disclosing the total number of cases, the count of gross misconduct incidents, the number of dismissals, and the role responsible for determining sanctions. | ||
| 2020-06-01 | Revision 2019 | Some information sent but part exempt |
| A request was made for detailed mail counts, scanned items, and staff working hours following the 2019 postal revision. The Isle of Man Post Office partially exempted the response, withholding personal staff data and commercial mail volume statistics. | ||
| 2020-03-09 | Salary Scales and Structure | All information sent |
| A Freedom of Information request to the Isle of Man Post Office sought details on salary scales, allowances, and staffing structure from executives to postmen. The authority responded by providing full salary grading tables and a breakdown of full-time equivalent staff numbers across various business areas as of February 2020. | ||
| 2020-03-09 | Salary scales for postal workers and Administrative staff/managers | All information sent |
| The Isle of Man Post Office disclosed full salary scales for postal workers and a detailed breakdown of administrative staff numbers and costs in response to a Freedom of Information request. All requested information was provided without any exemptions. | ||
| 2020-02-24 | Directors fees | All information sent |
| A request was made to the Isle of Man Post Office for the total directors' fees paid over the last 12 months. The authority disclosed the full amount paid to directors between March 2019 and February 2020. | ||
| 2020-02-10 | Mail Sequencing | All information sent |
| The request sought a breakdown of costs for the introduction of mail sequencing at the Isle of Man Post Office, which was fully disclosed with estimated figures for external and internal expenditures. | ||
| 2020-02-10 | Mail Sequencing | All information sent |
| The request sought data on the frequency of full mail sequencing utilization across specific Isle of Man delivery areas since installation. The authority disclosed a detailed table showing monthly sequencing counts from November 2018 to January 2020, noting that full sequencing was primarily used for testing and during industrial action. | ||
| 2019-11-27 | Workers vouchers | All information sent |
| The requester asked why the Isle of Man Post Office stopped issuing worker vouchers in 2017. The authority disclosed that the Board decided to withhold discretionary Christmas vouchers due to a forecast financial loss for that year. | ||
| 2019-07-22 | Confirmation of outstanding/lost Tracked items. | All information sent |
| The requester asked for the number of tracked items scanned in Douglas that were never scanned again due to concerns about lost or stolen mail. The Isle of Man Post Office responded by explaining their scanning procedures, providing delivery statistics for April to June 2019, and stating they could not replicate the reported tracking system error. | ||
| 2019-04-01 | Misrepresentation of Postal Workers pay. | All information sent |
| 2018-12-03 | Failure of mail and parcel delivery | All information sent |
| The request sought a breakdown of failed mail and parcel deliveries on the Isle of Man over the previous 12 months. The authority disclosed that no delivery duties failed entirely, but listed 10 instances of partial failures caused by staff sickness, representing 0.03% of total deliveries. | ||
| 2018-08-03 | Post worker run-ins with Dogs | All information sent |
| The requester asked for annual statistics on reported incidents between postal workers and dogs from the earliest available date to the present. The Isle of Man Post Office disclosed the number of accidents per year from 2011 to 2018, confirming that all information was released. | ||
| 2017-11-13 | Expenditure on staff vouchers and corporate gifts over last 5 years | All information sent |
| The Isle of Man Post Office disclosed all requested information regarding expenditure on staff vouchers and corporate gifts over the last five years. The response details specific costs for marketing campaigns and gifts, totaling over £10,000, though it does not explicitly list separate figures for staff Christmas vouchers. | ||