The Czech Post has started testing extended working hours for parcel deliverers in Prague. They will deliver parcels 12 hours a day instead of the current eight. The delivery will thus last until approximately 20:00. After evaluating the pilot project, the company plans to extend the 12-hour shifts to other regions. The post office said this in a press release on Monday.
The Post Office will test the new regime in 58 Prague districts. “By extending the delivery hours, we would like to reduce the number of unattended clients, increase productivity from the current 100 parcels per district to 200 parcels per district and financially motivate postmen with a reward for delivered parcels,” said Martin Kment, director of the logistics division of the Czech Post.
“We believe that we will also be able to reduce the number of vehicles and equipment and increase the wages of employees who take care of parcel delivery,” he added.
Loading of parcels typically takes place between 07:30 and 08:30. After that, employees will start a 12-hour shift, which means they will deliver packages until about 20:00. Until now, deliveries have finished around 16:00.
The new system includes incentive bonuses for delivery drivers who work the modified shift pattern. “This is yet another transformational move to be closer to our customers. We believe that we will be able to better adapt to their lifestyles, and the number of undelivered recipients will start to drop significantly,” Kment added.
Last year, Czech Post carried a record 56 million parcels, four million more than the previous year. It had up to 750,000 boxes in its delivery network on some days during the pre-Christmas rush, which was 150 to 200 percent more than the rest of the year.