A Royal Mail employee explained the reason why postmen and postwomen sometimes fold letters before they put them through letterboxes - and it is a surprisingly simple justification11:37, 07 Aug 2026A Royal Mail worker explained why post is folded before it is put through letterboxes, and the reason is surprisingly simple.‌Appearing on an episode of Things People Do, the anonymous postal worker explained to former professional rugby player Joe Marler why post is folded before it is put through a letterbox.‌The Royal Mail employee, who was given a pseudonym for the purposes of the interview, said the reason why it was sometimes folded was simply because it was easier to get it through the slot.‌He said: “I favour the old fold before I post because I find it easier to get through a letterbox. So, when you’re doing that you can normally feel what’s in there…I try to get that all in one go. It’s easier to get through the letterbox.”However, he admitted that he doesn’t fold every letter, especially if it’s a special greetings card or something being sent to mark someone’s birthday. They added: “I don’t fold people’s cards, birthday cards I don’t do that.”‌It is not known whether this postal worker still works for the postal service, but more recently the Royal Mail has issued some critical advice to people who write addresses on envelops in pen ink.They emphasised how important it is for people to make sure the address they put on their envelope, if they are going to write it by hand, is legible to ensure it reaches its intended destination.The reason for this is so the Royal Mail’s reading and sorting machines can better understand it and send the letter or parcel on its way.‌In the guidance, posted on the postal services’ website, they said: “Use clear and easy to read handwriting (or font if you are printing the address).“Use a pen or ink that is clear against the colour of the envelope or parcel. It's important that the address shows up against the colour of your envelope… Write the address clearly on the front, following our guidelines, and always include a postcode if possible."‌The Royal Mail’s guidance comes at a time when they have admitted some people may be facing some delays to their post if they live in one of 127 postcodes.The problems, they said, were being found in “a small number of local offices” which they said were due to a variety of issues.In a statement, they, before going onto apologise for the issues, said: “This may temporarily not be possible due to local issues such as high levels of sick absence, resourcing, or other local factors. In those cases, we will rotate deliveries to minimise the delay to individual customers.Article continues below“We also provide targeted support to those offices to address their challenges and restore our service to the high standard our customers would normally receive.”