The conviction of Northumberland postal worker Michael Stewart for sexually assaulting women while on his delivery rounds has exposed alarming deficiencies in Royal Mail’s processes for screening employees and responding to complaints of misconduct. Stewart’s crimes, which a judge declared drove one victim to suicide, reveal an urgent need for the postal service to overhaul its approach to workplace safety.
Predator Hiding in Plain Sight
Over a period of several years, the 63-year-old mailman exploited his position to assault at least five women while out on delivery. According to court testimony, Stewart initially presented as friendly and jocular with customers. But this affable mask concealed a calculating predator. In one incident, he entered a woman’s home uninvited and groped her breast while handing over a package.
Most disturbingly, one of Stewart’s victims had complained directly to Royal Mail about his behavior. But rather than alerting law enforcement, the company apparently chose to “sweep it under a rock,” in the words of the unnamed woman. This inaction enabled Stewart to continue offending until another victim finally went to the police in late 2021.
Failures at Every Level
The Stewart case exposes problems at every stage of Royal Mail’s safety and security procedures:
- Inadequate pre-employment screening allowed an individual with predatory tendencies to secure a role with access to vulnerable customers.
- Lack of robust complaint reporting channels discouraged victims from coming forward and enabled offenders to evade accountability.
- Poor judgment by managers who apparently prioritized avoiding scandal over protecting employee and customer wellbeing.
While Royal Mail has apologized to the victims and commissioned an independent review in the wake of Stewart’s conviction, it’s clear the company’s culture has been severely compromised. Especially damning is the fact that two of Stewart’s five known victims died before seeing justice served, with a judge agreeing the abuse was a direct factor in one woman’s suicide.
“We blame Stewart’s offending … for her mental state and eventual suicide.”
-Family of deceased victim
Liabilities and Future Fallout
Given the gravity of management’s lapses, Royal Mail is undoubtedly bracing for a deluge of legal action from Stewart’s victims and their families. The company’s liability could easily run into the millions, to say nothing of the lasting reputational damage.
But financial penalties alone are not sufficient. This tragedy demands a true reckoning within Royal Mail – a ground-up reimagining of its values, priorities, and processes. No person should face threats to their safety and dignity in the workplace, whether from colleagues or third parties like customers. And no company can be allowed to ignore or conceal abuse for the sake of optics.
Charting a New Path
So what should a reformed Royal Mail look like? Some key priorities:
- Exhaustive background checks and behavioral screening for all job applicants, especially public-facing roles
- Clear, confidential channels for reporting abuse with strong whistleblower protections
- Mandatory management training on handling misconduct complaints with care and urgency
- Proactive safeguarding measures like video monitoring and GPS tracking of postal workers in the field
Change must come from the top. Royal Mail’s board and senior executives need to embody a zero-tolerance ethos around sexual misconduct and empower managers and employees to uphold that standard every day. Intensive training, vigilant monitoring, and consistent enforcement of anti-harassment policies can help instill a genuine culture of safety and respect.
No company can fully eliminate the risk of bad actors infiltrating its ranks. But through robust processes and an unwavering commitment to integrity, organizations can stop predators like Michael Stewart before they shatter more lives. For Royal Mail, that vital work starts now. Nothing less than its reputation – and its customers’ welfare – is on the line.
