Mail clerk

The clerk handles mail, separates it by destination, service and size, and records what has come in and what has gone out, keeping registers of the incoming and outgoing packages and letters in the establishment. Written cargo records are maintained where consignments rather than letters are involved, and a register of tasks performed is kept, so that the handling of each item can be traced.

The clerk ensures that items are delivered undamaged, which means checking packaging before despatch and handling items with care while they are sorted and handed over.

Priorities are set daily, so the clerk decides which items have to be handled first, such as registered or time-critical items. Customers' personal data is recorded and handled throughout, so the clerk safeguards service users' privacy, which in postal work covers the addresses, the contents and the fact of a delivery itself. The clerk also liaises with colleagues.