KFC Australia is offering free meals to postal workers after a veteran postie lost his 36-year career for using a work car to pick up lunch from the fast food chain. The Australia Post employee was dismissed in September, with the KFC run partly to blame. Among several reasons, Australia Post said the former driver and sorter did not have permission to use a work vehicle to get the meal in Mayfield, Newcastle, and failed to inform a supervisor of his whereabouts. The Fair Work Commission sided with the employer after a hearing in May.
KFC's 'very urgent postcards'
KFC Australia said it wants to ensure future visits are considered official business and will give posties a genuine reason to visit — a Zinger Box on the house. The chain will send physical mail via Australia Post to its own restaurant sites, with posties on the delivery run able to score a free meal. "To ensure future visits by postal workers are strictly official business, KFC is immediately posting a bunch of very urgent postcards addressed to ourselves," a spokesperson said. "These will be arriving to select local KFC restaurants across the country soon. The good news for posties – we need you to deliver this essential mail right inside the restaurant. When you do, simply hand the postcard over the counter to a friendly team member, and it is redeemable for a free meal."
Details of the dismissal
The postie was entitled to a 30-minute unpaid lunch break, but it was claimed he did not take it at the scheduled time of 10.40am and was absent for more than an hour. Australia Post also claimed the veteran had left work 30 minutes early without permission multiple times and could not be reached on 19 occasions between May 23 and June 26, 2025. Deputy President Tony Saunders of the workplace tribunal said the worker's conduct was "of such a grave nature as to be repugnant to the employment relationship". Saunders noted the worker was unwilling to comply with lawful directions to speak with managers, contact his employer about absences, obtain permission before leaving early, and inform his supervisor of lunch changes.
Stamp price rise approved
Meanwhile, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced it would not oppose a proposed stamp price increase of 8.8 per cent as Australia Post looks to recoup costs amid declining letter usage. ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said findings suggest Australia Post will still fall slightly short of recovering efficient costs even with the increase.
