Royal Mail's decision to suspend Roger Annies in August embroiled it and the direct marketing industry in a media furore and led to massive publicity for Royal Mail's opt-out phoneline.
The company was forced to flag up the phoneline on its website. It defended its plans to increase the number of door-drops it delivers from three a week to four and point out that if it did not deliver them its rivals would.
Annies wrote and delivered leaflets to residents on his round in Barry in South Wales, telling them: "Royal Mail plans to increase your advertising mail. This will mean a lot more unwanted post. If you complete the slip below and send it to the Royal Mail delivery office you should not get any of the above-mentioned unwanted advertising."
After the local office received several completed forms, he was suspended on full pay pending a disciplinary inquiry, but now Royal Mail has decided against dismissing him.
The media coverage spurred a 3.5% increase in sign-ups to the Mailing Preference Service over a week.
At the time of writing, Royal Mail was unable to provide the latest figures for the number of addresses that have opted out of receiving door drops. On the day after the story of Annies' suspension broke, it was 70,000 nationally.
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