April 14, 2010
by Dr. S. Musacco
Dr. Steve Musacco is a Ph.D. in organizational psychology, a M.S. in Counseling, and a B.A. in psychology. He’s been licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist and completed Coachu’s coaching program. He also worked for the postal service for 30 years.
Dr. Musacco said:
Prior to my retirement from the USPS, at a former district I worked for, there were three suicides within a two year period that I concluded were contributed to in significant part by how these employees were treated in the workplace. The third employee, a city letter carrier, fatally shot himself in a postal jeep and left a letter stating that he could no longer take the job. The night before he committed suicide he told his wife he did not know if he would be able to handle his job anymore. How do I know? His wife told me this one day after his suicide. He was one of the best employees in the office. The District Manager and I interviewed his coworkers after his death, and they stated he would urinate in a bottle while on delivery route for fear he would not meet an artificial deadline set by postal management. During the interviews, one of the postal supervisors told the District Manager and me that the day before the suicide she gave a letter to all the city letter carriers in the station, noting that any future over time used for their routes would be considered unacceptable performance. The suicide at the Gastonia postal facility was the second since December 2005.
Many people have asked: Why is there so much stress and workplace tragedies in the U.S. Postal Service? The answer to these questions is because the postal culture embraces and reflects core values that center on achieving bottom-line results with little or no regard for employee participation, respect, dignity, or fairness. Additionally, there is little or no accountability for the actions of top management in the Postal Service. Many postal facilities consequently have toxic work environments, and they can be a catalyst or trigger for serious acts of workplace violence, including homicide and suicide. The associated rewards system for behavior consistent with the postal culture core values, moreover, enables systemic organizational and individual bullying of employees at all levels of the organization.
I define a toxic workplace environment as a workplace where there is a high incidence of stress-related illnesses. These stress-related illnesses are manifested by psychological and physical deterioration. In other words, these types of environments seriously erode employees’ health and well-being. The primary factors contributing to a toxic workplace environment are high job demands, low job control, and low social support. Low social support generally entails a lack of respect and validation of employees’ dignity by their “superiors”. It also oftentimes includes organizational practices and methods that encourage the bullying of employees to meet corporate goals.
Dr. Steve Musacco
Beyond Going Postal
Submitted by:
Eric L. Wattree
wattree.blogspot.com
Ewattree@Gmail.com
I am a new CCA and finished my “training” last Monday. I was told to come back Tuesday. Tuesday morning I was called and told not to come in until Thursday. I went in on Thursday and was told to go home and come in the next day. The next day I was called and told they would call me for the next day. I am told there are no vehicles available to use.
I put training in quotations because I was really not given any real training. I was assigned to what they called a “utility” person to train me for 3 days. I was not even spoken to for the first 3 hours on day one. I watched him intently and tried to glean what I could from observation. I figured maybe this was his style for the first day. I tried to keep my questions to a minimum as this guy was really too busy to provide any training along with delivering his mail. At the end of day one I kind of had an idea as to what would be expected of me on the route and was looking forward to the next day and hopeful that this guy would be able to give me some proper training.
No such luck. This guy was a nightmare. Frantically driving, yelling, slamming mail in the boxes, slamming the door shut and slamming on the brakes with me in the jump seat. AND, he brought a radio which was turned on way too loud. I guessed it was to drown out my questions. Again on day two, I was not given any instruction. I was not told a thing. My questions were met with snide, incomprehensible double-talk. This guy had no interest in my success as a carrier. Further, I am convinced the guy was trying to make me quit! Now I am in trouble. I was told by the supervisor that on day 3 I would be delivering the mail and he would be watching me.
Day three and I am nervous. I think I have delivering the mail down but still don’t know where to pick up the various trays of mail or how to load the truck or where to look for anything or who to ask for anything. But when I get there the truck is almost loaded and I guessed I didn’t have to worry about that other stuff. I deliver the mail with this guy sitting behind me and am ignored most of the day. I ask what questions I think I can without getting yelled at, but am never given any straight answers and mostly just snide retorts and sighs of boredom from the guy. At one point he throws mail at me then slams it into my hand and am told to hold the mail this way. Well, at least he taught me that, I thought.
We finish the delivery and I think I did pretty well. We finished early and are given another assignment while out on the road. When I get back to the station I looked through my paperwork to find a check list of what CCA training was supposed to be. What a joke. This guy did nothing on that list and how much was he making to do that?
I haven’t worked a day since then. I think maybe the trainer gave me a bad report and they’re not going to use me and there’s nothing I can do about it. He certainly didn’t seem to like me much. I hope I can go to work soon. Thanks for reading.
Wow…I have an interview next week, now i’m scared!!!
It all is very TRUE. There are some things, many things that they don’t tell you, such as, you WON’T get your lunches and breaks. And carrying just a few packages in that satchel and walking with blisters on your feet on uneven grass for 8 or 9 hrs straight wears the body out fast, especially without those breaks. The moment you spend time trying to navigate how the route goes, that you will NOT be familiar with, you wasted time getting the mail delivered, and you’ll be way behind from the start. It doesn’t take much to get at least an hour or two behind because of the work load that is thrown on you. One of the other carriers even admitted to me that he never takes his breaks. And I even saw other carriers use their leave requests for lunches that they didn’t get.
Hopefully, you will get an OJI (On the Job Instructor), that spoke better English than the guy I got. He was really hard to understand most of the time because of the heavy accent. And since he’s English wasn’t that great, he therefore didn’t explain things well for his lack of knowledge on the English language.
Also, when you fill out your time card, make sure you take pictures of the 1260 form they give you. This will be your proof that you worked those hours. I was unaware that I should have been taking pictures of these forms that I filled out at the end of each day, and therefore I have no proof that I worked the 30 hrs that they ended up not paying me for. Those are small forms, like a 3 by 5 card, and when you leave it on the On site Supervisor’s desk, who never seems to be at that desk, those forms can be easily lost.
During the orientation week, they stress that your safety is number one, but it isn’t. The last day that I carried for them, it was 104 degrees outside. I ran out of water and ended up so dehydrated, that I found myself drinking out of people’s hoses in their front yards. Make sure you have tons of water with you. More than I had on me. I had 85oz of water on me, and that didn’t last me past 2pm. And that day for me, started at 9am. Some days, you’ll have to be on site at 7am. When I finally got back to the office, about 5:45pm, way past the time I was suppose to be back, the supervisor took me into her office. Of course she was very upset because I got so behind with the work, and she had to send out two other carriers to help me with it all. I ended up costing her so much extra money, and she flat out told me that they don’t care if you’re overheated or exhausted. Obviously she didn’t, since she called me quite a few times on my cell (while I was pushing myself to get the rest of the mail delivered as fast as I could) to yell at me that I needed to pick up the pace. Even the energizer bunny will run out, if it isn’t recharged after 8 hrs of walking and hauling stuff without even one break.
And trust me, I’m a damn GOOD worker. I have two awards to prove it. But, I decided my health was far more important than some job like this one. Best of luck to you if you can physically last to the day you make career, and that could be after a year and a half, or 2 yrs, of going through this kind of stuff everyday for 9 or 11 hrs straight.
“We told you about the job, If you dont like it, thats too bad”
The people who say that are morons.
THis job, for USPS is against the law. But people have worked it and dont know their legal rights. The Unions only support themselves, and let the Post Office step on them like a doormat.
You work a route that is measured at 8 hours…it takes a LONG time to get it down under that, and usually it is at GREAT RISK to your safety. Many carriers die, or get disabled on the job trying to “race the clock” and please a scrooge of a postmaster( who is trained to be that way).
You come back to the office and case for an hour??? Off the clock? That my friend, is unlawful. You are to be paid for all hours worked under law.
who wants to work 10 or 12 hours a day, and get paid for only 8 or 9? Nobody! IT is unlawful.
The unions( at least THREE different ones!) the APWU and the NALC, and NRLCA are a total joke.
“Fight Staples” they say! Haha! its called competition. the Post Office is so backwards and misinformed.
Carriers actually believe the rating system of routes is fair! One route, gets 3 trays of mail. another gets 5 or 7, but all Carriers ” Must be back to make the truck” yea…in WHOSE DREAMS? And the plant truck is late but ” All carriers MUST be back at 6pm” Get real—–this isnt a job, its a game. And the carriers are the losers.
When all carriers get equal work and pay and benefits and dont have to drive those death trap LLVs that are hunks of rolling junk, then we can start talking about what type of job USPS is. Until then, its a slave labor that is modeling itself after a China workforce. Low pay, no benefits, and you must buy yourself a RHD so you can drive safely, yet you will only get 1 to 4 days a week that will not even pay your cellphone and insurance bill, let alone rent, car note, child or wife support! Is that what you want? really? I cant AFFORD to work for USPS. Its like giving THEM money! /.and getting yelled at for it! OH! and using your OWN cellphone for THEIR business? Where is the union getting us compensation for that? They DONT pay me cellphone to use at WORK! So you DONT have to answer or give it to them to call you on your routes! They can come and FIND you! haha!
THey make bankrupting YOU sound like they are doing YOU a favor….and thousand of “carriers” buy it as the truth. So if we are played the fool…who’s at fault? US. Find a job, and quit. Many have.
Hey it only pays 16.65 right now. take away all you give them, and one day a week, and you could easily make as much and work MUCH less with less stress flipping burgers, or making $10 an hour at 40 a week.
You make $532 a week at 8 hours time 4 days.
Take away taxes, and gas and wear and tear on your vehilce. Ok, what you got left? Oh and special insurance to use your car as a mail carrier. whats left? Oh and of that 32 hours pay? You worked 44 because you have to case when you get back to the office everyday. Soon _ ALL POSTAL employees will be RCAs and CCAs. the “regular” employe will be wiped out as USPS has been planning and replacing regulars with contractors for YEARS! and the unions count your money and laugh!
When a person decides to apply for a position, they look at the pay the benefits and the job description. If they feel they are able to do the job and the pay is within the liking they then apply. The employer puts out what they want and expect, and in no posting for employment have they said you must endure harassment, because of the pay.
Yes the pay and benefits are nice, but if they had posted that you are to take humiliation, discrimination, made to work less hours than promised, given extra work just because, than maybe a lot of workers would have looked else where, but because this is a bait and switch situation, the employees are now at fault
I worked as a CCA in buffalo for only three days. I resigned my position because of 3 herniated discs I already have I knew what I was getting into but I have a family that really needs me and the money. my family is about to lose there home. I thought I could toughen it out. I was dead wrong. the strain that bag weighing up to 50 pounds. The rules I was told while carrying was craz. I was told you have to have the bag with you every time you left the truck or you will be written up. The mail must be carried exactly the way they tell you or you will be written up. Mean the all letter mail your delivering must be in your hand and your flats in your arm which on my route was about 20 pounds. That’s all on one arm. If you don’t, you get written up. If you don’t use the railing on the stairs you get written up.if you miss a scanning point you get fired. A scanning point is place on a mail box check point. The supervisers want you to scan them cause they get bonus every month. You get nothing but, you’ll get fired if you don’t. It’s crazy I can see why it’s so stressful. I’m off track I’m trying to transfer to baggage handler, clerk or maintenance. Something less stress on my back but I don’t think it’s gonna happen. I wish I had a better back. I wish I could save my mom and dads home but life don’t work out sometimes.
I just started working for the postal service as a cca on 10/19. I’m currently in training and after reading what you all have said here Ive got to tell you I’m questioning if I should have even taken this position. I currently suffer from panic attacks from my previous extremely stressful job and I’m worried what this may do to my mental health.
All the things here said are true. I worked for the po for 18 years, was a ptf for 6 or 7 years, FINALLY made regular at the plant, the plant closed and was FORCED into the carrier craft, (the carriers are awesome and it is probably the hardest job in the po, hot weather, cold weather, snow, sleet, wind, sun, rain, dogs, hills, construction on the road everywhere, etc). I tried that for about 2 months NOT FOR ME!!! I wasn’t trained on my ROUTE, continously being yelled at all the time (this is a postal wide problem b/c it even occurred at the plant). Used to be a big sign at the entrance of the plant that siad “All employees are to be treated with dignity and respect.” That NEVER happened. Abuse in the postal service is prevalent and happens all the time. Demeaning attitudes, being talked down to and the constant YELLING!!!!! The postal service TALKS about safety all the time and give service talks on it all the time, but that is just lip service. They don’t give one crap about your safety. If you do file an accident report they will give you a letter of warning. They are just trying to intimidate you into NOT filing an accident report. I have had it done to me and have seen it done to my coworkers. I quit the postal service 2 years ago and yes, I miss my pay and benefits, but the peace of mind that I have of NOT dealing with the demons that the postal service promotes into supervisory positions is so worth it. Get an education PLEASE and don’t waste your time on an organization going to hell in handbasket. NO one holds the @$$holes in the postal svc accountable for one damn thing and that is why they have so much sick leave abuse and call outs. The employees feel helpless against the abusers and the unions do NOTHING but take your dues and screw you over, especially the APWU. I will say when I was in the NALC the stewards did so much more than the ones in theAPWU. The APWU started this downward spiral when they ratified that last piece of crap contract about pay, pse’s, etc. The PSE’s seem to get the jobs while they try to force out the ftrs with more time in. Thanks a lot Cliff Guffey for NOTHING!!! Don’t work for the postal svc, run from this entity. This is where Satan’s minions work in supervisory capacities!!! Run run run!!!! Don’t get trapped in this hell hole. You are worth so much more than how you will be treated by this crap organization.
For one year I’ve been applying for a usps opening and excited they might contact me any minute,but now that ijust read these reviews and comments about working for the usps,i am deleting my application right now.Not interested anymore.I guess it really sucks. Thank you all for being honest and having the guts to publish these useful comments.
The huge problem is the Union! You can’t get rid of problem employees that cause a Hostile work environment. Not sure if Management is afraid to do anything because of their own tenor or this is how the system is.
I have seen this first hand with some fowl mouth women RCA’s(if you call them that) who bad mouth everyone to their face,back stab and then if someone stands up for themselves they will file a Grievance with the Union.
A member of my family is a sub and is told so many different ways to do the routes that it makes your head spin!
The Pay 16.57 and hour is not really that amount if you do not deliver within the time the Postal Service allows for the route. It is not a 8 hour shift and you can go home. Nope.
If 5 o’clock comes and you do not have all the mail delivered you have to come back to the Post Office bring what outgoing mail you have collected and leave your scanner and then go out on YOUR time to deliver the rest of the mail. You do not get paid for that it’s your time but You must get the mail out! You can be out late night to get the mail out and not be paid! Not a nice job! Some New Subs even had to deliver mail from a Saturday into Sunday because the Routes are so large. You get 1 day training with the regular and then YOUR ON YOUR OWN!
You pay for your cell phone time and they call you constantly to see where you are, how long your going to be,etc. etc.
Sure you get car millage but with all the deep ruts you hit and back ups into boulders and trees is your problem- your paying for your own car- including insurance and gas.
In the Private sector this would not happen- Government would not let that happen but in the US Postal Service it does !
The worst part is the day after a Holiday- Permanent RCA’s take off they know it’s bad and you can’t get two days of mail and packages sorted,cased and then out for delivery in 8 hours. Casing and sorting can take 6 hours and you have to listen to the other workers fowl mouths and all the local gossip!
If you think your mail is private forget it- the workers gossip about whats on their routes-who does not pay their bills, who gets legal action,divorce, etc.
Then you have the customers peeves because your late.
People quit constantly and I can see why. If they go rid of the bad workers, rid the union and hired more people and cut out some rural little town delivery’s!
Some little towns have the option of customers picking their mail up at the local Post Office or having their mail delivered by Rural carrier- which means you travel miles to deliver a handful of mail to a town that has a Post Office(not the one you work at by the way) but not all residence want to walk to the Post Office to get their mail! You will drive through streets of several houses and deliver to one mail box then go several more street to another while the rest of the home residence will get their own mail at Their Post Office!
What kind of system is that?
If you think this would be a great job and the pay sounds great be prepared . If it sounds to good to be true well it is!
Dear NurseX35,
Please do, and while you are at it – have them investigate the night shift at the Main Post Office in downtown Cincinnati. They treat their PSEs atrociously causing medical problems, depression, low morale, and this is the PSEs who are doing excellent work for the USPS. Working 6 nights a week, with overtime to boot – of course, they never know how long they will be there each night. Seems the PSEs are the ones that get the harassment and the demanding work, moving the PSE from one machine to another and supervisors complaining all the while – and this is because they know they can do this to a PSE and get away with it. Especially when the PSE is an exceptional worker, they stay on them, harass them, blame them, and the place is totally unsafe with everything everywhere, forklift drivers speeding with what seems to be no concern or care for the safety of workers, and it goes on and on. My daughter has worked at the USPS there for over 6 years now and is an exceptional worker who had USPS loyalty and made sure mail got out in time. They have driven her to poor health and depression. On this shift, with the extra long, unsure of hours, no personal life. My daughter would have loved to stay on at the USPS if they would treat her fairly, like a human being. She is a very nice person, and they walk all over her. Too many supervisors running her here and there all night long. She is not well now, and I am concerned for her health both physically and mentally. They pay well, but for a great price to the person. She is a small person, but a very excellent worker who knows her work, the machines, and all about the works she needs to do each night. This is more than disappointing. This is wrong. Regular employees, I hear, do not get treated this way.
Yes the current atmosphere of the P.O. is hard on new employees. This is because of a lot of the situations everyone here has described. They are trying to change and have a better work environment for all. This takes time, and getting this “good old boys” system gone takes even longer because people just won’t retire. Getting them fired is almost impossible cause believe me I know. My husband is a new postmaster. He started out as a part time employee with no benefits traveling 140 Miles a day round trip. The got a pt clerk position, they ended up cutting his hours down to 4 a week. So he started oic’ ing. Only way to get hours and guess what, hers great at it! Anyways, once they learned he could go in and fix these post offices he was screwed. They just kept sending him everywhere. Finally I told him apply out of district and bingo, been moving up ever since. If you want to move up in the P.O. then basically volunteer for other assignments and get all the experience you can. My husband treats all his employees with respect and even helps them get paid for things they don’t even know about at first. Do they like him? I don’t know and don’t care all we ever here it’s how they are getting screwed. Really! ? My husband gets zero freaking overtime and is on call constantly. In fact today he is at work while supposed to be on leave! He took Friday off for a va appointment, ended up going in for 5 hours after. Had to go in on Monday for 2 hours and yesterday(wed) had mandatory training he couldn’t get out of. Do we get paid? No! The only vacation he had had is a week he took for my moms funeral. So how about you quit complaining so much in management! When he was ab oic and PCS or whatever he would cover a bunch of routes and almost ever darn time come in under the regulars time and not know the routes before hand. People now days just dont want to actually work for money. My husband us a disabled vet busting his rear and working hard. All he asks is for you to do your job as he does his. Yes there it’s a lot of bad postmasters out there, So keep putting in complaints on them and eventually they will be fired, removed, or retire. But quit blaming management because your working overtime when most of the time it’s because other employees keep calling in sick and they have no replacements for their routes. They know this and don’t care. They know when they have days off and should schedule doctors appointment but make them for other days instead. It’s not all managements fault, you should be working as a team, not against each other.
I didn’t sign up for OT list but am forced to do it when bosses friends (Inc shop stew)
don’t feel like doing it that day because they paid them off and it’s raining out. They only do it when it’s an easy day.
Well, since I can’t use profanity in this post… I’ll just say this… I guess it’s just not in Missouri huh? The usps is the same all over???? EEO Complaint has been filed! smmfh Cheers to whomever has freed themselves from the bondage and tyranny of p*** office, I mean post office!
I was a postal employee of 20 years and due to an illness missed abnormal amount of days , was told by postmaster that higher up had sent letter stating that we all be reassigned. I filled mine out and week later was notified that I had been transferred to another A.O. Had not signed any official paperwork in regards to transfer and missed first day ,showed up at Union Hall and signed paperwork but by time I returned home was called by APWU that I was fired. Is this legal or just?
if your a smart RCA, and realized it is a JOKE…. then apply for sales. that is where the money is… just saying im currently an rca and hate it, all of it.
just did a drug test and waiting for my interview
The disconnect between how the RCA’s and the regulars are treated is insane. I get the regulars have put in their time to earn a route, but without RCA’s the place wouldn’t function.
Regular’s earn about twice as much for doing the same work, run the same route every day so they always beat evaluation, and never have to worry about being sent back out when they finish their route.
Many of the regulars I know practically waltzed into their position in very little time and because they refuse to retire they are making current RCA’s wait nearly half a decade or longer for a full time position. I currently think the RCA’s holding out in my office are insane; once I get a better job I am gone.
Been trying to get a job there for years, filled out multiple applications, never a call back or told to not bother it’s been over 15yrs but nothing.
Oh and how can I forget, those vehicles. There are vans and LLVs (the usual postal vehicle commonly associated with the PO). More often than not the route has an LLV assigned to it. However, since CCAs come in later, regulars who drive LLVs have a tendency of taking vans that don’t belong to their route, and using them. People may think that it isn’t a big deal, but it’s a domino effect. The route has it’s specific vehicle. It has it’s specific gas card (consisting of the vehicle number) and when you get the gas the receipt prints with all of the information, and of course the mileage too. If some went wrong and they find out that the regular was using the van that didn’t belong to them they can go after them for it, hell they go after you for any silliness so this is a gimme.
The reason why they steal the vans is because the LLVs don’t have air conditioning and usually non working heat. The vans got everything and can come in handy during the treacherous summer. Also, believe it or not, how it feels outside during the summer, feels at least 20 degrees cooler than in that freaking microwave. And of course people kill you with those “hot enough for ya?” phrases. Sorry but today is not the day for that.
And yes, as that saying goes “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” They deliver through any condition. I’ve never delivered in a Hurricane though, so I’m not sure what would happen. I’ve delivered in a foot of snow, while snow was still falling. Pouring rain damaging the mail, and the hottest days making sweat drop on the mail. Especially when you are new you will lose weight. The hotter it gets the more you’ll lose. Unfortunately people can end up unhealthy due to all the pressure and rush these people place on you. Still to this day there are plenty of people who don’t even have a chance to have their time for lunch, just stop for 5 minutes, chow down quickly then keep on going. Yet they still believe that every route an afford to have more time.
Oh man, where do I begin? I could write a novel about the USPS Carrier experience. Non Carriers don’t have the slightest idea about this job. People simply think “what’s so hard about placing mail in a mailbox?” It is much more than that.
1st of all I started off as a CCA and now am a regular. I’ve been in for a total of 26 months. They tell you in training that this is a great opportunity and how the job is there in order to take overtime away from regulars. They also say that you can advance and apply for numerous other positions in the USPS, with a lot being non carriers. Nothing but horsehockey. It is tough to find other opportunities as the ones they describe, unless you are willing to be what many imbeciles are, Stupervisors for the carriers, or Postmaster.
Yes, when you get to your assigned office you receive an On the Job Instructor. Usually a proven carrier who has that position. Mine was simply wonderful, she was fantastic. However, after the days of training with the OJI are over, it’s time to get thrown to the wolves. Since you are new, you really are going by what you are told. My 1st Supervisor used to lie about the time things took, and even gave goals regarding times to finish. You get pushed and you are expected to eventually do a route and a pivot everyday. OK, but here’s another thing, you are there also to help the regulars. While that comes with the territory explain this, the regulars start at 7:30, the CCAs start at 9:30. The regulars case and pul down their route at least an hour after they report, while the CCA has to clock in, get the accountables and scanner and then go. Already that are over an hour behind, how are they supposed to help the regular?
CCAs are made to believe that speed is the name of the game. The hell with customer service. Just move as fast as you can. Yet somehow they claim to preach safety, observance, and customer service. What a crock, it only is brought up when an incident takes place and/or they are informed of bringing it up. CCAs are bashed too when they do show speed by regulars. They want the CCAs to slow down, but won’t explain to them why the Stupervisors are wrong. I had to learn this the hard way.
In training you are told how you have a lunch, 2 breaks, and can have comfort stops (bathroom). When I got there it was like you were never told about lunches or breaks. I had to ask when do you take your lunch to finally get an answer. If you don’t take your lunch, which happens to many CCAs, they don’t give a …. they want you to be fast. Yes, kill yourself in all weather conditions, don’t eat or drink, and by the time you are done you are drained, hungry and constipated. Yeah, what a great opportunity.
Regulars may have the title and a set assignment (rare cases do occur when one is an unassigned regular) but they also get treated badly too. Like I said above, it’s all about speed. You go to fast and they think it can be done like that everyday. Also, the numbers you see regarding how long the route takes and things like that, they walk (observe the whole delivery from beginning to end) and get the times. Of course they do this when the mail and parcels are very light. This to say that all carriers have more time than they need on all of the routes.
They judge things off of some baloney projection they know nothing about. The parcels continue to increase, hell the USPS receives prcels from UPS, Fed-Ex, DHL, and other services but still they don’t count. Same with accountables, signature tracking, foreign barcode/registereds, insured and other parcels/mail requiring signatures.
We get criticized daily from people who don’t know the hell we go through. That is just adding on to the crap we get from our offices. They want you to fly out there, not so you can go home earlier, but to give you more work for the same amount of time. Or hell, they give it to you regardless if you move faster or not. they call it undertime. Where they got that crock of crap term from I have no idea. It happens a lot during the Summer because they don’t want people to get a lot of overtime (as if that stupidity works) and other times just to push people.
So many people are sick and tired of this and they look for ways to leave. Carriers with time in try to look for other crafts, perhaps customer care/complaint oriented jobs, or others simply leave and apply for anything but this punishment. Hell, watch how people in New York say the hell with the PO, I’m heading to McDonalds.
The PO continues to get worse and worse. You know why mail delivery is delayed? OK, Mondays usually are the worst days because of the day off and carry over. However, now they are doing load leveling, as in trying to distribute some of that Monday load to other days, in order to make Monday a regular day. Monday is still heavy, so they think limiting parcels and magazines will help when really all it does is slow down projected deliveries people are expecting. As a customer you ever wonder why a parcel or letter that used to come from a certain location now takes a few days or even a week longer? Plant closings and/or load leveling is what you can thank for that.
Postmasters and Supervisors all over are pushy and abusive. They can yell, scream, ridicule, belittle, and pretty much criticize you to no end regarding performance. Many people are miserable and dread going to work here. There was a time people used to look forward to coming to work, now it’s many do it because they don’t even have a choice.
The lack of common sense and logic is incredible too. OK, lets say you have your route and an hour pivot (piece/part of another route they give you to do in addition to your assignment) and it is in another city. Now, does it make sense to say that it will take you that hour when it could take you 20 minutes just to get there? Nothing matters to them, just you going full speed regardless.
This job also can really make you either pray for droughts, or pray that precipitation mainly falls overnight. No consideration at all. I’ve gotten sick due to pouring rain, but they don’t care. The mail is “light” so no excuses. If you don’t make it back in time then it’s the 3rd degree like you are some Kindergartner who didn’t want to use a crayon. Customer Service is far from their mind. The faster you go, the better they feel. They push you so much, so much bad has happened due to the pressure they impose on many. It’s amazing how often I see Carriers who are sad, depressed, and even crying/sobbing. There’s still much more about this place, but all in all be vary sure about what you may be getting yourself into if you decide to apply for this job.
Dear PM (re July 27m 2015 statement), wow dude, do you even work at the p.o.? First, the annual leave does NOT roll over. You are only allowed to accrue 440 hrs. And for your information, you can’t just “not get on the odl and go home after 8 hrs”, lol. It doesn’t work like that. Carriers get forced to work overtime all the time… ALL THE TIME!! I have not been on the odl for 18 years and I work an average of 55 hrs a week!!! NON ODL Lamehead!! Jeese dude… If you are a PM,.. it SHOWS!!
This post is for nurseX35, PLEASE do initiate an undercover investigation quickly. I did naively apply for a position as CCA and started training Aug10 2015 just to find out my USPS station in Florida is a toxic work environment. Union official have no say, they are afraid to be fired from their positions if they act on behalf of the employee. As a newbie, I made it through 2 weeks of theoretical training, 3 days OJT just to find out they sabotaged my work perfomance, short paid my salary and did not compensated travel expenses to the academy which we were told in class are post offices obligation. Voicing my concerns to my supervisor, station manager and union steward I was completely ignored. As a matter of fact they went so far as to have a supervisor threaten me to resign and return my employee ID. I gladly share further details and hope an undercover investigation will soon be able shed light on this shameful behavior. As a matter of fact postal employees are driven to suicide by unmonitored, reckless and abusive acting supervisors and on top of it, it is our tax money being used to pay their salaries.
if you are female and have “assets” you will do well.
It is disgusting what management overlooks for your assets.
Management in the PO is untrained, unprofessional and mostly made up of lazy employees who did not want to work so they went into management.
Sexual harassment is 90% from management, not workers.
Management bullies employees to protect and enhance their management bonuses.
How about attendance? when you foster a toxic work environment using bully tactics to harass and belittle your employees the ensuing stress will cause illnesses to spread.
When management denies all requests for days off using annual that are requested in advance, the employee will instead stop asking and simply call in sick. You try to cooperate but the bully tactics are not very intelligent and cause increased use of sick leave.
I started with USPS as a CCA 1 in Aug 2015. My current supervisor is a retired Army guy who couldn’t make drill sergeant. If I have any questions, I have to rely on my fellow carriers for the best possible solution. He is consistently advising me of his authority to fire me without just cause (90 day probationary period-plus Florida is the “right to work” state; and yet, rebuffs me if I ask for clarification on my duties. I have addressed many concerns about his being unapproachable and his negative demeanor to his immediate supervisor. Nothing has happened. I am constantly reminded that even tho I belong to NACLU, I am not protected because of my 90 days. I reached out to the PM today. I am uncertain of how this is going to turn out since I am an older white woman working in a predominately young male environment. I can’t apply for other jobs via LiteBlue; however, I did apply for another office (closer to home anyways) for the same exact position and hopefully it can be a smooth transition because I honestly feel this guy is so hung up on his “God-like” role, (he’s already bragged about how many CCA’s he’s fired in the last 6 mos. and at this point I could careless about losing my seniority…peace of mind is priceless) he is destined to prove his point that he CAN and WILL fire me!! BTW, I am 30-45 min early every day, I come in on my days off, I work at other PO’s as requested…all with no complaining! BUT, OMG don’t ask him any questions about the job, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE COMMON SENSE and just arbitrarily “know” the answer! I think I need a magic 8 ball to shake!! Hopefully, all pans out because I love my job and the carriers I work with are awesome (hate to leave those guys); but, MANAGEMENT has made an egregious error in placing an incompetent fool with no people skills in a position of power! Nobody DESERVES or WANTS to be treated like an idiot!! I don’t want to leave the USPS but if I can’t transfer, I will get terminated (I ain’t trying to be terminated but my supervisor will make it happen…just saying).
I have 26 years in the post office. I started as a casual city carrier. I Later was hired as a ptf carrier. I have been a NALC shop steward, supervisor, station manager, and finally a postmaster. I love working with my employees. They are a great group of people. I am very happy with my career and my employees I love to come to work. I WOULDN’T CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT MY 26 YEARS OR THE PEOPLE THAT WORK WITH ME. What a great job they perform daily.
To the Post Master(PM) you talk about the 4 to 5 week vacation big deal. When you stress out your employees they end up using it all up bcuz of the stress you put on us to get back in 8 hrs. By the time summer gets here they have no vacation time left. The sick leave they get is 4 hrs a month. That’s all used up to. I know allcthis bcuz i work for the usps. I have 21 yrs in. When i first started back in 1994 the routes were alot better. You can take your lunch abd your 2 10 minute breaks. Go to the bathroom. Now i go pee in the back of the mail truck in fear of not making it back in time. The next day i am harrassed about the 8 hr day. Since I’ve been at the present p.o they have removed 3 routes! They added to all the other routes making them bigger. PM you never account for the weather. We only get walked with in the early summer. We can not walk the same in the icy snowy winter. You morons! You all know that too. That’s why you keep pushing us! You don’t account for all the packages either or accountable mail! None of you want to admit your big mistake so you keep on pushing us….pushing us to our limit. That we break down! Depression! Stressed out! Chest pains! Panic Attacks! That is what you have given me and the really sad part is…..YOU DON’T CARE!!!
Wow i think I’ll stay at my crappie backstabbing job . I was looking for a gov job to work my last 25 years Dont look like it will be at usps
I have an important question to ask out there! I have spent countless hours researching and I can only find answers under the city carriers union regarding senority. A co worker, also an RCA like myself was placed in a 204b position by our immediate supervisor in 2013. Without going into too much detail, it was done for retaliation against me after filing an EEO complaint against Management before he was promoted but after my complaint went to Formal. As an RCA, non career, he has no route to offer, no time restriction of two years to decide to relinquish route and provide a hold down for another RCA during this process. Which makes sense why he wouldn’t qualify to be appointed the position and makes it wrong doing and no doubt records brig falsified. . My EEO investigator, confirms info comes from USPS, and they provided his status as Acting Supervisor customer service EAS-17 in my final report, however, his affadavit has him stating His relation to me is co worker and his position as RCA. He too, harassed and cursed at me and was later added to my complaint which I reported and filed correctly and all of management and even union, denies I ever reported it. Statements say otherwise. Needless to say, still waiting for my hearing from admin judge, I’m next in line to become regular and all of a sudden, only months ago, he slips back in as an RCA with a hold down, still has the same senority and is now ahead of me to bump me out of my career! They also implemented a matrix today and even said that they have the right today even with a grievance being filed stating they are allowed even if the position and senority is being questioned. In the meantime, one route is going up for bid and if not settled and expedited quickly, I lose again! Can someone help educate me with documents to back it up! City carriers lose all senority if they go over a year. This guy shouldn’t have been there in first place. I believe he is considered exempt from FLSA but also not salary and there is no calculation for an RCA hourly rate because the position for us doesn’t exist! Please help Me with answers. I put up the fight for almost 4 years and this little woman is growing tired!
Stephanie – PEN cannot help you with your question but there may be someone in our forums that can. Please post your questions at our rural carrier forum. http://www.postalemployeenetwork.com
I agree with everyone except pt……this place is a disgrace for employees to work…..very mismanaged and micro managed….supervisors are idiots an so are managers. To have people from a completely different craft tell g you what to do or trying to change things all the time is a joke…..then not to mentioned. They try to tell you how much over time u need or how long it will take to do a relay.. .been at the PO for 3 years made regular and thought it would get better.. .not the case. Time for the job search to continue. Pretty sceterans a lot of veterans and great workers are quitting do to the environment. Wanna be lazy, break the contract and treat people with no respect……come to USPS they are definitely wanting you
I think the usps it a dispictable workplace, my mother has worked for them for almost two years, and she comes home stressed out sobbing everyday….I mean everyday! They won’t let her apply for a full time position, and she has do run all over town to different places everyday, they don’t even keep her a schedule, she works over 40 hours constantly, mind u she will s part time, she is the only window certified clerk in the county, and when the full time clerks decide they want to take off all for groups of days at the same time who covers them..u guessed it her. Her supervised has mentally and verbally abused her, she has filed grivents over and over and over, but nothing gets done, she has to work split shift which means she get up at 4am open the building ( mind u part time employee opening the office not a manager or supurviser) work for few hours then go home for maybe 2 hrs then go back and work to the mail quota is done for the day,I could go on for days and months, they treat her like a work horse, she is over 50 ears old loading big truck full of heavy mail that some men couldn’t even lift, it’s rediculus how they treat her, she hasn’t had 1 full day off in over 2 months and she’s constantly requesting for a day off, 1 day a week off, but they deny her request because the full time employees keep calling in and taking days off connecting to the days they already have scheduled off, I’m seriously scared the stress is going to kill her, but she is so scared to not be able to find another job she won’t quit, she cones home from her split in the morning and she just lays down she so exhausted she to tired to eat most ofvthe time, she has lost over 40 lbs since working there, I just don’t understand how the usps can treat their employees so bad, I don’t understand how it’s even legal. I do understand why people go “postal” comment suicide. If I could look at one person to be the representative for the usps I’d spit in their face,
I was considering applying to the USPS, as I figured any stress, physical or emotional, would be laughable after years of being a critical-care nurse for babies and children, with “breaks” of working in prisons and psych facilities.
I truly appreciate the heartfelt comments I have read, from people obviously frustrated from fruitless efforts to make a good-paying job work for the long run.
No, I will not try this field. I think it is worthy of an undercover investigation, and will attempt to initiate one through various channels.
This is our tax money being used to pay abusers of employees in a much needed field.
My thanks to each of the work-worn, battle-weary, USPS veterans who took the time to write, to help people like me make an informed decision.
On June 2015 I started with the USPS as a CCA I was excited and eager to start working. I started my training in Mt. Vernon NY on my second day of training I started feeling weak and light headed I almost passed out on the route, fortunately my trainer found my and saw that I wasn’t feeling well so he took me to the Mt. Vernon Post Office in which time the supervisor saw me asked and suggested to contact an ambulance. I was in very bad shape when the fire department and ambulance people showed up. They took me to Mt. Vernon hospital to be treated and I was diagnosed with dehydration and heat exhaustion aside that I’m also diabetic. The emergency room doctor took a look at me and he proceeded to instruct the nurse to apply an IV I had three IV that day with a notification to return in 72 hrs. My instructions were to go to my physician and once he clears me I could return to work. Well a day before I was to report back a received a phone call from my post master stating to contact Occupational health and that they needed to talk to me, so I called and I was told to contact my physician and for him to fax to the usps Occupational Health my medical history folder and that they would contact me when if any news. A month had passed and I finally received a call from Occupational health and labor relations for a meeting. I attended the meeting and the subject was for Reasonable accommodation, if I couldn’t work outdoors they would help to see if I would qualify for reasonable accommodation working indoors at the time it was suggested to me to re-apply for an indoors job at this time I told them that I had initially well the outcome of the meeting wasn’t promising so now I had to wait yet another month for them to reach a decision which wasn’t favorable towards me. Also I received the ambulance bill to my address after I told the ambulance people that it happened while I was at work.
The harder U work the more work they give U 2 do!!! They scream at Carriers & Clerks on the workroom floor regularly … I wish I knew how to get a Manager Fired … because our manager treats us like we are sub-human … at route check time U have 2 trays of DPS and 3/4 tray of FSS and every other day it’s 4 trays of DPS and and 2 trays of FSS … and when U point out that your boxes are only 3″x3″×9″ and that basically only SPRs fit in them they think U R making it up!!! I think every Supervisor and Manager all the way up to the PMG should have to carry mail for 1 week out of the year durring the summer!!! It would help if they really knew how hard it is now with all the parcels & scans, and having to run to make their arbitrary return times!!!
PM, this one’s for you. You obviously are in the USPS management. What I have experienced in the USPS is that management people have no real skill set and no real job. Most of management feels so insecure with their footing at the USPS that they bully their employees just to keep their jobs. I could never compromise my ethics or morals and treat people like that. You are very sick to think benefits justify bullying others. My only advice, quit sacrificing others dignity for a paycheck and go get some help for your mental health issue. 🙂
What a complete psychological physical nightmare I have lived at the Post Office. I’m talking to my Senator. It’s time for a change at the USPS. Accountability!
I have been working in this post office for 5 months. I put in a request for Saturday off to watch my children play football for the first time since I was in the military for years and have been deployed numerous times and I was never there. They approved it only for management to tell me that they can’t afford me not to come into work the afternoon before. So I gave my 2 weeks notice in 2 weeks ago. I get a call today from my fellow RCA who is also a veteran saying that management “misunderstood” my 2 weeks notice and put me on the schedule anyway. Postmaster even “threatened” me that if i didnt put my 2 weeks notice in he will give me a bad mark and that i will have a hard time finding another government job. I worked my butt off for them, came into work on my days off to help, help other carriers with their route (after I have finished my route quickly to pick my children up from school). Too much work and Sunday work for 5 weeks straight. My last supposed day is tomorrow, going to do my scheduled route and im done. Bad mark or not, I’m done. I have a new job lined up which is a government job. I feel for my fellow RCA’S and regulars whi have no other skills to back them up so they can get a better job with weekends and benefits (medical is too expensive for a part time job in the post office).
I am working for the post office since 2006. I transfererred a few times from one office to the other because i was promised more hours (who can live of one day a week?). Not only diid i lose my seniority..i also lost more hours. In the end inwas working for 4 offices at the same time…learning new routes…which was very stressful. Not only you have to constantly adapt to changes to the routes…you also have to do things that the regular dont feel like doing..(leaving all sorts of boxholders for tou to deliver,,,that he or she doesnt feel like doing) So…if the route is evaluated with 8 hours…you probably will need a few hours more to get finished…not to mention the pressure you are under…so stop right here: Do the math! THAT WILL BRING YOUR HOURLY WAGE DOWN! You will also get blamed for everything wrong on the route…because you are only the SUB! Working a day aftr a holyday: Everybody that works for the postoffice knows what that means. Double work! Seriously…i havent had a good holiday in years. I have dealt with management that wasnt able to do their job since years. I have watched them coming in to our workplace in suits and with tag..walking around and forcing rules on the workers that were more that unhumane. 30 seconds to deliver a parcel to a customers door etc…sitting in the hot truck for hours without ac…. pestering the carriers about their evaluated time….not giving a damn if the carrier is struggling all day long just to correct the things that went wrong all day long. We got dps on a daily basis from the plant…upside down…misdelivered to another office…bundles of flats busted..thrown in the hampers…late mail trucks…and so on. The count is a joke too. Its so outdated! That system doesnt apply antmore! Hello management…times changed! People are getting more letters in these days…also more parcels. Where is all the mail during the count? Really? Yes…sure..by miracle it shows up after the count…..Thats really an insult on the carriers intelligence….Another thing: I am very much for customer service. But if some things should be thought out before put into action. The customer tracking his parcels are a good thing…but it also backfires on the carriers. We have people calling in in the morning asking us to look for parcels that the tracked down. That takes time out of our work schedule too…nobody thought about that! Every single minute is accounted for. Ahhhhh….working in all weather conditions…another thing. They expect you to work fast in very hot weather…(trust me…its hhhhoooottttt in the truck) …and they want you to work fast in ice and snow…( Safety first? yeah right…a joke) And heaven forbit if you fall..because you want to make evaluated time…because you are tired of them asking why you didnt make it….( they actually tried to write me up for it). i will will spare you the rest…this would be a never ending story. I am sure some of you know exactly what i was talking about…the others that like their job….more power to you….you guys are lucky…and i hope it stays that way. T all the other ones that think they want to join the team….DONT!!!. Most of you will be sorry….
I just want to know if a level 20 ptfs suppose to go to a ntft if so how long does it take i have been a ptf for 3 years nothing has changed. i have been using annial to get my hours.
who do i need to contact.
I have to add…An emotionally disturbed supervisor harassed me to no end! From the bits of information, and that this AWFUL CUSTOMER COMPLAINT ABOUT ME (which this complaint was never told to me by anyone over me, in position at my work {What happened to the constitution on I having the right to know who my accuser is?}), I have a feeling this emotionally disturbed supervisor is the person who wrote a false complaint about me! This false complaint (since there are no cameras in this small post office, and this supervisor can tell {on her computer} when my coworker is on his lunch {thus I have no witnesses}) has had an extreme impact from I working in joy, to I working in misery in the post office….36 years at the post office, and this is what I get!
I’ve worked at the post office for 36 years, and counting. (Offer your condolences for I being in the post office so long! {The post office…What a JOKE!})
If the post office isn’t privatized, I would ONLY recommend working at the post office TO MY WORST OF ENEMIES!
From my years in the post office, I’ve often noticed A PLUMBER THEORY with management (and above)…….”CRAP GOES TO THE TOP”! The first post office dislikes the person (even the individual’s behavior) who they hired. So the first office PROMOTES the person to the second office…The second office promotes the individual to the third office, etc.
One supervisor wanted out of the office I work in, for years. She decided to do extremely little work….She was then promoted to another post office!
I just got hired as a CCA, on my shadow day they put me on the stations hardest route. August in Florida is no joke, I brought plenty of water, they told us about heat injuries in class. About 1/2 way through the day on this 15 mile park and loop route I get a splitting head each, my clothes are soaked with sweat, I ask if this was normal. He says yes and that a new CCA before me nearly passed out. I had heat exhaustion big time. I finish up all my training and last Saterday is my first OJI day. Same route same temperature, 98 inside the truck, 91 outside. Again I make it about 1/2 the day, headache,dizzy, nausea. OJI says that’s just the way it is. I write up a hazordous condition report, I mention that the PO was just fined $70,000 for the death of a veteran carrier. The judge said there was willful disregard to employee safety and an attitude of “heat doesn’t matter”. So what happens after I file the incident report…?
I’m fired the next day. I worked for the USPS for 3 weeks and found the petty little uneducated managers to be complete tyrants. All employees and the union rep are scared of management. I feel bad for hard working folks who have to grind that job out for 20 plus years. USPS is a sick organization with horrible management. Thanx for firing me so soon, truly a favor. Much respect for letter carriers, that is a hard job.
Dear God no. If you’re thinking about working for the post office, DON’T. The pay is NOT worth the stress. The toxic work environment (emotional AND literal, my building hasn’t had a full cleaning in ~15 years) the staggering incompetence of management, the mismanagement of personnel, and the long stream of washouts, serial harassers (both sexual and non), drunks, junkies… You name it, it’s there.
If you have ANY other options for employment, TAKE THEM. The PO is NOT WORTH IT.
I stumbled across this site while looking for other job opportunities. I have been an RCA for 12 years now. I absolutely love my job and I’m damn good at it. In reading the posts, I see my own situation, thoughts and feelings in almost every post. The people that suggest to just “get over it…you get paid well” have no clue or havent been in long enough. Again, I love my job. I started with the post office when I was in college pursuing a nursing degree. I left college because I loved the postal work and honestly didn’t have time to do both with the hours I was working. Hindsight…..worst mistake ever. 12 years later I’m still a RCA though I have always worked full time hours. Now they are hiring many new RCAs in order to keep me from getting hours and obtaining health benefits. I would love benefits…after 12 years of employment don’t I deserve it? But this is not my main issue though I would not have stayed for 12 years only working 1-2 days a week but on call every day. After 5 years in the PO I transferred to another state. I went from a very small office to a large office. Management in the small office was bad but in the larger office was horrendous. My first 30 days in the new office, I carried 33 different routes with no training. No big deal, its my job. I got my first inkling of how bad it was going to be when I asked for a line of travel. My manager told me “you’re a seasoned carrier, don’t you know how to follow the mail?” Of course I did but I didnt know the area…all I needed to know was how to get to the first box. I soon learned of the “favorites”…The subs that never got pivots, that always got Saturdays off, the subs that always had misdeliveries or lost packages and was never reprimanded, and the subs that never got called in or answered call ins. I did what I was told with no complaints, always asked if anyone needed help before I left for the day. Was sent back out quite often to help the “favorites” because they had a party to get home to or for a pivot because they didnt show up for work. Management in my office will talk about employees personal information on the work room floor where everyone can hear. Employees are talked to on a daily basis like they are children. I was still loving going into work until about 2 years ago. We had a huge snow storm. Heading out to my route, a fellow carrier had slid in a ditch and the truck was basically sideways. I stopped to check on them and call it in. The carrier was in hysterical so I stayed until manager arrived. I was told I was delaying mail and to leave. When I was returned to office I was called to managers office. She tried to write me up. I told her that the carrier was upset and I didnt want to leave her…..her exact words were..”oh boohoo…she slid in a ditch, get over it and get the mail delivered.” Ive had some instances myself with management over the years but let it go. When I passed out in the PO parking lot going in to work….thats when I became dazed and confused literally. I was out of work for 2 weeks because of high blood pressure. Even though I was released by doctors, my manager kept me out of work for another month. She even sent me a certified letter…TO THE WRONG ADDRESS.. requesting additional medical information which she isnt entitled to. I finally went back to work but was only scheduled for 1 day a week. I actually was punished for getting sick mostly because I got sick during a busy holiday. I was literally stunned. I have worked for the post office most of my adult life…I started when I was 24…I have checked up on, assisted, and trained new RCAs off the clock, done clerk work, volunteered for extra work outside my field, have even done carrier payroll entries, and done any and everything that was asked of me. I have been told by my union rep that I am to do what management tells me and that my manager can keep me out of work if they feel the need to. WTF? I have many more instances of prejudice and mistreatment but I have spouted long enough. Thanks for being an ear.
For those thinking of employment at the USPS…..honestly the money isn’t worth it. I’m in a situation where I am just fed up due to the treatment of management but I’m stuck. I have no other skills because I left school to work at the PO and I have young children. At the PO hard work and dedication mean nothing.
I have 26 years of experience as a city letter carrier. Good pay & benefits, plus the possibility to transfer, have made this a good career choice, on paper.
I (actually) do have a solid work ethic & have done well above the minimum required (skipping breaks, working while sick, working off the clock, being conscientious, giving good customer service). I had many jobs before the USPS where I was noted for working hard, was promoted, encouraged, and appreciated ( normal stuff in most private workplaces).
I have never in my life seen people treated so poorly by management while being good, hard workers. It is -literally- that we can WORK HARD & FAST, skip breaks, skip lunch, work off the clock (the last three technically illegal & easily observed by management, especially with GPS) AND make or beat the computer estimate (if it is even reasonable with ALL variables input) AND THEN BE TREATED LIKE SLACKERS AND INEXPERIENCED CHILDREN AT THE END OF THE DAY AND THE VERY NEXT MORNING.
APPRECIATE THE GOOD SUPERVISORS & WORK HARD FOR THEM. DO NOT GIVE THE 80% OF MANAGERS A REWARD, who deserve little respect, by making those extra efforts..,they will demand it without acknowledgement & still abuse you like a defective, interchangeable cog. After 26 years this is what I regret the most: naively rewarding those people at the expense of my health, & therefore also at the expense of my family. This is based on my experience with possibly 40 or 50 supervisors & postmasters in the four main towns where I have worked.
REWARDING ABUSIVE, INCOMPETENT MANAGERS IS SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE FOOT & ALSO NEGATIVELY AFFECTING FELLOW EMPLOYEES. How I wish we all were strong enough psychologically to resist this management culture, but it is difficult for many of us.
The great majority of supervisors are relatively uneducated & brainwashed into thinking they are doing their job to stress out employees. OR too often they enjoy it, or don’t care. I suggest looking up “sociopath” & see if I am not correct. They don’t know or don’t care about the principle of Business 101 which is to treat employees fairly & with respect & they will work better.
And use your sick leave when you need it, in an effort to stay healthy physically & mentally. The small amount you will receive in retirement is not worth your health. 2000 hours of saved sick leave will get you about $50 per month extra in your pension. Less if you don’t work until 60 in most cases. But if you can save sick leave, do it.
Do not allow management to corrupt your character. If you don’t have good character, that is on you.
The post office need to become Corporate immediately…..most NOT PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE in management and would be fired immediately ….you have good employees, you keep abusing them. You cannot talk or treat employees like they’re not humans.
@ ‘PM’…..you can have all the benefits in the world does give you the right to mistreat others, you guys are only concern about you and your clicks (other mgmt). you get your higher wage so you could care less…. I HOPE everyone (craft) gets on 8 hour restrictions so they go home to their families like they are suppose to, half of you guys (mgmt) are miserable with your personal life, so you come to work and treat employees like crap.
And forget about trying to get ahead, you want us to treat craft employees like crap to get there…..SMDH
it used to be not so bad in the early days when i started the post office. i am a clerk. we used to have plenty of clerks, but as years have passed and people retire, they are not replaced. its constant go, go , go with management staring at your every move. if you go to the bathroom, you invariably hear, “where is she?!” as if youve gone awol or something. the pressure is immense, if you miss one scan, its like youve committed a felony or something! and i cant speak for all stations, but in mine, its like city carriers and clerks are against each other, one side blames the other, and i wish everyone would realize we need each other. i try to do good work and i would stay til im 65 if it were a rewarding job, but everyday i go in there, i cannot wait to get out! yes, the pay is very good, but if youre unhappy it becomes a trap. ya caNT LEAVE, THE PAY IS GOOD, SO YOU TOUGH IT OUT. YOUR FAMILY depends on you, so ya feel stuck. too old to leave and get a job paying that kind of money, but unhappy… so retire asap and advise young people to get a degree and never take a postal job
The amount of stress you have to face as a carrier on a day-to-day basis is a joke. The job itself is not that difficult, but management and screw up at the plant make it otherwise. I started with the postal service back in 2007 as a casual that became a TE a few months later. The pay was great (19/hr) and the office I was stationed at was small, but had nice people, including management. Fast forward to today, and it is a never ending rat race to get you to carry more and more, but with less time. My pay was cut in 2013 which leaves me in worse shape than I started. There are no real benefits, as the healthcare is far too expensive to participate in after the change I’m left with in my paycheck.
The environment IS toxic. Other carriers are always complaining and stressed out. Management yells at us like we are kindergartners misbehaving. It’s nearly impossible to do your job correctly and still not get yelled at for something beyond your control.
Anyone reading this, do yourselves a favor and go back to school like I did. Get your degree and leave. It’s a dead end job with no real future. #byefelicia
This is for PM. Your absolute idiot!! You must be a supervisor. I have 20 years in and am more stressed now than when I was a PTF. I have never been on the odl and am forced daily. I make more overtime than the the guys on the 12 hour list. They will not allow these guys to make more than 1 hour. We are short staffed daily. I have small kids that I have to pick up at a certain time so I basically have to run and absorb all the time or I’ll be written up. I’m an excellent employee who has saved the postal service thousands upon thousands of dollars over the years and my damn reward is more work while the lazy ass carries are left alone.
SP – the remainder of your post was deleted to your vulgar language – PEN does not allow this type language and it will be deleted if seen. PEN
A lot of negativity. Did all the career employees posting here forget about their 4-5 week vacations they get fronted every year that rolls over? The accrued SL that doesn’t cap out? Fers and tsp with multiple saving options with USPS matching up to 15% before tax? The 60-70k you make a year with OT while only needing a high school diploma? Dental and health coverage? EAP? Don’t like extra work? Don’t sign up on the OTDL, do your 8 hours and go home. Cca’s yes it’s hard work, that is gone over in great detail during orientation but you probably didn’t believe it. We all started at the bottom, work hard get a career position. Rural carriers, how can you complain you have evaluated routes that are rushed through everyday and go home under evaluation. Work is what you make it, if you’re a good employee no one will bother you if you are not you will get attention, that’s with any company. Don’t like it? No one is forcing you to stay, correct? Cca’s, you don’t like the pay rate? Don’t take the job.
I’m a RCA 2 months in and realized that I gave up a full-time 10hr job for a job that I thought all get more then one day a week. I quickly realized that the only way to get hours is willing to drive to a different station and do a new route everyday. What sucks is regulars hardly callout only on weekends or holidays. I won’t be a regular for 6 years that’s a joke. So I’m suppose to make this job my life but this job doesn’t pay the bills