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 worked for USPS for almost 25 years. I took a delayed retirement last May. This means I won’t be receiving ANY of my retirement benefits for another 2 years ( when I turn 60 ). I told my PM that I would rather go without a paycheck for almost 3 years than to work for the PO another day.
Don’t get me wrong, the pay was great and I loved my customers.
When I started working for the PO, I was told ” Get to know your customers so you will know if something is wrong” That turned into ” If you need to talk to your customer for more than 30 seconds, give them your phone number and do it on your own time ”
It came to the point where I was constantly harassed by management for being too slow. I had approximately 750 deliveries on my route at the time I left. We were told dismounts don’t take any time. On a normal day I had an average of 50 walk ups. I’ve been told by my co-workers that they have been told by management that if they can’t make it back on time, that they should scan any packages they have left as attempted and bring them back. What ever happened to customer service ? My customers started asking me that question. I had no answer.
We got our PM because they eliminated his position in finance. Never worked in a PO in his life. Knew nothing about carriers or clerks or what their functions were. He lived in the town where our office was so he spent most of his time at home. Yet, he told us how to perform our jobs and how long it should take.
I was always so intimidated by my supervisors that I very rarely took my lunch or breaks. It just wasn’t worth the aggravation of being pulled into the office constantly to be reprimanded. The UNION? Totally worthless! They would just agree with management because they have no power anymore. Such a joke!
I think I could go on forever but that just gets me worked up. I am in a happy place now, even though I have no income. Thank goodness I have a wonderful husband that has a good job and doesn’t mind me not working.
GOOD LUCK to all of you who can stick it out til the end. I just had enough!
I retired a year ago afer 23 years. The first 10 were great, supervisors and management cared about their employees. Once they retired it became a prison,everything was rush,rush,rush. You were timed if you had to go to the bathroom! They took our bids away and placed you where they wanted you,leaving people with less seniority and no bid in your position.I had hypertension and was pre diabete,haven’t taken meds for eight months. Thank God for retirement!
Wow! I thought it was just me! I didn’t read ALL the comments but so far, I didn’t see anything about how they cheated our mail count. For anyone reading that is unfamiliar, rural carriers are paid by the route, not by the hour. To determine your route’s pay, all mail is counted during certain times. The week before mail count, there is a deluge. Then during count, the mail dries up. The second that mail count is over, the floodgates open and mail is up to our navel. I didn’t get angry at management for being the scum that messed with my pay. I got angry at the Union for leaving that happen so blatantly. People, there are options. I was regular and had the best route in the office. I quit ten years ago and never ever regretted it. I got out alive.
We must all come together and let our voice be heard loud!We can and we will…I know someone will help…1000s of people are being destroyed around the globe..WE CAN..WE WILL. GLOBAL PETITION CANNOT BE IGNORED!!@
This all True, 31 years employed by usps. all true….the place is a big joke.
I just recently retired…thank goodness! It was just getting worse and worse each day. Management was not qualified to supervise, and therefore was dangerous with their ineptitude. My supervisor had I needed assistance, didn’t even know my job, and most of the time didn’t know if I was at work or not! Many clerks I worked with were more concerned about getting their overtime as opposed to actually doing work. Watch your back at all times. My bid job kept getting abolished and I had to change jobs 5 times in my last years. Thankfully I’m gone!
Linda Monk: Ignore the PM. He cannot legally prevent or try to prevent you from filing a Workers Comp. claim. Request a CA-2 form and complete the front page. Get medical documentation from your doctor which states that your Carpal Tunnel is due to your work (which it is). Give the form and documentation to your PM. He MUST submit it to the Workers Comp. office within 1 day. They will submit it to the U.S. Dept. of Labor who adjudicates all of these claims (not the USPS). Get the surgery you need when your claim is approved and they will pay for it and your lost time from work. Good luck!
I have worked for the post office since 2008 as a CCA & was converted to a regular 2yrs ago. Let me tell you that in my office in northern nj the management team there with the exception of 1 are a bunch of low lifes. One of the supervisors was given the position of 204b which is a supervisor in training if get sold out all the carriers that tended to sometimes finish ahead of schedule. After he got the position he became very belligerent, always belittling the ccas. He always overworked all the ccas and made sure to try and convince the PM to fire the ccas if he/she did not do as he said. He even attempted to prolong one of the cca’s conversion to regular, so that he can overwork her during the holiday season. Another supervisor at my station always denies everything she tells you. If she give you 10 hours worth of work and you take the 10 hours, the next day the PM and her are yelling at you for taking 10 hours and when you say she gave you the direct order to do it she denies it all. Are old union reps were even on the act. They would only help you if it was convenient for them. There was an employee who was hit by a car because the driver of the car was texting. The PM fired him even after the driver admitted to be texting as she drove. The union reps at his office did nothing to help. He had to go thru the union chain of command to finally get his job back. To this day not one management person asked how he’s doing. The only supervisor there that the employees like are afraid to show her respect because the other supervisors will do everything they can to get rid of good supervisors that employees can actually work with. If it’s not because I can’t find another job that’ll pay me the same salary I’ll leave in a blink of an eye.
I retired 2 years ago after serving 37 years a the USPS. Everything I have read here is true except the suck up management wonks who were part of the problem and are still using this forum to harass and disrespect employees. I was a clerk and I loved my job. Then we got a new PM and she is awful. She is always looking for ways to make her employee miserable. I filed 2 EEO complaints against her but it didn’t take her long to figure out she didn’t have to agree to anything because it was in house EEO and not at the federal level. On the first one we reached an agreement which she violated a week later. When I file violation claim the PO EEO team reviewed it and decided the whole agreement was unenforceable. I filed unfair labor practices charges, hostile workplace charges, and multiple grievences against her. Management investigated the charges. They even interviews the floor supervisors and I know for a fact they told the investigators how bad she was but they did nothing. The Postal Inspectors have taken her out twice in handcuffs but she always comes back. She must have something on someone or she is doing exactly what upper management wants. I arranged a meeting with a representitive of our U.S. Congressmen and over half the employees attended. Most of the ones who didn’t come feared for their jobs. For 3 hours we explained to Matt what was going on. We were told we needed to submit everything in writing but when we did they were sent to another regional office and the Congressman’s office refused to consider them part of the complaint. And the PM knew everything said at the meeting. Two days after the meeting I was issued discipline for and issue from 6 months earlier. She insists on knowing everyone’s medical problems so she can assign work that increases the problems. She has fired one carrier 5 times, once her supervised jumped back from this carrier and accused him of shoving him. There were many witnesses that saw the whole thing and said he never touched the superviser. She had the carrier arrested and thrown in jail. Local prosecutor refuse to prosecute. He missed 6 months of work and $10,000 in legal fees. She has fired him 5 more times since then. She has now arranged clerk schedules so no one has two days off together. Split days off for everyone EXCEPT her. I was sole transportation for my handicap parents and I had to beg to get time off to take them to my aunt and uncle’s funerals. People who are on restricted duty with no overtime restrictions are made to work their NS day or holiday in weeks with holidays and you can bet it will be scheduled so you don’t have two days off together. No on should have to work under these conditions. Rotten from the very top down. Surprised no one has “gone postal” in this office.
I just retired after over 31 years of service. There is no way I can read through all the comments, but all the ones I did read are spot on.
Someone mentioned math vs Postal math. They are correct. All that I state, I have seen with my own eyes.
Before automation, which increases constantly, mail was handled basically by hand, as far as sorting. I am not talking about things with wheels, etc. Addresses had to be read and the mail sorted by memory of “schemes” and memory of addresses and zip codes. It took a lot of time, and humans being what they are, some worked efficiently, some did not. Nothing has changed in that regard.
If more time was needed to perform clerk or carrier tasks of sorting and delivery, all the supervisor had to do was pencil in more volume than was real, to cover overtime.
Supervisors often penciled in mail volumes received at stations without even looking at it, much less actually measuring it (in linear feet with a ruler). This is faulty anyway, as thickness and texture are not constant in mail.
As a carrier, I have been penciled in with a whole extra circular for the day, to cover the time I needed to carry the route. Pow, just like that, the route and the postal service just got 600 flats, with the wave of a pencil.
Multiply this by all the routes in the nation, and you have a huge false volume.
There were real volume increases, of course, so the volumes went up, and so did the false pencil figures.
But alas, automation started counting every piece of lettermail and most flats! “End of run” reports detailed exact figures. Not much ability to cheat on those figures, but there was still a little room to cheat, just not nearly as much.
Pressure on floor supervisors mounted, as automation showed volumes were “dropping”, but ask any carrier, and he or she will tell you they have not. I personally kept track of every foot of mail I took to the street every day, for the 29 years I was on my route. Even with some territory changes, and additions due to less office time due to automation, the volumes were fairly consistent.
Granted, magazine subscriptions and other flats seemed to decline, but total volumes did not. Mailers were given better rates for letter sized mail, so much more advertising was directed toward letter sized mail, which could be handled better and faster by automation for sorting and for delivery sequence with no human handling of each piece.
Therefore, the Postal Service was adding millions more addresses every year, and more mail volume, but the FIGURES showed less volume, which became a political issue, and the unions even went along with it, for they had no way to prove volumes were NOT declining. They had to use Postal figures.
The bottom line, postal employees were handling much more mail, to millions of more addresses, multiple times the number of parcels, with fewer and fewer employees.
For many years at our station, we had 100 regular carriers (city) and ten subs. I watched that list regularly. 110 total city carriers.
When I retired, there were about 84 city carriers (and granted, automation played a big part, and that is fine). This, in a city growing by leaps and bounds, new apartment complexes, new subdivisions sprouting everywhere, new industries and business complexes.
Local management had to deal with reality vs hype.
The reality of more mail, more addresses, and fewer carriers. The hype of less volume, etc.
So yes, actual volumes are actually accurate now, so without pencil figure padding, “production” seems to have declined. Not so. We were actually delivering more mail to more places, than ever before. But it did not look like it.
Older carriers could not keep up. New carriers were worked to death, literally or almost literally. Rare days off, extreme expectations. Brutal management, whose bonuses were tied to numbers, which were compared to historical lies.
Management were told to get more production and better numbers by discipline, “paper” it was called… letters of warning over trivial stuff, TRIVIAL stuff, and morale came from a person’s own work ethic, rather than management.
It is a sad situation, but the buck stops at the top, where pressure is put on every level of management, and it filters down to whom? The letter carriers, mainly, and then the clerks and mail handlers. And, the local floor managers, who amazingly survive physically, although many suffer health issues.
The last many years, postal management has taken a huge amount of “stress leave”, often for months at a time. Check it out.
New managers and postmasters are swapped around like musical chairs. When numbers and morale are lacking, swap their stations.
New managers are sent in to correct morale and production, and at our station, left very soon, realizing the volumes we had, and that 99 percent of the carriers were giving 110 percent every day.
The new carriers cannot keep up with the loads given to them, so they often have wrecks, hurt themselves, or just plain quit, and the cycle of new hires begins again.
Toxic? You bet! Extremely so.
I did recently quit after almost 18 years and I loved my job…unfortunately, we got a new district supervisor and a new postmaster and the post master was paid more for having a gold star performing office. He had 4 male supervisors write us up continually. as many as 20 write ups per day. I never had a letter of wrning in 17 years but suddenly had 3 plus ( since discipline is progressive) a 7 day suspension, in which two of the write ups were set ups, and two of the write ups were for missing scans, in which I had 100% scanning on 3 of the 4 routes I did. Then they started crunching leave times, so I got 2 hours to put up a full mail route before I was required to go deliver it, and when I went over two hours, the post master came to tell me I obviosuly didnt know the parameters of my job…my husband made me quit. I was stressed out and crying a lot there at the end, I would shake trying to put up all that mail within 2 hours–they wanted us to take it all the the street and case it. I guess the post master gets an in office leave time bonus as well..not sure on that. I do miss working my favorite job, I did love it, but I could nto take the constant expectation of 100% perfection at all times or else it was a letter of warning. :/
I’ve been with post office for 3years,the money’s great but if your a pse an not a regular it’s modern day slavery. DO WHAT I SAY EVEN IF I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I’M TALKING ABOUT! I CAME IN YOUR STATION AN MADE A MESS OF EVERYTHING AN NOW I EXPECT YOU TO FIX IT(MANAGEMENT)So for all you young people out there don’t apply if you want to have a life an keep your sanity. PSE -an suffering
PO sucks. Stripped the life out of our family and laughed all the way. Many years invested only to be kicked when we were down. Everything here is the truth. Careers are thrown away and the Union issues false promises after taking your money for years!
Well some don’t get along and some do but I get along and as long as I work hard for 8 hrs and go home I have now works 39 years and 7 months. I have seen some employees are disgruntled and some are ignored of management but the truth is hey you got job and get it done and that is rewarding in life as I have yes the management sucks and so is union. In all I don’t care about it
Where I work at sucks they hired young people that don’t want to work management sleeping with MHAs and casuals and regular workers. They make the worse workers 204bs they not train right. Cell phone usage is at a unbelievable high. The post office vibe sucks the life out of your soul. They don’t care about you they only want mail volume numbers. They treat people like slaves they reward the horrible workers and fire the good workers who’s there everyday. Unbelievable I last 23 years in the postal service. I’m a veteran they gave me a ribbon like thing to hang around my neck that says thanks you for your services as a veteran lol please should of gave me a day off. I smh in disbelief hoping it will get better but it’s not and will never.
Started at 18 in 1975. Wanted to quit several times. Retired with 39 years. Best job I ever had. Just like all big corporations the Postal Service is no different. There will always be the good, bad and the ugly. The more good you focus on the more good you get and vice versa. I was a union vice-president but eventually retired as a plant manager. Be careful when attacking the very establishment you work for or the union representing you because you will surely need them one day. Ultimately we want the postal service to continue to flourish so WE can continue to work and provide for our families. And lastly, there are so many avenues to handle any grievances, disputes, safety infractions, personal issues, it’s too many to mention. I myself had issues with disrespect and mistreatment the last six months of my career. I used the avenues available to me and you move on. My last piece of advice, if you don’t like it, quit, and if you want to do something about it, let your voice be heard without destroying the institution. The institution employs over 500,000 employees and supports a multi-billion dollar industry. We need these jobs!
I too medically retired from USPS. 4 yrs of limited duty inside the post office after 5 workman comp surgeries within 1 and one-half yrs. I was put on jobs I couldn’t physically do and was told to do them or get fired and if I got hurt I would get fired! It was very.stressful! I walked around in pain before I was accepted for workmans comp. And no one cared even though I.was in tears trying to do painful jobs which just made my situation worse. I even had a co-worker tell me “Why don’t you just quit if you can’t do your job? ”
How hurtful! When I am in so much pain from “doing my hardest to do my job while in so much pain! ” Never was so glad to get out of there! I fought tooth and.nail for every workman comp case I won! Never ever recieved any help or sympathy to fight th is on going battle. I feel for all the under appreciated postal employees!
I’ve been a clerk with the USPS for 30 Yrs. And I refuse to allow myself to be bullied by these ignorant people that call themselves managers. Especially the 204’bs that are in the program only to get out of working, especially the Mailhandlers. I make good money and we will never find another job that pays what we get. Especially in our fifties. I’ll retire when I’m ready! Bullies are the easiest to handle .
I am a 15 year city letter I am on medical retirement because of toxic treatment from postmaste. It was so bad that I am suicidal.
Ive been with the usps for 28years and its nothing but a numbers game without regard to cost. Give me my mail and let me go..it shouldnt matter where i use my time whether in the office or on the street as long as i get it done in a reasonable amount of time. Ive seen supervisors let carriers go home on annual only to pay time and a half to other carriers because that route will be done in less than 8hrs making the boss look good for saving hours even though it cost more money that way!
I resigned 3 years ago this past March. I had been with post office since I was 18. Despite having filed an EEO and several greviances against an unsuitable supervisor, his behavior continued to be more bullying and aggressive towards me. I started having anxiety attacks, began taking antidepression meds just to go to my job. My hair started falling out and i started not caring about the job and worse about myself. I decided my life, my self worth and my sanity were worth more than a job. Three years later and i have no stress. I make less money but my happiness and life are priceless.
WALK OUT NATIONWIDE
I hate my job but stuck to it. I think only way out is suicide. It is the worst job in history!
Bad post masters can run a good carrier to the ground . But what can we do no one cares.
I have worked for the post office for over 5 years. I love my job. Yes, it comes with stress and it is a lot of hard work but you control how you let that stress get it you.
That is why my nephew sue the postal office and won, continue to work, he faced abuse, harassment etc etc, he documented everything, he had a paper trail of the unfairness of treatment, don’t be scare to go after them and sue, he did it and won! He is a manager and treat his workers fair, they love him, but unfortunately he is living this crazy unfair job to go to work with a better and fair employer who is very glad he got him. Also the benefits are ten times better then the post office, anything is better then working for the post office. No one should endure abuse,or be working in a toxic place, remember we are known as numbers in the work place, if you leave, die or even committed suicide by the next day someone else will be in your place and you are forgotten. Is it worth NO!!!! NO JOB IS WORTH TAKING YOUR LIFE FOR. The EOE and labor board were all in agreement with what my nephew endure and he won the case.
As I have just been fired over my “failure to maintain a proper work schedule” 17 yrs.I gave my all and then some,ive watched as mail declined,attitude of higher management chew as we call it to supervisors….then they come down hard on us the employees,over a course of 10yrs.ive suffered many illnesses,but deprression I No Longer can fight,as i will leave a stressfull inviroment that i turned to unioun and e.a.p.ovet yrs.to help me,ive found There Is Not Help…From USPS or The American way,made to much money to get help,but had no money to pay for anything,Someone shpuld fight for the lives and battles fpught,fighting,and lost to futher stop this not just in USPS but in all work places..God can only help thos who cant.And this is a terraible liss for our lived ones.
I know all too well about this! I tried to commit suicide this past september. Have had a few issues since and am now sitting at home while the union fights for my job because of my mental disability 🙁
I was a carrier for 16 years and supervisory misconduct and abuse was, unfortunately, almost a daily occurrence. What made the situation even worse was the way most of the carriers accepted it. My belief was they did so out of fear of losing their employment. The local union did little to nothing when protecting the rights of the carriers.
One time during a hurricane, the last half hour of my route was completely flooded. After returning to my station I had seen two other carriers who had also returned without being able to finish their routes and were sorting the next day’s mail. I, on the other hand, was told to go home and had thirty minutes docked from my pay. Despite obtaining and showing letters from the other carriers who weren’t docked, the union told me that I should’ve just sat in my jeep, killing the 30 minutes by doing nothing, and then return back to the office instead of coming back immediately. I filed a grievance which went nowhere. I soon left the union and within weeks resigned. I went on to successfully start my own business, which continues to thrive to this day.
That was 12 years ago and upon discovering this article, I’m disappointed, but not surprised that the atmosphere within the USPS has not changed.
I am experiencing all of this and I refuse to be silent! We should not be silent! And the sexual harrassment is ridiculous!
I hate my job and all the unnecessary stress that comes with it. And those advos are horrible. Searching for dps on every rack for a hour is ridiculous. Returning for parcels on a daily basis is unbelievable. How do these folks expect me to do a good job when they cant do theirs. No such thing as postmaster more like masterfreeloaders
. Drink your coffee smoke your cigarettes and harass the hell out of your good workers.
This goes out to Paulette I’m sorry for what you have had to go through I have been with usps for 16 yrs and I am 36. That’s how I found this site I typed in “postal employees who quit and found new jobs” and maybe it was a god send I found this site! I tore my AC joint back in December this past year and continued working INJURED until Jan.13 2016 Until I could no longer use my right arm! I am a rural carrier now but for the first 9 years I was dual appointed a city carrier, clerk and rural carrier! Iv seen many things over the years that are horrible to do to an employee and they my “pm” has done un Godly things to me. Iv never understood why I am a kind caring compassionate person and I forgive but this… this is terrible I have been off for over 4 mo. and just got approved for owcp iv been living off my savings! The plan has been to go back to my route as a carrier but I got approved for work comp April 8 2016 and today is May 12, 2016 and still NO BACK PAY NOT a dime and I am “approved”. This has been so embracing to me, my family , friends and Doctors office have all watched this!!!! I never thought I would be ashamed of the USPS my management ya but not this! I cannot imagine going back and continuing to bust my but for a organization that don’t give a bleep! Im currently looking I cannot quit yet I have to have a job! I have well planned my retirement I just need 14 more years God willing. Paulette your right only Gods grace can be on this company Iv watched many good hard working committed people quit over the past 5 years and its sad! This is why they cannot keep people, well good honest hard working people anyway! I pray for the USPS!
I worked at the post office for 21 years after doing 7 years in the military including the Gulf War. I have never worked in a place where the atmosphere is so toxic. I am so surprised no one has come in and shot up our processing and distribution facility. We have a plant manager who screams and hollers and shouts obscenities at people, then she has the audacity to ask why so many PSE’s quit! she accepted a position in Atlanta, but at least the unions there stood up to her and ran her sorry ass back to Augusta, which is unfortunate for us. our local APWU union is horrible. We don’t even have a shop steward on any of the three tours. The union president, who retired five or six years ago from the postal service, is the person we have to contact when we want to file a grievance. If you’re lucky you’ll get a response from her within a week. those who are eligible to retire do so. So between the people resigning and the retirees we are so short of people, we are running DBC’s with one person. we also have to open all of our first class mail and standard mail as the mail handlers here do not have to do that. The clerk Union also throws all the priority mail and since we are a small plant, we do everything by hand with ring scanners as we don’t have a parcel sorter machine. I love to call our workplace a plantation, as that’s what it is. The closest thing to slavery in the 21st century.
I am shocked and saddened by these comments. I work for a private carrier and I’ve played with the idea of going to USPS eventually. I wont be entertaining the thought anymore. Thank you all for your warnings.
the most disgusting place to work 32 years of mental and physical abuse. I went out on a disability retirement then I got charged or indictment for fraud with owcp after been gone for 2 years now being harassed by other employees making comments you deserve want you get. I hate the usps the most disgusting leadership and you are stuck working with an entire family who are the only ones the postal service will hire
It is the worse place I have ever worked. I love the job, love delivering the mail. I have been up for removal for times. They added 200 stops to my route from the CDRAP. I can’t get done in 8. When you call, they tell you to keep going. The next day you get a pdi for unauthorized ot.
I have been reading peoples experience, however I have one of my own, I just started working at the post office, my opinion is a savery mentality, I have never worked in an environment where your dignity is walk on every day and the care of human life means nothing, basically the mail is more important that us worker, the CCA’S has no benefit until they become regular/career employees which can take up to 3 yrs, there is actually no accountiblity and supervisors are shuffle around whenever they do something wrong and have to leave that station. I’m at awe the the government has no system that helps or control these kind of abuse. I finally quit after 2 mths. I couldn’t hang let the stress and hard work. Thank God for choice of opportunities.
I have a situation and am not sure who to turn to. I have been with the post office for twenty years and am fixing to retire. I have had carpal tunnel syndrome in my left wrist for over ten years but have lived with it.Sometimes my hand goes completely numb for about twenty minutes and I shake my hand and wait for the feelings to come back. Every nite it hurts but have learned to live with it. Several weeks ago my left wrist starting hurting so bad I was almost in tears.The work has gotten so much heavier over the last years and pulling down and the lifting and everything has now affected my left wrist. I went to a doctor,he told me I have carpal tunnel syndrome and schelduled me to have nerves tested. It is painful everyday at work and I am there everyday to do my job.Doctor told me it will only get worse if I do not have surgery. My sister who retired from Post office told me it is from my job and my insurance will not cover the surgery. Okay,so today I went to my postmaster,what a mistake.He made me feel like some kind of really bad person and told me lots of people have this and work,and that there is no proof this comes from my job,and that if I try to take action,basically he would fite me on it. I was shocked,I told him I simply wanted to understand the process AND THAT I never mentioned it was work related to anyone. I told him I am fixing to retire and want to have the problem fixed,I was looking for answers on if the post Office takes any responsibility on this.His answer was basically,no,I am on my own,and if I did not report the date of the accident I do not have a case. I told him there was no accident,it has been happening over a period of time,but he was angry and told me it could have something to do with my age,and finally I just wanted to get up and get out of there. I was made to feel like a crimminal.
Linda – you need to post your comments in our Job Injury Forum at PEN.
Everyone of these statements are true and definately would not let anyone you know apply for postal job they suck!!!! I know first hand
Once again the old saying “It’s who you know or who you ___” that wins in the end. How true for 99% of management.
Edited by PEN.
I’m speechless! I’m a 28 year letter carrier and I thought it was just me cracking up. You ALL have said what is exactly happing to me. wow, my EEO package is in route to me as we speak. For the record my OIC is splitting hairs with that scanner and rims crap.
My mother has been a dedicated employee at the post office for the last thirty years. She is a custodian and has been for last 15 yrs. She takes pride in her job and goes above and beyond everyday to make sure facility she works at is as taken care of with as much effort and responsibility as she would clean her home(which is amazing, because she made it that way). she goes out of her way for her co workers and het job more often then not. BUT***” at the same time she is CONSTANTLY MET WITH DISRESPDCT, Chauvinism, harassment, defamation and ridicule by handful of male coworkers. One of whom in have heard about for most of her career but he’s a supervisor so i guess he’s safe. And recently she had a grevemce dismissed saying she had no case but I mean this from my very being that it was what u call a slan dunk
You cannot record in the post office. It’s against the law. They can follow us around and video us but we cannot do the same. If it was llegal they wouldn’t be getting away with what they do. They are criminals who work at the post office. My co workers pay off the bosses. Union is a lazy
No good bunch of thieves.Management are bullies and theives as well. My shop steward pays off my bosses and buys gifts. He lies dead in my face. The place should be shut down. Its not easy to file a law suit when you have no one supporting you. One person lies for the next. In my station one woman can sit at the bosses desk and never go out on the street. Union and shop stewards allow it. But others have to work twice as hard on the street. She comes in on her vacation day to throw a couple of letters and makes overtime. Its a joke. She’s a carrier. Now she is becoming a boss because she allows the boss to feel up her leg which I unfortunately witnessed since they have no shame and did it right in the middle of the office.
Get a lawyer and sue the post office. Also sue the union if they don’t help you. File an EEO against the Post office AND against the union. No mercy because they hate us
March/2016
My PM/Supervisor is a Bully-I requested leave for My Uncles funeral 8 days before-when I put in leave slip My Pm said it was probably not going to happen-she had also denied leave for my Mothers, Sisters Funeral (my aunt) Four years earlier-I did not attend-I decided I was attending my Uncles Funeral-she told me the day before funeral my leave was denied-I told her I was going-hoping she would get someone to cover me-It was on a Saturday and no RCA can be absent in our office on a Saturday for any reason-she told me there was no one -she told me to talk to the Postmaster-I did I explained everything-that I regretted not attending my Aunts Funeral-my family was very important to me-he listened and ask if I could case my mail and attend the funeral then come back and deliver it-I told him no-the funeral was an hour away and the route I was covering is overburdened-it takes me all day to finish it-I went to my Uncles funeral and was written up-My PM told me I should have sucked it up-(In January I had put in a leave slip for two Saturday’s off in April-one for my first Grandchilds baby shower and one for a family reunion with my 88 year old Aunt who would be visiting from out of State)-after I was written up-I ask my PM if those days were going to be approved -she said probably not-unless I did not have to cover a route on those Saturdays and the possibility of that is very unlikely-I talked to my union Steward he said there was nothing I could do-it was LWOP and she could be as Heartless as she wanted-I am a 62 year old women whose family has always come first-I really felt hopeless and treated without respect by Management-I was with the Post Office for four years-I resigned March 31st-The day after I resigned my PM began her Vacation
I agree with all the comments. . Working for usps is very stress and the supervisors will Bully you into working their speed. I wouldn’t recommend for anyone of any age to apply. Springfield IL branch
PM’s comment from July,2015 made me want to puke.
Obviously PM must stand for Postmaster. I have worked for the USPS for 38yrs and 9 months and have never seen moral so low. We had a stand up last week where we were told that we are all replaceable and that there are people lining up to take our jobs. I can’t begin to count how many CCA’s have quit our station because of how they’re treated. PM makes it sound like CCA’s begin with all those great benefits that He/She/Other listed.
Wrong. Lower pay, no benefits to speak of, work seven days a week, and have the opportunity to be fired for any reason the PM/Supervisor seems fit to choose. Next consider the new scanners that are GPS capable and able to track a carriers every movement, or lack of. They can also pull satellite imagery… they must have an agreement with the NSA to be able to that trick. The pressure to do more with less resources, and do it faster is relentless. I could repeat all of the horror stories given by my fellow carriers, but I won’t.
Just suffice it to say- It’s all true, and then some. I point out to the newly hired that there is Logic, and then there’s Postal Logic and that there’s Math, and then there’s Postal Math. I walk them over to the carrier cases and show them a prime example of what I’m speaking of. On this particular case there’s a form that lists the route number, the regular’s name, start time, the expected leave time, the number of possible deliveries, the number of parcels, the number of accountables, and the expected return time. The postal math/logic becomes obvious when one looks at the same form only dated 1 yr later. The start time is the same, the leave time has been reduced by 7 minutes, parcel and accountable numbers are the same, but the return time has been reduced by 16 minutes. Sound good except that the number of possible deliveries has increased by 97 and we now scan almost every SPR and PP that’s delivered. And now we have to stop and scan for a “requested sampling” “flats first, then letters”.
If that carrier doesn’t meet managements expected times his OT is denied, and he’s subject to discipline. Adding Insult to injury.
In our office we have had a mass exodus of those who can retire, and I’m right behind them as soon as I can. In my 38+ years I have worked for three Postmasters who were great,they treated their employees with respect and dignity and they got results. All of the rest of them were pretty much worthless. That not a very good record considering the amount of time I’ve been with the service, and the number of PM’s and supervisors that have passed through my office.
After 29 years as a rural carrier in Southern NJ. I was literally bullied by my coworkers until I was forced to quit. Every right that could have been violated were. My record shows that I was terminated, therefore loosening all monies. I I never missed a snow day and was also honored a hero. The union president did nothing to help. I’m still without an income and had suffered breakdowns and a suicide attempt. After being dedicated for so long and then be dismissed without a second thought is heart wrenching.
I’m in Texas and I have been with the post office for almost 22 years. I have been a faithful and hardworking employee. I worked the past 16 years with extremely flat feet as a distribution/window/dispatch clerk. I walked on my ankles (callouses had formed) and it was very painful. One day, I suffered excruciating pain in my abdomen. I stayed at work nearly blacking out and weak just to finish my 8 hour shift. I ended up in the hospital with my intestines bursting in 3 different places. I stayed off work about 2 & 1/2 months. Upon returning to work, I continued working hard until one day I took a step and my foot flipped up (literally) and the ankle bone hit the bone in my leg—-I couldn’t walk on it anymore without excruciating pain. I left work not knowing that I would be offside long. I ended up having 6 surgeries over the space of a whole year (right foot, entire digestive system–4 surgeries, & left foot). My bosses NEVER CHECKED ON ME?? I brought documentations for every surgery and recovery times. I was still recovering from the last surgery when I was notified (after all of my benefits were cut off) by boss— I received a note from the station manager letting me know that I needed to return to work if I wanted my benefits reinstated—I was still in a wheelchair from the last reconstructive surgery (12/22/15). It took 4 &1/2 months to be able to walk from the right foot surgery and the left foot surgery was only 1& 1/2 months old. I couldn’t put any pressure on the foot and I had to keep it elevated almost all day long for a good while. I could not return to work. The station manager refused to make a pay adjustment just 1 pay period back to put me in a paid status so that my medical insurance could be reinstated so that I could continue to see my Dr. until I was well enough to go back to work. After 22 years of faithful service, I couldn’t work any longer for management who DON’T CARE ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR HARDWORKING EMPLOYEES! I RESIGNED!!! THE MONEY AND BENEFITS WERE GOOD, BUT I CARE MORE ABOUT MY LONG TERM HEALTH THAN I DO ABOUT JUST BEING A WORK MULE FOR UNAPPRECIATIVE MANAGERIAL LEADERS. I TOLD MY CHILDREN “NEVER WORK AT USPS!”. GOOD MONEY–YES!
WORTH YOUR HEALTH–NO!
MY PRAYERS ARE WITH THE FAMILIES OF FORMER POSTAL WORKERS WHO COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE OF THE HORRIBLE STRESSFUL CONDITIONS THEY WERE FACING!!!
BE NOT DECEIVED–FOR GOD IS NOT MOCKED–FOR WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP!! I pray God’s MERCY for management!!
Why do people not know how to respond when their employers fail to pay? There is no mystery here folks. Contact your local bored of labor and talk to a labor lawyer. Screw the useless crooked corrupt unions. Listen, scumbags in the work place fear two things and two things only. LEGAL ACTION and people who know labor laws like the back of their hand. Know the laws and know them well. You should be able to recite them to your ‘boss’ if need be so. And if your being harassed or bullied and your union will not help you, its 2016. Buy a simple recording device or even a pair of those sunglasses with the built in camera. Get it all recorded. Now you can sue your company AND your union hehe. TAKE ACTION, thats what you do.