Background
OIG 10/29/26 – The Postal Service relies on internal controls, supervisory oversight, electronic time and attendance tracking systems, and facility badge systems to ensure employee workhours are accurately recorded and to verify who is entering and exiting Postal Service facilities. These controls help confirm that employees are paid correctly for the hours they work and reduce the risk of unauthorized, unrecorded, or inaccurate time.
The Postal Service uses the Time Attendance Collection System (TACS) to capture the workhours for each employee. Employees record their time by swiping a timecard at an electronic badge reader, also referred to as a time clock. Each swipe updates their timecard record in TACS; these entries are referred to as clock rings. Employees are normally required to have these four clock rings each day: begin tour, out to lunch, in from lunch, and end tour. Postal Service policy permits employees to have an unpaid 30-minute lunch in a six-hour tour. The Postal Service’s payroll process relies on the timely and accurate recording of hours for each employee. Therefore, it is critical that hours entered in TACS accurately reflect the employees’ time worked. Managers and supervisors are responsible for identifying discrepancies in time entries, adjusting when necessary, and maintaining appropriate supporting documentation of any corrections.
The Postal Service relies on a separate computerized card-based access control system, the Electronic Physical Access Control System (ePACS), to safeguard employees, facilities, and sensitive information. The ePACS system controls facility access, records access history, and updates access — based on changes to employment status. Employees scan their separate ePACS badge to unlock doors, which allows for entry to and exit from a facility.
