June 8, 2023 Smoke is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles. These microscopic particles can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes,…
June 2, 2023 National Dog Bite Awareness Week, an annual USPS public service safety campaign, runs from Sunday, June 4, to Saturday, June 10, this year. âEven good dogs have bad daysâ is this yearâs theme. âWhen our mail carriers are bitten, it is usually a âgood dogâ that had not previously behaved in a…
June 1. 2023 The Postal Service wants supervisors and managers to remember that every request for reasonable accommodation, no matter how minimal, must be recorded. The forms Confirmation of Request for Reasonable Accommodation and the Reasonable Accommodation Decision Guide should be filled out and the information entered in the Reasonable Accommodation Data Activity Recording system,…
Background Postal Service employees who sustain a work-related injury or occupational disease are covered by the Federal Employeesâ Compensation Act (FECA). These benefits include wage-loss compensation, medical and rehabilitation services, and death benefit payments to surviving dependents. The Department of Laborâs (DOL) Office of Workersâ Compensation Program has the exclusive authority to administer, implement, and…
May 17, 2023 Effective May 12, 2023, the Postal Service has discontinued all Covid-19 specific protocols, including all memoranda of understanding, policies, and work practice restrictions and requirements. However, we must all understand that COVID-19 and other communicable diseases still pose a threat. Many members in their line of work are susceptible to these illnesses,…
May 11, 2023 A federal court determined that a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee who had filed an injury report in 2019 was âwrongfully fired,â OSHA announced. According to a news release, the employee, who was still in the new hire probation phase, told supervisors about the injury âand applied for workersâ compensation benefits.â Before…
Rising temperatures can put employees at risk for heat illnesses. When the body is unable to cool itself by sweating, heat illnesses such as heat stress, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke may occur. Symptoms range from mild and easily correctable to severe and potentially life-threatening. The United States Postal Service (USPS) implemented the…
March 16, 2023 The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has paused all new applications for the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. Unenrolled individuals cannot apply for the program. The suspension period, which will run for 24 months from Dec. 19, 2022, is designed to give OPM and the John Hancock Life and Health…
