Expands the main menu
Pushing the Envelope Blog

Operating During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Date: 04/06/20 | Category: OIG

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has impacted our country in ways that were unimaginable months ago. It is changing how people across the U.S. and around the world are working, shopping, even interacting with one another. States have ordered many stores and businesses to close. Businesses that continue to operate are faced with protecting their employees and customers, while coming up with creative ways to market and deliver their products.

The Postal Service continues to serve the public, operating on the front line, fulfilling the universal service obligation to deliver to every house and business every day. USPS is finding itself serving a population that is relying on it now more than ever. For many home-bound and quarantined people, home delivery is the only source for medicine and other vital supplies. During this time, the Postal Service has also prioritized the safety of its employees and customers.

We recognize the reality of the pandemic and have adapted our operations to maintain continuity while ensuring the safety of our employees. We are taking abundant care to minimize exposure to both our employees and Postal Service employees, using technology whenever possible. As we have told our employees, we also ask you to follow CDC guidelines, remain home as much as possible, and stay safe.

For questions or concerns about delivery during the pandemic, please go to usps.com to track mail or get information from the USPS Coronavirus FAQs page.

Postal Service employees, for work-related complaints or issues, please use our Hotline to let us know.

Leave a Comment

Your Name
Leigh
Dec 13, 2020
Your Comment
I live at n a rural area with a small post office. The post master is NEVER wearing a mask when I come in. Notices for customers are posted on doors. How can I request that my post master follow my state’s mask mandate without alienating me from this essential very local business? I don’t want this to be a political issue but a health one.
Your Name
Worker Natural Rights
Dec 12, 2020
Your Comment
USPS nor OSHA have a policy on covid19 nor any virus therefore it is the responsibility of OSHA to ensure the USPS is doing the right thing for its employees. OSHA requires the USPS to: 1) Recognize that there is an issue. 2) Make a plan. 3) Put the plan into action. That's it. The USPS doesn't have to enforce any of it. So where I work the USPS is in compliance even though 70% to 80% of employees and management don't or refuse to wear masks. This is true and the same with all federal agencies. The USPS could enforce the wearing of masks all by themselves, which is the humane thing to do, but they decline to do so putting everyone's lives in danger. Keep in mind that everyone has the natural right (the first amendment is based on your natural rights and the ninth amendment is the enumeration related to your natural rights) to protect their health and person. I still go to work but take off a day or two every week and have been for most of 2020 due to USPS choice to decline to enforce mask mandates putting everyone's life at risk and citing my natural right to protect my health by limiting my exposure to the unhealthy and unsafe workplace. I'd prefer to just work but I will not put myself at risk 100% of the time. I wear a mask religiously to protect myself and everyone.
Your Name
Connor
Dec 10, 2020
Your Comment
Everyone is tired of the “ pandemic “ excuse! I’ve had to get up and do my job since day one of this nonsense. You have cost many of us a lot of money by continuing to lose packages and mail, there is no excuse FIX IT!
  
Your Name
Cartero
Dec 11, 2020
Your Comment
Federal judges already tried to fix it. However they did not draft folks to make up staff losses due to quarantines or force airlines to fly without passengers as they used to sell unused cargo capacity to the USPS, much like the post office carried market ads as an add on to 1st Class mail. And now UPS and FedEx are keeping capacity in reserve to move vaccines when the go order comes instead of flying mail for the post office so they can get closer to just fixing it.
Unlike a business the service can not turn away work that is beyond its capacity to fulfill at the pre COVID levels. More work with fewer people is unavoidable
Your Name
Garm
Dec 8, 2020
Your Comment
Our letter carrier does not wear a mask. We think that's unsafe handling of our mail. What is the USPS policy?
Your Name
Anonymous
Dec 5, 2020
Your Comment
This is crazy what they are doing to employees and customers. I have 4 packages and not a single one are moving. All in different DCs, all mailed in the last 2 weeks. I know this isnt the fault of the local office, or any normal level employee. I have noone to complain to that actually deserves it and there is nothing my local clerk can do to help at all. This wasnt happening before and I have trouble believing it's the pandemic. This is a management issue and something needs to be done.
  
Your Name
Li
Dec 12, 2020
Your Comment
I have the same problem! My package stays in a DC for more than one week...
Have you got yours delivered?
Your Name
Jean Frey
Dec 1, 2020
Your Comment
The person working at the counter in the Mont Alto, PA post office was not wearing a mask. She had it hanging off her ear and the woman in the office did not cover her nose. COVID numbers are too high for this kind of irresponsible behavior.
  
Your Name
steve
Dec 3, 2020
Your Comment
The Covid numbers are LIES! People get sick every year at this time. Nothing has changed. They inflate the numbers so you stupidly will get their poison vaccine in fear of a fake virus.
     
Your Name
Ty
Dec 5, 2020
Your Comment
I'm sure you'll still be saying that when you're burying a loved one before this is over. Wake up before it's too late and you end up killing someone around you with your selfishness.
        
Your Name
Steve
Dec 8, 2020
Your Comment
I don't know any "loved ones" sick or even anyone catching a virus because viruses are NOT a living thing therefore NOT contagious, just like HIV, Sars, Bird Flu,Swine flu etc were not contagious.Feel free to take the Vax for your own stupidity
           
Your Name
Nick
Dec 11, 2020
Your Comment
COVID deniers such as yourself are ignorant, irresponsible, and lack any compassion for human lives but their own. Those people don't deserve a hospital bed if they do end up contracting the virus. No medical worker should have to waste any of their time on a person like that.
              
Your Name
Whacky Wonder
Dec 12, 2020
Your Comment
It's mostly the Trump cult following republicans who think covid19 is a hoax. lol.
                 
Your Name
Steve
Dec 15, 2020
Your Comment
No! Actual biologists and Doctor's who understand how viruses work have come out and said "You cannot catch a virus" . It's brain dead, media worshipping zombies like you is why you believe what you believe. It has nothing to do with TRUMP!
              
Your Name
Steve
Dec 14, 2020
Your Comment
You don't "contract" viruses Stupid! What you have been taught about viruses is a LIE! Viruses are Solvents/Soaps that reside within our own bodies and are called upon when the bodies cells become TOXIC. This is a natural cleanse due to toxicity in the body. The mainstream will never tell you that truth! Viruses are not a living thing, they are not alive. This is biology 101 if its being correctly taught. The only way to "catch a virus" is through injection. It's time the world wakes up to their lies and stop believing everything you hear and see on TV.
                 
Your Name
Steve's the idiot!
Dec 17, 2020
Your Comment
You're right. Guess all those herpes and aids patients are wrong.
Call Steve EVERYBODY, he knows EVERYTHING.
              
Your Name
MaryAnn
Dec 30, 2020
Your Comment
I agree with you Nick, if they don't want to help stop the spread,then they're on their own when they or their family get the virus. I hope USPS can get back on track. I think the problems are in part due to the new PMG. Hopefully he'll be gone. I really appreciate our USPS, I know the employees work hard.
           
Your Name
Anonymous
Dec 11, 2020
Your Comment
That is the most hilarious comment I've ever heard about viruses. Please do not reproduce as you clearly never even went to high school.
           
Your Name
Temperance
Dec 11, 2020
Your Comment
Wow, can't fix stupid.. Obviously you can't put a mask on, or vaccinate it either!!
           
Your Name
Naomi
Dec 14, 2020
Your Comment
You have clearly never taken a general biology class Steve.
Your Name
Randall Davis
Nov 27, 2020
Your Comment
Re:Belpre Ohio post office
One employee in particular at front desk never wears a mask endangering coworkers and customers like me. There is a mask mandate in place.
  
Your Name
Cp
Nov 29, 2020
Your Comment
The post office doesn't have to go through the regular guidelines like you and I do. They are the federal government they don't have to listen to the Mandate and adhere to them. I know this because my husband works for them!
Your Name
Gale Gravina
Nov 26, 2020
Your Comment
I have a package to mail and I am a high risk adult in my late 60s.I live in a building that gets Ups and Usps service on a daily basis.The dept ,on the building , can't weigh the package. Please help me with this matter.Thank You Gale Gravina
Your Name
Fletcher Persinger
Nov 25, 2020
Your Comment
USPS staff refused to take a temperature check at our place of business. He refused to be scanned stating that it was in their Policy, he yelled out "I do not need to take a F****n test. It's in our Policy!". We were just following Government Mandates for business to operate during COVID-19 anyone entering must have a face mask and be temperature. Is this really a policy in which USPS Drivers coming into private businesses are exempt from temperature checks?
  
Your Name
Cartero
Dec 1, 2020
Your Comment
Yes, that is the policy as told to us. While the letter carrier is suppose to follow the local governments mandate on mask if a local store goes beyond that and makes hi m submit to a test and questioners used to track employees of that business he is to move on to his next delivery. If the business wishes to lock the carrier out for a lack of a test then the business has to arrange for a delivery point outside of that building or caller service at the delivery station.