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Pushing the Envelope Blog

Seeking Peak Performance for Peak Season

Date: 12/19/22 | Category: Mail Processing & Transportation

For this year’s peak mailing season, which began last month and runs through January, the U.S. Postal Service decided to hire fewer temporary employees and lease less temporary space to handle the increased volume than it did last year. Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it?

Not when you consider that this year, according to the Postal Service, it has more experienced employees, higher employee availability, increased package processing capacity, and a more stable workforce overall. What a difference a year after the height of the pandemic makes. Also, USPS management said it isn’t expecting an increase in volume compared to last year.

In our recent assessment of the Postal Service’s readiness for the volume of packages it is expecting, we noted it had undertaken these specific initiatives:

  • Converting 10,000 pre-career employees to career service and backfilling them
  • Hiring over 28,000 temporary employees
  • Deploying and installing 50 package sorting machines
  • Leasing 17 temporary mail processing facilities and 71 delivery annexes

We did find the agency may not be able to lease as much temporary facility space as intended, but contingency plans are in place if needed. As a result, we concluded the Postal Service has a reasonable plan for peak season, and we didn’t issue any recommendations.

Are you sending or receiving any holiday parcels this season? If so, how many? How has the Postal Service’s performed so far this peak season for you?

Leave a Comment

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optha264
Mar 4, 2023
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Ecommerce Image Editing Services provides very good quality service.
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orville lawrence
Jan 20, 2023
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Money
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Sabrina Ann Gwen
Jan 17, 2023
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January 17, 2023

It's been a nice former year 2022 and now 2023 at the United States Post Office. Thinking about how nice I have been treated by one of my favorite employees at the Camarillo location, CA. Lucy is one of the most professional and Purposeful employee that I've ever met. She great's you with a good smile and is extremely helpful. With every piece of mail, or all the different transactions it may take she is always willing to help.

Thank You so very much for giving the public such a wonderful experience, with Lucy.
Sincerely, Yours Sabrina.
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Jessica
Jan 8, 2023
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This is so frustrating. Did you pick the offices your surveyed and observed and choose the least stressed of them all? The report about the readiness of the postal service for peak season given to Congress was true but incomplete. This blog post now is also true but wrong. Yes. The USPS has the best employees who work harder and perform better than anyone in any job under such pressure. The USPS team of carriers and clerks can rise to the occasion as demanded much of the time. This much is true. Meanwhile this team is suffering in offices where the staff is shorthanded, offices are being relocated and the parcel volume is through the roof. Regulars cannot use their leave time unless they requested it last year. Many can not get any days off and are being asked to volunteer for more. RCAs are not being hired. RCAs are running multiple routes. RCAs face stress and pressure to continue past the 12 hour mark and are expected to put themselves in danger and continue and file a grievance later. 204bs are not being promoted. Carriers willing to supervise are not being promoted. Closing offices to combine offices is leaving supervisors in search of placements. Backdoor manipulation and massive retreat is occurring to accomplish all this.
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Fred Reyes Sr
Jan 2, 2023
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Questions: How many package sorting machines or flat sorting machines did the Postal Service have that were taken apart - to "Privatize the Postal Service"? Management wants to privatize the Postal Service. Why?
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Irene Mann
Dec 28, 2022
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Our last mail delivery was 12/23/22. Still no mail 12/27/22. No one in our neighborhood has received mail. Zip code 52807
  
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OIG Webmaster
Jan 17, 2023
Your Comment
Thank you for your comments. The OIG is an independent agency of the Postal Service and many of these issues fall outside of our jurisdiction. However, we do read all blog comments and pass on relevant information to our auditors and investigators. If you have not already done so, please try contacting your local Post Office. If you have already done that, try contacting USPS Customer Service, 1 (800) 275-8777, or to file an online complaint with Customer Service (and for frequently asked questions), go to the USPS Website and enter "Customer Service Help" in the search function.
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Mike Valentino
Dec 25, 2022
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The postal service stole money in a priority mail and I can’t post it on a usps message board for others to see. That’s criminal in itself
  
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OIG Webmaster
Jan 19, 2023
Your Comment
Thanks for your message. The best thing to do would be to file an online complaint with our Hotline. You can access the online complaint form by visiting our Website, clicking the "Contact Us" tab on the top and selecting "Hotline." This will allow us to look into the matter for you.
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Matthew Scott Praetz
Dec 24, 2022
Your Comment
I would like to inquire about employment opportunities preferably a career I believe that mu certifications and extensive credentials would absolutely intrigue impress and most importantly mutually benefit myself perhaps even be more beneficial for the USPS. I am very proud of my accomplished certifications from OSHA (All OSHA training Maxed in all fields I enjoy proving credentials) also am certified by ANSI for ANSI (Heavey Equipment Heavey Cranes Lifts Forklifts and 60+ more with additional ASME (similar to ANSI but for all Indoor equipment Curling cranes Lifts SPECIALIZED LIFTS/FORKLIFTS Cherry pickers and personnel lifts Additional 60+ certs OSHA/ANSI/ASME perfectionist I like working with equipment others fear especially when people doubt my ability I enjoy being a safe competitor at being great at what I do PERIOD.
  
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OIG Webmaster
Jan 19, 2023
Your Comment
Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Please visit our website and select the "Work for Us" tab on the top of the screen to view our current job openings/listings.
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Sam Samuelsen
Dec 23, 2022
Your Comment
Good play. Temp workers likely would have been hard to find in this labor market, and the ones you found wouldn't necessarily have been good st the job.

Excess capacity other times of the year allows maintenance, training, testing of new technologies and business practices, etc. without harming service.

Personally I've been quite pleased with my mail service over the psst several months.
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Ashunta
Dec 19, 2022
Your Comment
I have not yet to receive any of my packages I have been expecting for quite some time now and I desperately would like some answers on to why haven’t I or why am I not receiving any of my package orders
  
Your Name
OIG Webmaster
Jan 17, 2023
Your Comment
Thank you for your comments. The OIG is an independent agency of the Postal Service and many of these issues fall outside of our jurisdiction. However, we do read all blog comments and pass on relevant information to our auditors and investigators. If you have not already done so, please try contacting your local Post Office. If you have already done that, try contacting USPS Customer Service, 1 (800) 275-8777, or to file an online complaint with Customer Service (and for frequently asked questions), go to the USPS Website and enter "Customer Service Help" in the search function.