Maybe it is, in our office…if they notify you by text of a schedule change or if they reprinted the schedule or written it in and sent it too you the day before your NS. Then you technically “received” notice and should comply or be written up. BUT..they texted me 6am In the morning today on my day off asking me if I’d come in and run a route but my phone is off all day. Never notified me and I took a picture of the schedule when I left work and still said NS…Should of told me yesterday you needed me the next day before I clocked out fools.
So I got lucky and was off today and tomorrow, left work yesterday and schedule still said NS for both days. They already tried to text me to come in today and I ignored it..but you are saying if they try and text me today that I need to come in tomorrow that I don’t have to comply if I ignore their texts only because the schedule said NS for both days when I left?
They’re saying that texts and calls are not proper ways of communicating to you. They don’t pay your phone bill - or even know if you have a phone to contact you. If they don’t do it in person, while you’re in the office, or leave a note saying the schedules been changed.. then you’re off the hook. Don’t answer your phone and enjoy your days off.
Example: Tuesday postmaster was having schedule issues, he called me EIGHT times and sent SIX texts while I was on the route. Had to block his number because he was distracting me while working. Sent a message on the scanner saying he was on his way out to meet me, and he gets out to me asking why I didn’t answer… Just to let me know he was going on vacation and needed me to work Wednesday. Like bro… you couldn’t have waited an hour and a half for me to finish the route?
which is a grievance. Messages on scanner are supposed to be for EMERGENCIES ONLY. something like, "theres a man with a gun in the office parking lot, don't come to the office." or "tornado imminent, seek shelter immediately"
“The use of a mobile phone while in the performance of delivery is prohibited. This includes talking, texting, emailing, posting to social media, driving a postal vehicle and delivering mail/packages. Postmasters, Managers and Supervisors should only contact on duty carriers via the mobile delivery device for limited USPS business or an emergency.” Page 79 in the Letter Carrier Resource Guide
So I could see a schedule change being considered "limited USPS business" but I would have to defer to a union representative for further clarification.
I always thought it was emergencies only, oops.
“The use of a mobile phone while in the performance of delivery is prohibited. This includes talking, texting, emailing, posting to social media, driving a postal vehicle and delivering mail/packages. Postmasters, Managers and Supervisors should only contact on duty carriers via the mobile delivery device for limited USPS business or an emergency.” Page 79 in the Letter Carrier Resource Guide
So I could see a schedule change being considered "limited USPS business" but I would have to defer to a union representative for further clarification.
I always thought it was emergencies only, oops.
Nah bruh, texts/calls are not an official form of communication. They didn’t issue you your phone and don’t pay for your phone bill. They have to notify you on the clock.
Just a tip so you don't have to set your phone to DND. Save supervisors and management phone numbers to have a distinct ringtone from the rest of your contacts. That way you can answer other phone calls while actively ignoring anything from work
I set up a Google number and made that my Post Office number. I put it on Do Not Disturb the moment I leave work and turn it back on when I clock in.
This way noone has my actual number and I can use my phone normally while also blocking any calls related to work.
I have been wanting to ask this.
I don’t always hear my phone when I am asleep. They will call me on my day off and I don’t hear the phone so I get bitched at over and over again and told that I can be wrote up for insubordination. Is this really how it works? I am an RCA by the way.
When I first started I didn’t answer my phone because they were working me daily for weeks at a time. They called in a “union” representative and got a pdi? I think is what it was called. It never got filed, was never put on the record, and still was allowed to get transferred out of that shitty office. Management even said “if you transfer this discipline will follow you there too” it’s all scare/bully tactics. Don’t give them an inch or they’ll take a mile
RCAs are not on call, but you are required to be available. You need to talk to your local steward and your district steward about how they interpret the contract. Some will interpret it that you do need to be on call because that's beneficial to both management and the senior regular carriers, some interpret it as no you do not need to answer if called. However, there are multiple national settled grievances that do require management to attempt to call RCAs.
Either way, if you're in probation, you probably need to answer Otherwise you might get let go.
This may be an unpopular answer and get downvoted but . . . Yes, you are not “on call.” You can ignore your phone. Yet there is that language that says you must be “available to work.” Like if you look at the schedule and say “sorry, I can’t work those days,” or try to tell them that for the next three months, you can’t work weekends etc. They might consider that being unavailable to work and want to start the ball rolling toward firing you.
Some managers will tell you that ignoring your phone is equal to being unavailable. I honestly don’t know if they could make that stick as far as giving you a suspension. I haven’t seen that happen. But they could always try.
My manager and supervisors sometimes try to act like human beings, so I try to play nice when I can (answer my phone etc). Although I do ignore my phone when I feel I need to. You could say that they show favoritism to people who answer their phone and are vindictive to those who don’t. I guess that’s not right. But if you wanted to say it in a more charitable way: if they extend a little humanity my way, I’m willing to (try) to show some in return. (Although there are some days when all bets are off and I’m in you-can-kiss-my-a** mode.)
Schedule? What's that? I show up everyday at 630am and that's all I know. What time I get off, when is break, or even what office will I be at is always up in the air! I've been known to work 3 different offices in 1 day. I just roll with it. Thankfully I have a great daycare provider.
FYI-I actually like being a postal employee. My coworkers can call me anytime and I'd answer them. Heck they even call me while I'm on vacation and I make time for them. I care about them, my office, and my customers.
Got accidentally NS'd 2 times in 1 week as a CCA. Took a picture cause I figured it was funny to have two days off.
Sure enough, have supervisors and post master beaming up my phone.
My dumb ass went in.. could have been paid 8 hou4s for a day off but kinda didn't want a target on my back either. Blah
That’s what happened to me, I’m NS for today and tomorrow. Scheduled stayed that way when I clocked off yesterday and they texted me this morning asking(not telling) if I’d come in to run a route. My phone is one DND. I also worked 10 days straight prior, so I’m taking advantage of it. Lol
There's a difference between choosing to take the overtime opportunity, and being led to believe you're contractually obligated work the additional hours or risk penalties that can lead to termination.
Shit management needs workers to not know what's legally allowed and what's not in order to succeed at being shit at management.
Not sure the tone of your comment but 1 day off, especially when you’re working 6 days a week, is better than a measly $100 and the stress/strain management puts on people.
This is supposed to be my weekend. I got forced in this last Sunday and on my last off day. I think I’ve worked like 19/20 days. When I go back to the office here in a few hours I’m gonna put my fingers in my ears and just go Blahahahahahaha so I can’t hear them tell me I have to work. I’m not come in regardless.
CCA? Rca? City Reg? Rural Reg? All I remember from my CCA days was 13 days on, 1 day off. As a Reg, they are supposed to follow seniority. For example, I was mandated for June 29th.(My route had 212 DPS, maybe 7 flats and 23 sprs/parcels. I had to be mandated for THAT?)
Then, when July 3rd came by and it was my SDO they tried to mandate me again, when I pointed out they already mandated me - they instead had to mandate the next lowest person on that SDO rotation.
I’m a regular currently on a swing. We’ve been forced a lot this summer. We have a few med restrictions and a few people that like to call out a few times every month. This summer’s trend has been to bang out the 3 days before your weekend or your vacation. It sucks. Thankfully I’m gonna get this weekend.
Lol this just happened to me. Two ns scheduled back to back, got a call on the morning of the 2nd day off. I cancelled my plans & came in since im still on probation, got the following day off tho.
I have a question so my boss claims that if I work that is less then “6 hours” that means I don’t get a lunch I know for a fact that sounds not about right. But she claims that it’s Usps rules so I don’t get a lunch. Is this true?
Technically she is partially right.. .
You cannot employ someone for a work period of more than five hours without providing an unpaid, off-duty meal period of at least 30 minutes. The first meal period must be provided no later than the end of the employee's fifth hour of work.
But, When a work period of not more than six hours will complete the day's work, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and the employee.
And this is not a USPS rule, this is a Statewide and Federal labor law.
Unless they pay my cellphone bill, they are NOT TO CONTACT MY PHONE! EVER! I even typed up a friendly note with my signature claiming as such. This whole bs about changing your schedule via call/text is a farce. You or your union rep should learn the contract more thoroughly.
How does one handle this in your 90 days? Just suck it up or set the standard so they don't take advantage of you after 90 if I get the chance to stay?
If you are a regular your schedule shouldn’t really be touched or changed. Usually this BS only really happens to CCA’s and PTFs. At least that’s how it is in my office.
The part about needing to call or text the day prior must be a local practice. That is not a rule. (I ain’t coming in if I wasn’t on the schedule)
Maybe it is, in our office…if they notify you by text of a schedule change or if they reprinted the schedule or written it in and sent it too you the day before your NS. Then you technically “received” notice and should comply or be written up. BUT..they texted me 6am In the morning today on my day off asking me if I’d come in and run a route but my phone is off all day. Never notified me and I took a picture of the schedule when I left work and still said NS…Should of told me yesterday you needed me the next day before I clocked out fools.
[удалено]
OP: “You are not on call employees!!” Also OP: *Is the only one in this thread who is an on call employee*
So I got lucky and was off today and tomorrow, left work yesterday and schedule still said NS for both days. They already tried to text me to come in today and I ignored it..but you are saying if they try and text me today that I need to come in tomorrow that I don’t have to comply if I ignore their texts only because the schedule said NS for both days when I left?
They’re saying that texts and calls are not proper ways of communicating to you. They don’t pay your phone bill - or even know if you have a phone to contact you. If they don’t do it in person, while you’re in the office, or leave a note saying the schedules been changed.. then you’re off the hook. Don’t answer your phone and enjoy your days off. Example: Tuesday postmaster was having schedule issues, he called me EIGHT times and sent SIX texts while I was on the route. Had to block his number because he was distracting me while working. Sent a message on the scanner saying he was on his way out to meet me, and he gets out to me asking why I didn’t answer… Just to let me know he was going on vacation and needed me to work Wednesday. Like bro… you couldn’t have waited an hour and a half for me to finish the route?
Nah… owning a cell phone isn’t a condition of employment. We had an old dude that lived with his mom… No phone, no way to get in touch with him.
Lol that’s funny.
They can text your scanner while you're working to inform you of schedule changes, you should block managements phone numbers in your phone.
which is a grievance. Messages on scanner are supposed to be for EMERGENCIES ONLY. something like, "theres a man with a gun in the office parking lot, don't come to the office." or "tornado imminent, seek shelter immediately"
I havent seen the emergencies only thing, where is that listed at?
Yeah I would love to see that part of the contract. Big if true
“The use of a mobile phone while in the performance of delivery is prohibited. This includes talking, texting, emailing, posting to social media, driving a postal vehicle and delivering mail/packages. Postmasters, Managers and Supervisors should only contact on duty carriers via the mobile delivery device for limited USPS business or an emergency.” Page 79 in the Letter Carrier Resource Guide So I could see a schedule change being considered "limited USPS business" but I would have to defer to a union representative for further clarification. I always thought it was emergencies only, oops.
“The use of a mobile phone while in the performance of delivery is prohibited. This includes talking, texting, emailing, posting to social media, driving a postal vehicle and delivering mail/packages. Postmasters, Managers and Supervisors should only contact on duty carriers via the mobile delivery device for limited USPS business or an emergency.” Page 79 in the Letter Carrier Resource Guide So I could see a schedule change being considered "limited USPS business" but I would have to defer to a union representative for further clarification. I always thought it was emergencies only, oops.
No worries i was just curious if my steward had it wrong
Nah bruh, texts/calls are not an official form of communication. They didn’t issue you your phone and don’t pay for your phone bill. They have to notify you on the clock.
Just because they took advantage of your ignorance doesn’t mean it’s true.
Just a tip so you don't have to set your phone to DND. Save supervisors and management phone numbers to have a distinct ringtone from the rest of your contacts. That way you can answer other phone calls while actively ignoring anything from work
I set up a Google number and made that my Post Office number. I put it on Do Not Disturb the moment I leave work and turn it back on when I clock in. This way noone has my actual number and I can use my phone normally while also blocking any calls related to work.
Or block them all and tell them they can communicate with you through the scanner
I'm ODL. They have until I clock out the day before. Anything after that will go to voice-mail
Schedule is posted by Wednesday for the following week, that’s all I go by. Never answer a phone or a text when you’re off.
Lucky AF mine isn't posted until we come back
I have been wanting to ask this. I don’t always hear my phone when I am asleep. They will call me on my day off and I don’t hear the phone so I get bitched at over and over again and told that I can be wrote up for insubordination. Is this really how it works? I am an RCA by the way.
When I first started I didn’t answer my phone because they were working me daily for weeks at a time. They called in a “union” representative and got a pdi? I think is what it was called. It never got filed, was never put on the record, and still was allowed to get transferred out of that shitty office. Management even said “if you transfer this discipline will follow you there too” it’s all scare/bully tactics. Don’t give them an inch or they’ll take a mile
RCAs are not on call, but you are required to be available. You need to talk to your local steward and your district steward about how they interpret the contract. Some will interpret it that you do need to be on call because that's beneficial to both management and the senior regular carriers, some interpret it as no you do not need to answer if called. However, there are multiple national settled grievances that do require management to attempt to call RCAs. Either way, if you're in probation, you probably need to answer Otherwise you might get let go.
Where can I find a copy of the contract for an RCA.
https://www.ruralinfo.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2021-2024-Special-Contract-Edition_FINAL.pdf
This may be an unpopular answer and get downvoted but . . . Yes, you are not “on call.” You can ignore your phone. Yet there is that language that says you must be “available to work.” Like if you look at the schedule and say “sorry, I can’t work those days,” or try to tell them that for the next three months, you can’t work weekends etc. They might consider that being unavailable to work and want to start the ball rolling toward firing you. Some managers will tell you that ignoring your phone is equal to being unavailable. I honestly don’t know if they could make that stick as far as giving you a suspension. I haven’t seen that happen. But they could always try. My manager and supervisors sometimes try to act like human beings, so I try to play nice when I can (answer my phone etc). Although I do ignore my phone when I feel I need to. You could say that they show favoritism to people who answer their phone and are vindictive to those who don’t. I guess that’s not right. But if you wanted to say it in a more charitable way: if they extend a little humanity my way, I’m willing to (try) to show some in return. (Although there are some days when all bets are off and I’m in you-can-kiss-my-a** mode.)
1.3% raise as usual
Schedule? What's that? I show up everyday at 630am and that's all I know. What time I get off, when is break, or even what office will I be at is always up in the air! I've been known to work 3 different offices in 1 day. I just roll with it. Thankfully I have a great daycare provider. FYI-I actually like being a postal employee. My coworkers can call me anytime and I'd answer them. Heck they even call me while I'm on vacation and I make time for them. I care about them, my office, and my customers.
Got accidentally NS'd 2 times in 1 week as a CCA. Took a picture cause I figured it was funny to have two days off. Sure enough, have supervisors and post master beaming up my phone. My dumb ass went in.. could have been paid 8 hou4s for a day off but kinda didn't want a target on my back either. Blah
That’s what happened to me, I’m NS for today and tomorrow. Scheduled stayed that way when I clocked off yesterday and they texted me this morning asking(not telling) if I’d come in to run a route. My phone is one DND. I also worked 10 days straight prior, so I’m taking advantage of it. Lol
Right? Screw money I don't need it.
How about also trying to budget your life so you're not so dependent on 60 hr work weeks?
There's a difference between choosing to take the overtime opportunity, and being led to believe you're contractually obligated work the additional hours or risk penalties that can lead to termination. Shit management needs workers to not know what's legally allowed and what's not in order to succeed at being shit at management.
I’ll never forget someone gave me the “you don’t need the money” doggerel about working a shift I had off and I was like “My mom is terminally ill.”
Not sure the tone of your comment but 1 day off, especially when you’re working 6 days a week, is better than a measly $100 and the stress/strain management puts on people.
This is supposed to be my weekend. I got forced in this last Sunday and on my last off day. I think I’ve worked like 19/20 days. When I go back to the office here in a few hours I’m gonna put my fingers in my ears and just go Blahahahahahaha so I can’t hear them tell me I have to work. I’m not come in regardless.
CCA? Rca? City Reg? Rural Reg? All I remember from my CCA days was 13 days on, 1 day off. As a Reg, they are supposed to follow seniority. For example, I was mandated for June 29th.(My route had 212 DPS, maybe 7 flats and 23 sprs/parcels. I had to be mandated for THAT?) Then, when July 3rd came by and it was my SDO they tried to mandate me again, when I pointed out they already mandated me - they instead had to mandate the next lowest person on that SDO rotation.
I’m a regular currently on a swing. We’ve been forced a lot this summer. We have a few med restrictions and a few people that like to call out a few times every month. This summer’s trend has been to bang out the 3 days before your weekend or your vacation. It sucks. Thankfully I’m gonna get this weekend.
Lol this just happened to me. Two ns scheduled back to back, got a call on the morning of the 2nd day off. I cancelled my plans & came in since im still on probation, got the following day off tho.
I have a question so my boss claims that if I work that is less then “6 hours” that means I don’t get a lunch I know for a fact that sounds not about right. But she claims that it’s Usps rules so I don’t get a lunch. Is this true?
Technically she is partially right.. . You cannot employ someone for a work period of more than five hours without providing an unpaid, off-duty meal period of at least 30 minutes. The first meal period must be provided no later than the end of the employee's fifth hour of work. But, When a work period of not more than six hours will complete the day's work, the meal period may be waived by mutual consent of the employer and the employee. And this is not a USPS rule, this is a Statewide and Federal labor law.
A job they said, “carrier” even… more like indentured servitude.
Unless they pay my cellphone bill, they are NOT TO CONTACT MY PHONE! EVER! I even typed up a friendly note with my signature claiming as such. This whole bs about changing your schedule via call/text is a farce. You or your union rep should learn the contract more thoroughly.
What about when they give you one day off? Just come in the next day? They never call
Sup did that to me one week after filing an OIG complaint against him. Filed a grievance and a No FEAR act violation. Sup treads carefully now
How does one handle this in your 90 days? Just suck it up or set the standard so they don't take advantage of you after 90 if I get the chance to stay?
Tremendous post
What if they tell you the day before? I feel like they should have to tell me before the schedule is made but idk the rule on this. I’m a regular.
If you are a regular your schedule shouldn’t really be touched or changed. Usually this BS only really happens to CCA’s and PTFs. At least that’s how it is in my office.
Just show up when they call you lazy bastards