US Postal Service reviews

As a TE/CCA: For starters, you must understand that this position is not guaranteed by any means. You are basically signing up to be a temporary employee which means managers always remind/threaten you that if you don't comply, you are out. CCAs are not considered human. You are just a number. Regardless of how hard you work, you are just a number. They don't care if you've never been late or your baby is sick....if you mess up (get sick for more than a day, have an accident) you're out. If they're laying off they will not take into consideration that you were a good worker, you're out. You are often given the worse routes that no one else will take. Which means walking routes, routes in bad neighborhoods, or routes that are difficult to run. You are expected to complete tasks that are almost impossible. For example, most routes take 6 hours outside of the office to complete according to the carrier that runs that route everyday. As a CCA you are almost never on a familiar route so of course you are going to get turned around a few times and take longer than the regular carrier. Sometimes you may complete the route in 8 hours, which is not terribly bad BUT on top of the unfamiliar route, most of the time you are given a piece off of another unfamiliar route (called hand offs) where the carrier got sick or called off. With the unfamiliarity of the original routes plus the "hand-offs", you will most likely be out delivering mail until dark. Meanwhile the managers call you every hour to see where you are and rush you. It's impossible. Remember when I said if you don't comply they will threaten you by calling you disposalable? This is where that comes in so do not think of bringing the mail back regardless of the time. I've been in bad neighborhoods sometimes after 9pm. Forget being in school full time or even a single parent and working here because you don't have set hours. One day you may get off at 6pm and the next day 9pm. You do not get to have a life outside of the Post Office. You are basically expected to work everyday without any set hours. If you rush to get done early because you have somewhere to go, they will send you back out (sometimes after dark) to help someone else who wants to ride the clock. Do not think of taking days off for a vacation because IF you are lucky to request days off, you get the leftovers of what no one else wants. So you may be able to get a Tuesday of Wednesday. Saturday's off as a CCA are impossible. They always promise you that you will move up to a permanent position if you work hard and wait. I was there for 3 years and another lady was they for over 9 years as a CCA but even she was in the same position. No room for growth. No benefits, health insurance, etc. The old people who like riding the clock will take all day to complete route because they are either lazy, want the overtime, or slow because they know they can't be fired. As a CCA, expect to pick up the slack here. Managers will send you out to help them (even though they don't want your help). You are often sent to other stations when they needed help. Sometimes the other stations were up to 40 mins away and you had to use your own car to get there (you're reimbursed for gas like 60 cent a mile or something). I was sent to other stations sometimes 4 times a week because I was a good worker and they requested me. Other CCAs probably got sent away around 3 times a week. As a mail handler: Pay sucks! $10 an hour for somewhat difficult work. A lot of lifting. Work every holiday Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, etc. No benefits. Regular workers slacked off and you have to do their work and yours too because you get no respect and are easily replaced if you don't. Take these positions only if you are in school or need some quick extra cash and don't plan on staying for longer than a couple of years. There is no room to move up and I personally in 3+ years have never seen a temporary employee been hired on permanently. You should not try to make a career out of this place because it won't happen, you will be like my co-worker almost 10 years in and still no 401k or health benefits and still being threatened to be replaced (even though she was the hardest working person there)

The district managers are people who have likely never carried the mail before. They set high expectations and put WAY too much pressure on you to get out of the office early, be back on time, dont come to work early, hurry up, but dont make a mistake like have an accident. They expect you to cut your vehicle off, put the park break on, and curb the wheel every time you have to get out of your vehicle ( which can be upwards to 60/70 times a day ) They are constantly micromanaging without having any idea as to what its like to carry the mail. They expect you to be at their beck and call. Its almost impossible to go out of town or have a life outside of the post office. You have to work 5/6 days a week without full time benefits. Regular carriers take off work on the hardest days possible. ( Mondays/the day after a holiday) You are paid what your route is evaluated which means that if you work 10 hours you are still only paid for what the post office thinks the route should be paid for. If you work a route that is evaluated at 9 hours a day you have to stay below 40 actual work hours to get paid the full 9 hours. If you go over 40 hours by 1 minute you lose 5 hours of pay. You are expected to do A LOT of work in a short amount of time. The expectations are unreasonable. They will work you to death which is why most full time carriers have to have shoulder replacements etc. If you can become a full time employee its a good job but that could take 15 years and in the mean time be prepared to put up with A LOT of crap.