This is a Ruralinfo.net Editorial. Click here to see all Ruralinfo.net editiorials
It never ceases to amaze me when a carrier happens upon Ruralinfo.net and then proceeds to tell us how much they love their job and they wonder why everyone complains so much on my website. They wonder why there is so much negative news shared. Only thing I can figure is that they work in a small office and have never heard what other carriers go through every day.
Rural carriers tend to be spread out a lot and there really are instances where a rural carrier might not know that another post office might have a toxic work environment. So many rural carriers work in a small office where everything is just great. They might have a good PM because sometimes small offices fall under the radar of the District and not pushed as hard as a larger office might be.
To those carriers, who happen upon this website, I say.. “Welcome to the real world”
It is easy to go through the work day without questioning or wondering what is going on when you work in a small office. I have worked in both a small and large office and there are stark differences in the method of management. Small office PM’s tend to leave most rural carriers alone if they get the mail out and return by dispatch. In some of these office’s, carriers get to choose what mail they deliver and what mail they hold back on any given day. They are usually not as harassed on a daily basis about their time as a lot of carriers in larger offices are.
When carriers figure out something doesn’t seem right in the way they are being treated by management, they seek out help online. Most rural carriers end up on the Ruralinfo.net website where they will find someone that understands exactly what they are going through. They also can relieve stress by venting about things that happen in their office.
To use the line from the “Cheers” song with a twist – “Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows the game” The more rural carriers that get together online and discuss problems in their office, the more “in the know” they are of the real culture of the USPS and the games it plays.
The more one finds out about the “behind the scenes” workings of the Postal Service, the more knowledgeable they become about the USPS work place culture. It is NOT the same in every office. There is real harassment going on and real safety violations everyday. If a carrier feels better by venting about a workplace injustice, then that is a good thing in my opinion.
Ruralinfo.net is a place they feel safe to voice their feelings, knowing everyone will understand.
If you are not outraged, then you are simply not paying attention.. Pay attention.. Read.. Learn.. Do not judge.. What is happening in one office may be flowing downhill to you next and then you might be the one looking for help.
This is a Ruralinfo.net Editorial. Click here to see all Ruralinfo.net editiorials