USPS May Discipline Employees For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy

USPS Reminds Employees They Can Be Fired For Non-Compliance With New Social Media Policy USPS SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY – NAVIGATING A NEW FRONTIER It began in earnest this past summer, when the Postal Service previewed its schedule of 2012 commemorative stamps on Facebook and Twitter (Link, 7/18). Before that, USPS had established a YouTube channel […]

Postal Workers Firing For Unauthorized Possession Of Mail Upheld By Appeals Court

The following is a santitized version of the a case from the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Tompkins vs U.S. Postal Service Kenneth Tompkins was employed at the Postal Service’s Atlanta Processing and Distribution Center in Atlanta, Georgia. He was removed from his position based upon the charge of “improper conduct: […]

MSPB Overturns Demotion of Postal Supervisor For Misuse Of USPS Credit Card

The following is a modified version of the MSPB case: Based on the results of an investigation, USPS removed the appellant from his position as EAS-17 Supervisor, Distribution Operations, on a charge of failure to follow instructions – unauthorized purchases on his government credit card. USPS listed three specifications: (1) using his assigned government credit […]

MSPB: USPS Zero Tolerance Policy Violation Is Not Automatic Grounds For Removal

A Postal Employee appealed USPS’ decision to remove him based on a charge of Improper Conduct/Violation of Zero Tolerance Policy after the employee engaged in a physical altercation with a co-worker. The MSPB sustained the removal, but the Federal Circuit Court reversed the penalty determination and remanded the case. The MSPB found that a 30-day […]

Appeals Court Overturns MSPB Decision To Uphold Postal Worker’s Removal

Could the tide be turning in MSPB cases? Here is the (non-precedential) decision from the Court of Appeals For the Federal Circuit Anthony D. Cunningham appeals from a decision of the Merit Systems Protection Board (“Board”), Cunningham v. United States Postal Service, 109 M.S.P.R. 402 (2008), sustaining his removal from the Postal Service. Because the Board […]

MSPB Affirms Firing Of Postal Worker With No Prior Discipline For Irregular Attendance

From PostalReporter reader: “Employees should choose their venue for discipline wisely. At MSPB removal is an appropriate penalty for minor offenses like irregular attendance [PR note: Postal Management uses the term “Irregular Attendance” when issuing discipline to employees] despite no prior discipline. That is not the case in the grievance-arbitration procedure due to Article 16.” – […]