USPS Overtime on the Rise

Many Postal Service employees report working longer hours recently, and the statistics back them up: Overtime hours have increased more than 11% this fiscal year versus the same period last year even though the workforce is smaller.

Complaints about letter carriers out delivering mail until 8 p.m. may not be isolated cases. Payroll statistics the U.S. Postal Service released yesterday indicate that overtime hours per full-time city delivery carrier have increased more than 20% over last year.

Part-time city carriers are also keeping busy, working nearly one hour of overtime for every six of straight time from October of last year through Feb. 26. (Makes you wonder why they're called "part time".) Their overtime is up 8% this year even though their straight time hours are down 8%.

The trend of declining straight-time hours -- which indicates fewer employees -- coupled with more overtime shows up in other crafts, especially mail handlers (8% more OT) and clerks (up 5%).

For all bargaining-unit employees, overtime is up 12% even though straight time is down 4%. The typical bargaining-unit employee works one hour of overtime for every 10 of straight time.

Two areas of the Postal Service not showing net workforce reductions are Headquarters and "Area/Operations Offices"; total hours are up about 3% in both cases.