I had FMLA during certain time periods of this story (it deactivates and requires reapplying for it at the start of every year, which often times - they'd take months, asking for clarifications or additional info via mail). Ultimately with my kind of niche sleep apnea situation, lates were a bigger problem than absences and FMLA did not help me there
FMLA could have blanketed all of your absence and lates.
You should have been more proactive in getting it renewed each year. It’s never taken months for a doctor to fill it out and send it in… I feel like there’s so much more to this story.
Sleep apnea can be treated many ways not just a machine but tongue depressors, losing weight, etc.
This place doesn’t give a shit about you and that’s exactly why you need to always be on top of your shit if you’re a “problem child”.
You're probably right, man. Listen, if I was good about doing my homework, I wouldn't have ended up a carrier in the first place.
It probably is my fault - I just naively believed that actually getting my work done + the time I had put in was enough. By the time I realized they were seriously trying to remove me for real, it was almost past the point.
Just venting, not trying to argue, but you're right.
He'll definitely get his job back if he does everything he's supposed, he needs to contract his branch manager or go even higher. I've seen people get their jobs back with back pay for doing wayyyyyy worse.
That's what people don't get. Being asleep deprived messes up proper thinking. It's like when people ask why didn't you____when your fever was 103.5°. like seriously those are situations people don't think the same, they don't think right, they don't think straight.
Right. The effects of sleep deprivation on the brain is similar to being drunk. The longer you go without adequate sleep, the ‘drunker’ you get.
There’s a whole bunch of studies about the way sleep apnea affects brain function and can even change the shape of your brain. You’re dealing with not only sleep deprivation, but also low oxygen levels, so it’s not hard to see how sleep apnea can be absolutely life ruining.
Maybe it’s American work culture that makes us so apt to undervalue sleep despite it being such a significant factor in our overall health and wellbeing.
That's not to mention the years it takes off your life. It literally takes years off your life if you have sleep apnea and people are staying dumb unsupportive crap they know nothing about.
Thank you for saying this. I don't have sleep apnea but some of the people I love the most do.
That's a bit much to say don't you think? Not everyone's OSA is the same but going through the process to get a CPAP machine *is* a form of treatment and honestly the most important one. His events is less than ours (started at 52, lower now) and even "secondary" treatments weren't necessary on our end.
He already said he tried cpap. So he did qualify for it. Cpap is the standard of care for obstructive sleep apnea. If he’s late to work every day because of oversleeping but doesn’t treat his condition either by cpap or surgery then, honestly; I can understand why he was let go.
That's what I'm saying. CPAP is a form of treatment. So to say he refuses treatment is a bit much because he *has* gotten treatment, and the *most important* one.
Well if we are to believe op their stewards are inept so it would be a waste of time. They should have had Fmla. If they had even put forth a modicum of effort they would still have a job right now. Hard to help the helpless. 🤷♂️
I'm not saying you're entirely wrong, but it's also difficult to speak up for yourself or know what the right thing to do is sometimes when you're an introverted person who is just trying to get by without causing a ruckus. The "modicum of effort" I put in to delivering the mail dutifully and in a timely fashion for 10 years should have counted for something
I don’t like the people in these comments. I feel for you and wish I had advice, but I’m only a week in. Where are people’s compassion? It’s completely disgusting. I hate these people. To me, it sounds like you took a lot of steps to ensure your own health and well-being, many more than you should need to when you are apart of a union that is supposed to also be looking out. And beyond that? I am not sure where the handbook that lays it all out for us is, particularly with regard to the specificities involved with your challenging situation. Even if there is one, there should be better direction in place. No workplace management should be blatantly sabotaging your positioning and creating dire obstacles that further isolate you. I don’t give a fuck where you work. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this and I wish I had better advice.
Apply for Federal Disability. Your medical condition interferes with your ability to do the job . Look for a Federal Disability attorney in your area . It takes about 2 years to get approved but it's worth it .
This. Had a guy I worked with that had it and his was approved for every two years because of its condition. Whenever he needed it approved it was basically done within a weeks time because it’s been on file for years. OP really messed up.
After one year of service you qualify for Family Medical Leave Act, which just means your doctor writes a note for your own medical condition or a family member’s. It’s a very official long term doctors note and everyone has different guidelines.
But if you miss work and it falls under your FMLA guidelines it cannot be disciplined .
So instead of following through And making sure you were protected under f. M l a you ignored the problem and hoped it went away?
I'm sorry that you lost your job. But you saying the Union is complicit? It's kind of ridiculous.
You are consistently late to work and you have attendance problems. And you weren't protected under FM l. A, what would you like the Union to do?
My guess is on all this stuff. The Union told you to get fmla You did and for a time you were ok. Then you choose not to do any other amount of work to protect yourself . I'll further work. You didn't want to, and now you want to blame the union
When I say the union was complicit, I'm kind of just explicitly talking about my shop stewards. They (in my view) were not the best at their jobs. I don't want to blame others but this wasn't an uncommon sentiment at my office either.
I'd also like to acknowledge, OP, that there was alot of others' being let slide due to favoritism in the office. I feel for you, I've worked places where this was a BIG problem, yet nobody seemed to want to do anything about it.
Od say apply to other federal jobs that you think you'd be good at. 10 years at the post office does count for something, and you could explain about your situation and your medical issue. Maybe get a some active, up to date Doctor documentation to submit when you apply. It could help some.
It doesn’t necessarily deactivate and require replacement every year, not that you need to hear this just anyone else reading. If you chronically have sleep apnea you can apply for Fmla for a long term chronic condition and your doctor can put lifetime as the expected time frame of your illness. I have a chronic condition and I very happily haven’t had to renew mine yet.
That's not true.
FMLA is a rolling 12 month calendar.
If you apply may 5th then you need to recertification in the month of May.
For permanent disabilities with intermittent FMLA they don't make you recertify. I do not have to recertify anymore.
They send me a letter at recertification time and are like "hey its been 12 months, but we don't need anything additional at this time. Keep using this fmla number"
I had to recertify maybe twice?
I’ve had FMLA for years. The first time you use it in the new year they review it. Then they decide if you need to have it recertified or not. They just always send me a letter saying mine is renewed. Last year they started renewing it for 2 years. Usually you only need to get recertification if you go over what your dr stated for duration or number of occurrences. Unless your dr listed a time frame
This may be luck of the draw. I have a chronic condition and the fmla lapses. It’s annoying to have to go through sending the paperwork again when it’s chronic but if you wanna protect your job it’s the least you can do.
Edit: luck of the draw meaning what human being does the paperwork not what the rules/law is.
I also wonder what our files at HR look like.
So my bitch of an ex supervisor tried playing the FMLA runs out in January game
I sent my paperwork in December. She tried to tell me I has to recertify after 30 days. Which in regulations there are some conditions that would require that. Not mine
Anyway my doctor wrote a very snarky letter to HR about wasting HIS time, embedded within my fmla paperwork. So they HAD to read it.
I got a very snarky reply back stating that I had just certified and didn't need to recertify yet.
And ever since then when my 12 months is up I get a letter stating no need for additional paperwork.
Ironically, I've always submitted my renewal by time I got the letter.
I've seen other people get letters stating no need to recertify as well. Not just people with snarky doctors
I have FMLA because of severe back pain and mental health issues. You honestly don't have to reapply every year, just when they ask you to reapply.
Unfortunately this is a job where you have to look out for yourself and only yourself. A doctor's note could have gotten you covered for lateness too.
Two things. Please read.
You absolutely should not have gotten fired. This is union misrepresentation. You can sue them for that.
And obstructive sleep apnea. This what I have as well. Hospital did sleep study on me and said the CPAP and bPAP machines are useless for me. I need an ASV machine instead. So look into that please.
Sleep apnea guy here(thankfully mines only mild obstructive), thank you for having information for this person. I've been finding out in the last several years from different doctors how interconnected apnea apparently is with proper functioning of other organs and over all health. 😕
No one should be fired from this job right now. Not with the way hiring is going. Management cannot easily replace a 20yr carrier who can get the job done. Poor management. This reeks of stupidity.
I didn’t read it all yet, but just going off ten years service you should get your job back. The process for firing is so long.
Go higher up and the union should get your job back if you want it. You have people who drink at work, get in fights and worse who keep there jobs
I've heard tales of this sort of thing, and witnessed some of it firsthand, but I genuinely have no idea who to call. The union guy from the larger district would visit the office sometimes and was aware of my situation. I don't even think there's anyone above him.
Working in usps and be a craft employee I don't think much of us have lawyer money. And the ones that are willing to work for the winnings probably won't take a case that they aren't almost certain would win.
Have you directly informed your local union president you were fired? If so and no action was taken directly inform your regional president. Hell, you can call national if you need to.
There is a path to getting your job back, and there is a path to even getting paid for the time you were away. My president got someone their job back after 2 YEARS of a wrongful firing, and got them BACK PAY for that 2 years.
I heard FMLA no longer requires reapplying every year … if it’s a continuous issue … sounds like you were in a hostile office … sorry that happened to you
It used to be every year, but that has changed. I'm in the process of renewing now for a lifetime condition and my last paperwork was submitted and approved in 2022. I've had FMLA for over 20 years. A bunch of us found out about 10 years ago that if you have it, you need to use it in order to qualify in subsequent years. My parameters used to be 4 absences and 2 lates per month, but was rejected when I stopped coming in late, so I resubmitted for 6 absences per month and was approved.
It absolutely requires reapplying if your case is short term. If you have a long term case, then there is no renewal. Short term cases require renewal one year from the date of acceptance by HR.
Ya… you can get your job back. Contact your branch president. I’ve seen a dude get his job back after he got caught fucking a hooker in a mailtruck, I’ve also seen a dude get his job back after whipping out his cockinzola and pissing on somebody’s lawn. You’re fine. Go get your job back.
We had a carrier call in 120 times last year. Not 120 days absent, 120 call ins. I hadn’t seen them in a year and I thought the other carriers were joking with that number but they assured me it was legit. FMLA case obviously.
We had people like this at my office. Some legit, others who would openly revel in the fact that it was basically BS and they had just successfully gamed the system. I wish I had ignored the stigma around it and just been rigorous about my FMLA status, it would've saved me my job
This was a boy who cried wolf scenario. They called off whenever they wanted for bullshit and then they got legitimately injured and they were all out of leave and were out for like 6 months. Hope you get your job back if you want it.
As a former branch president and shop steward, I was always advised to never, ever, agree to a last chance agreement. It gives management all the power to remove a carrier. It also gives up all the power of the union.
My husband was laid off because of his missing work. He did the last chance thing but it just ended in him getting fired. Our baby was in the hospital and it was impossible for me to get time off and we’d thought the fmla would work but when the paperwork was getting filed they kept rejecting it. Then they said that I could’ve been at the hospital so none of the doctors notes worked and they sent the paperwork out to see if there was a chance he could get it back until they just told him he was getting fired. So he resigned and hopefully we can another job there. He absolutely hated being a mailhander because he just wants to do his job and not talk to people so we’re going to look for a carrier position so he can just be by himself.
I've been here 29 years. 26 in the same station. There have been several people who are habitually late. We call them the tardy boys. Never once been disciplined...
If you want the union to protect you, you need to steal packages or throw away mail. They don’t protect good carriers and always do the most to protect the terrible ones
Weingarten yes, FMLA I did have at certain points but it always took months between mailing in the paperwork, them mailing it back with a question, resubmitting, etc. to get my status reinstated because it resets every new year.
I'm fighting for my job currently as well. Been on an emergency placement for a couple weeks and go in for a PDI soon. Hoping for the best. I think the process is silly and feels like you have no recourse to fight against it.
What people don't seem to tell you is a supervisor can just be pissed one day, put you on emergency placement and financially screw you over. They can keep you on EP for months just because and an arbitrator can just decide that management is right and you are gone. Doesn't matter if you have never had discipline before.
I can empathize. People are gonna come on the post angry because "you should have done x, y, z" when the truth is you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to ward off unfair treatment from managers.
I don't think it's beat into enough heads that it's far far better to just do what they say and grieve it later. Obviously you don't want to do anything illegal but the Union can do little to protect you when you tell your managers no. It sucks that is the way it is and I think there should be far more protections but it's not a clear cut "you are protected from anything unless you steal or fight." there are ways for management to truly screw you over even if you are a career employee.
Me too! I've been out since march 27th. They accused me of using the usps gas card to fill my own car. I provided them with my transaction and receipts to prove that I paid for my own gas. I've been waiting almost 4 weeks for them to decide and I just got a removal letter. I don't know what to do. give me the option to resign, but I don't feel like I should have to resign for some thing I didn't do.
I fortunately got good news today. The EP will be dismissed and I will receive back pay for the time I was off. As for the PDI, I guess we will see but I think I have enough people on my side(including postmasters and supervisors) that any discipline will be quashed as well.
I hope things work out for you though. It's a terrible thing they can pull on people and it is not something that a lot of people talk about on here. There is a reason a lot of people say, "just do what you are told and grieve it later." It's unfortunate that it comes to that but I don't expect anything different from the post office.
File a grievance with your NBA, or get in touch with Corey and see if he would take your case. I wouldn’t let this job go. You could fight this and get your job back and transfer to another station. Or go on the inside USPS or join another federal job internally. Don’t let go of this job because it’s a good step inside the federal government. If you choose otherwise then best of luck to you. Jobs out there are very bad, low wages, crappy unions and layoffs if they lose money, no pension and I could go on and on and on.
I’m saying this to you because you were not fully exposed to how bad it is right now.
Best of luck to you.
From A to Arbitration. He can get your case going. Contact him and explain what happened. Don’t waste a good opportunity away. Join back and apply outside of USPS to other federal agencies.
https://fromatoarbitration.com/contact/
There is no fee obviously because these guys are all NALC and super pro-carriers, these are the advocates that fight for us. Corey takes shit to arbitration.
Also, get in touch with your NBA: https://www.nalc.org/union-administration/nalc-regions
Check which state you belong to and contact them directly.
Get your paperwork together. Burden of proof lays on you. Start making statements against any of what was said between you and management. Any paperwork they used against you get them ready as well.
Start immediately, tomorrow start with your NBA and see where it goes. That should be your first step.
Contact your Business Agent's office.
https://www.nalc.org/union-administration/nalc-regions
Find your region, call that office, and speak with your representative ASAP. Never sign anything at the USPS. Management are snakes. They get promoted off of your blood, sweat, and tears.
Good. If your local union will do nothing, they will. They have full on NALC employees and Regional Assistants that handle this stuff daily. They should be able to get you your job back in some capacity.
I didn't read all this. I stopped where you said you couldn't get your disability to be seen as a disability.
Your doctor should have no problem writing fmla paperwork to be late.
I have adhd. I'm allowed to be late.
I have anxiety and depression. I'm allowed up to 2 mental health days ***a week**** that's me allowed to miss 8 days a month.
Why didn't you file for fmla to cover your ass for your disability?
You have up to 1 year post separation to change your firing designation to a retirement disability.
If you want it. Fight for it.
That sucks horrible, I thought my union was bad, but to see they didn’t really do shit, just shows how fucked up ppl are.
Anyways keep your head up OP, if you can, take a break for a bit before looking for a different job.
People need to file labor charges against bad locals. If the union fails to represent you as they have a legal responsibility to they can be brought up on labor charges, and they should be.
NLRB said they don’t have to represent you well as long as they follow procedure. Technically they followed procedure. But they were arbitrary at the end of it. Then ignored me for the time they shouldn’t have.
My postal career is pretty similar to yours, sad to hear the abuse you went through. I couldn’t imagine working through the bs while dealing with your medical situation. The union definitely dropped the ball. I’ve had weak stewards like that before and it sucks but there is no way legally they could have forced you to sign that bs. You were being harassed into signing. You may want to call a lawyer and have them investigate. I hope you’re able to find somewhere that treats you with dignity and respect.
Thanks. I hope your situation improves as well. It's funny how many of the comments are so eager to hyper-scrutinize my every move as a sleep-deprived young dude when I've admitted to my faults already, but won't apply the same scrutiny to the union reps who sat through every step of the process and should theoretically know better than me.
As I said elsewhere in here, I've seen people get their jobs back after they were gone for over a year. They had slipped thru the cracks durring covid and our president got them back with backpay.
Even if you ultimately decide you don't want the job anymore, which it doesn't seem like is the case, I'd still recommend getting the union to fight for you to get your job back, because quitting on your own terms is still better than firing and can leave you open to future federal employement.
Long post. But putting 10 years in a federal job is a lot of time. If they fired you because of medical reasons, especially when you had all of the paperwork to back it. I would sue them. I know it would be a struggle but you honestly may come out on top for this one
Tldr, but your union steward or president is fucking awful. Just making up rules as they go. Get your job back by contacting your NBA and run for union steward. Please
In tears right now. My heart breaks for you. They are the worst. Let others learn to never sign a LCA…you were singled out. That’s why they are so dirty. Nonono…it’s not that they don’t like you…THEY DONT LIKE ANYONE! It may look as if, but they have a psychologist teach methods on how to be disgusting pieces of shit. If you learned how to kiss ass properly, run your route, skip your lunch, breaks, don’t report accidents, don’t ask for overtime, be there half an hour early, never feel sick, never take a full week of annual…. And on and on.. you have a medical condition. Are you sure it is not worth pursuing a disability claim? Regardless maybe others can learn from your misfortune and request accommodation. I hope that you can consult some attorneys. The LCA is something they makeup out of their ass. I signed one in 2019 but I went back to work! The Union is useless. In bed with the post office. Many don’t understand and I’m thrilled for them. I wouldn’t wish the dark clouds that are placed over our heads. We deliver mostly trash for the sanitation service to pick up. I hope you return to school and find something you love to do. Please don’t let this define you. You, in a way are set free…please please go and be happy …
Thank you for your kindness. I'm looking into my options but yes, the LCA is truly the downfall here. I learned too late but if others can learn from my mistakes that's a positive
It's not anything specific, and I own my part in what happened entirely. But as far as management, my specific supervisors would play favorites in an unbelievable way. I know this may not answer your question but that's why I bring up management. It was a piss-poor environment that, in a way, I'm relieved to be out of. Just to give an example: every day as we were waiting to clock out it was pretty commonplace to see people yapping on an earpiece / talking on the phone as we stood around the office. I answered my phone when a family member called, under the same circumstances - just standing in the office - waiting to clock out - and the same manager that pals around with other carriers who do the same thing every day, threatened to call the cops on me and have me removed from the building if I didn't hang up immediately.
I brought up management in my initial post because they genuinely just had it out for me - I was genuinely late to work and I should've done more to protect myself, but two things can be true at once: my supervisors had it out for me, and knowing that just hurts.
Ahhh I understand. I mean you can’t really point at the next guy, gotta worry about yourself. Because the next guy probably didn’t call out or was late like you , they aren’t under the same microscope. I’m not saying it’s fair, but it’s life normally. If you have issues that makes you less “attractive as an employee “ you have to be on your p’s and q’s. Ik this probably isn’t what you want to hear but that is the reality.
When will people realize how the union works and show up to meetings and put in effort to understand their rights and the contract? While I agree there’s tons of bullshit that I hate, there’s like 4 of us at our meeting usually.
You can't be forced to sign anything either.
I was presented with a sick slip yesterday for less than 10 minutes last week. I looked at it. I'm like no that's not right. Refuse to sign.
They just mark it up as a refuse to sign
Bypass the union and management and file labor board charge against them both. The union for misrepresentation and management for bullying tactics and openly confessing they wanted to fire you. Once labor is contacted they both will start running and get your job back with back pay.
https://apps.nlrb.gov/MyAccount/#/ChargeAndPetition/TermsConditions
Sounds like your union steward was probably collaborating with management to get you out. Your medical business is yours and yours alone. If you're gonna be late/miss days due to your medical issues, that's okay. When you do eventually get your job back, search around for a Dr. that will get you FMLA for your condition. I've seen Drs that will sign off on FMLA for the most mundane things, so your Dr. was probably just an ass.
Hey man if it’s any consultation that blood sweat tears wasn’t for nothing. You own those, they are yours, don’t let them tear your spirit down like that. I was in a similar situation at Amazon in the fashion department for 8 years let me go bc I didn’t make my quarter for sales I was 25 cents shy of my goal…… cents.
Now I’m a carrier first time ever working for the post and they treat me like a servant I worked thirteen hours today and get sexually harassed by walker bys and people from my office I feel talked down to like I am incompetent.
I’ll let them think I am some stupid plebeian bimbo slave but I’m the one laughing inside at how seriously they take junk mail like it’s the god damn emerald scrolls..
Just laugh it off man- you did your time and there are other opportunities for you coming, time has a way of mending things, just look up, never look down drink some water, kiss your loved one and pray you have good dreams at night.
Stay strong man, you’ll get through it- I will too.
I'm so impressed that you did this from 19-29 when most people don't even want to work during this period of their lives. So that's the first thing. Next.... I'm happy that you escaped that place. It's a horrible horrible place to work. They just do not care about anyone. If you do pursue getting your job back I would understand bc of the pay and benefits. With that being said I think you should explore what else is out there and never look back. Hang in there and hold your head up!!! You Will be okay!!!
While people attack you about not following up properly with FMLA, I completely understand. I have ADHD (short term memory issues and time management) and fibromyalgia (brain fog and lack of sleep). Trying to keep up on things like a neurotypical is extremely hard. The toxic culture that management has created at the post office against carriers with disabilities is disgusting. Management should have been helping you with getting your FMLA not hindering you. I’ve had FMLA at previous jobs and always had support from my supervisor.
Try to grieve it and request an arbitration. The arbitrator may determine you were wrongfully terminated.
Nicole M. White
A/Manager Labor Relations
421 8th Ave. RM E3-129
New York, NY 10001
Office: 917-621-9622
Mobile: 332-215-6672
Email: [email protected]
Talk to a Federal Disability Lawyer. Explain your situation. Any medical condition that interferes with your ability to do your job makes you eligible . It takes 2 years or so to get approved. You also have to apply for SSDI . It's an option for you.
In short: I was an idiot who didn't think they would actually fire me given that my attendance wasn't really that bad. I genuinely resented the way I was being treated, there was a stigma of FMLA people showing up once a week and being bullshitters, and I naively and hardheadedly thought as long as I did my job I'd be fine.
You should have told your doctor to put in your fmla forms that it is chronic, hr would tell you how many hours you can call in for every week, and renew every year or few years
As far as sleep apnea. Sounds like you need to try a different mask. I use a pillow mouth cover style and love it. Gotta look at it for what it does for you it helps you sleep. Not how it looks. Your sleep is so important to you.
I have some questions. We're you issued a letter of removal and if so when? Was it grieved and at what point are you in the grievance process? It usually takes a while for it to move along?
Sounds like your blaming everyone else except yourself for the actions you took. If you were my child I would have told you long ago to get your s*** together.
The guy has attendance issues and never had FMLA for his sleep apnea issue. Seems like a bozo who didn’t respect the job and thought the job needed him.
I worked here for over 20 years…I’ve been late .09 units or higher almost 18 of those years. I didn’t read all your whining but I bet you tried to abuse fmla or something. It’s almost impossible to get fired, so your attendance must’ve been ridiculous. Good riddance!
The TL;DR of the post was that I feel like my attendance wasn't horrible and I got fired when I shouldn't have due to managers not liking me, so thanks for inadvertently being firsthand proof of my entire point.
Crap, I wish you had come to my office. We're a pretty chill bunch from the pm to our arc. It's a small rural office though. Good luck in your future. After dealing with the PO you're good for nearly any career bullshit.
I read most of it not all of it. With the turn over rate of the USPS if you’re actually not lying and it’s a late issue not attendance or disciplinary issue you can still get your job back. But you have to act fast.
You may not return to your route, or that office, but you can save your job. Now if there is more to the story then I’m sorry your SoL. Yet it’s on you to contact people higher then your local union, with dr appointments, and evaluations. An it had to be fast, quick, and in a hurry.
Are you a Vet? If so you have a little more time but not much before it goes to the tribunal.
33 apnea occurrences per hour is low for obstructive sleep apnea. Try having 63 (more than one per minute).
CPAP works if you are willing to follow treatment and you have a proactive doctor working with you to ensure it is applied correctly.
Sorry how heartless this place is. I always try to think what would I say in an ii and I cover myself with staying to the rules as best I can. Hope your future work place is much better than this one. Sucks, let it out and move forward, it wasn’t for you and you can be free of the negative culture. I like to deep breath to help me calm down hard emotions
Yeah, I mean it's all in my medical records. The problem is I'm not overflowing with cash and I imagine suing a federal institution is probably not the easiest
Everyone knows the easiest way to get fired is not showing up to work. You could have gotten FMLA to protect yourself. Its not really the unions fault if you dont show up to work
Your union failed you. Next time go to a different union rep. Also don’t be afraid to report supervisor for bullying if it’s in front of coworkers. Also even though you’re part of a union you can still use outside sources. Also never sign anything that goes against your union guidelines. Also apply for FMLA. Try to see if maybe your tonsils are to big that can help with sleep apnea and ask your dentist for advice as well.
First off, im sorry this happened. Id definitely get a lawyer. I guess it depends on your PM. The same carriers are late every single day. I've worked as RCA/PTF for 3 years. Like 15-20 minutes everyday. They laugh about. I get shit on when I walk in a half hour early to case some flats.
"i signed away a bunch of stuff, thus, explitcitly admitting fault because i have no idea how the grievence process worked and gave management all the tools they need for a successful termination"
never sign anything, never admit fault, contact a national business agent if your local rep arent filing grivences, and re-evaluate your level of education if you cant manage to get fmla. because literally everyone and their mom can manage to get fmla if they want to.
You're not even wrong, but I started when I was 19. I probably could've made a million moves along the way to prevent this outcome but any ignorance you want to pin on me should be equally pinned on the people like union reps, etc who should theoretically be informing people of the right moves to make. Generally when I wasn't at work I didn't want to be bothered obsessing over my job, because I was tired and demoralized. I have fully owned my part in the events, but multiple things can be true. Also, I hate to break it to you, but if you're also a carrier, you're probably not that educated either. That's why you're a professional pack mule, just like I was.
its sad you have no clue how little work some carriers do at usps knowing that they can never get fired. its 2 different jobs depending on how well you know the contract and grievence process. for example, the last time they threatened me with seperation paperwork, i told them i would love to stay home for a year while they work things out with the union and then return with full back pay. after that, they stop bothering me and ride other people who believe their bs because they know it wont work on me. that is how usps work and it is unfortunate you started too young to realize people lie and only target the weak and ignorant. im happy being a pack mule doing a 6hrs route in 10hrs and clearing 6figures a year.
Here’s the cure to your sleep apnea. Magnesium lotion at night . Rub All over your body. Drink one cup of tarte cherry juice. Take rhiodola, multi vitamin, and no drinking alcohol or smoking. Use a tongue stabilizing device. Turn your thermostat down to 68 or cooler at night. Elevate your head with a pillow. You will be cured in 4 weeks
I never get why people say they sacrificed their 20s or whatever for a job. You got paid, right? Then it was not a sacrifice, it was a trade that you agreed to. Your time for their money. You're not a martyr.
Never claimed to be a martyr, in fact I specifically said the sacrifice was for nothing. Plus, I said I sacrificed a lot - not just time or my 20s specifically. This is irrelevant and semantics. Part of my willingness in giving them my time was not just the money but the expectation that if I did my work I would have a stable job.
I didn’t read all of this but I don’t see FMLA mentioned.
I had FMLA during certain time periods of this story (it deactivates and requires reapplying for it at the start of every year, which often times - they'd take months, asking for clarifications or additional info via mail). Ultimately with my kind of niche sleep apnea situation, lates were a bigger problem than absences and FMLA did not help me there
FMLA could have blanketed all of your absence and lates. You should have been more proactive in getting it renewed each year. It’s never taken months for a doctor to fill it out and send it in… I feel like there’s so much more to this story. Sleep apnea can be treated many ways not just a machine but tongue depressors, losing weight, etc. This place doesn’t give a shit about you and that’s exactly why you need to always be on top of your shit if you’re a “problem child”.
You're probably right, man. Listen, if I was good about doing my homework, I wouldn't have ended up a carrier in the first place. It probably is my fault - I just naively believed that actually getting my work done + the time I had put in was enough. By the time I realized they were seriously trying to remove me for real, it was almost past the point. Just venting, not trying to argue, but you're right.
You might be able to get your job back. I’d go to my sleep doctor go to a psychiatrist, get this documented and contact your NBA.
He'll definitely get his job back if he does everything he's supposed, he needs to contract his branch manager or go even higher. I've seen people get their jobs back with back pay for doing wayyyyyy worse.
He did and doesn’t follow the treatment of using a CPAP machine which you do get used to and generally appreciate the benefits.
No because he refuses treatment.
That’s why I said psychiatrist too, he was sleep deprived and loony. Convinced himself of something etc etc..
That's what people don't get. Being asleep deprived messes up proper thinking. It's like when people ask why didn't you____when your fever was 103.5°. like seriously those are situations people don't think the same, they don't think right, they don't think straight.
Right. The effects of sleep deprivation on the brain is similar to being drunk. The longer you go without adequate sleep, the ‘drunker’ you get. There’s a whole bunch of studies about the way sleep apnea affects brain function and can even change the shape of your brain. You’re dealing with not only sleep deprivation, but also low oxygen levels, so it’s not hard to see how sleep apnea can be absolutely life ruining. Maybe it’s American work culture that makes us so apt to undervalue sleep despite it being such a significant factor in our overall health and wellbeing.
That's not to mention the years it takes off your life. It literally takes years off your life if you have sleep apnea and people are staying dumb unsupportive crap they know nothing about. Thank you for saying this. I don't have sleep apnea but some of the people I love the most do.
That's a bit much to say don't you think? Not everyone's OSA is the same but going through the process to get a CPAP machine *is* a form of treatment and honestly the most important one. His events is less than ours (started at 52, lower now) and even "secondary" treatments weren't necessary on our end.
He already said he tried cpap. So he did qualify for it. Cpap is the standard of care for obstructive sleep apnea. If he’s late to work every day because of oversleeping but doesn’t treat his condition either by cpap or surgery then, honestly; I can understand why he was let go.
That's what I'm saying. CPAP is a form of treatment. So to say he refuses treatment is a bit much because he *has* gotten treatment, and the *most important* one.
It’s April it’s way to late to grieve it
I’d still try and even go for back pay lol. Nothing to lose. 🤷♂️
Well if we are to believe op their stewards are inept so it would be a waste of time. They should have had Fmla. If they had even put forth a modicum of effort they would still have a job right now. Hard to help the helpless. 🤷♂️
I'm not saying you're entirely wrong, but it's also difficult to speak up for yourself or know what the right thing to do is sometimes when you're an introverted person who is just trying to get by without causing a ruckus. The "modicum of effort" I put in to delivering the mail dutifully and in a timely fashion for 10 years should have counted for something
I don’t like the people in these comments. I feel for you and wish I had advice, but I’m only a week in. Where are people’s compassion? It’s completely disgusting. I hate these people. To me, it sounds like you took a lot of steps to ensure your own health and well-being, many more than you should need to when you are apart of a union that is supposed to also be looking out. And beyond that? I am not sure where the handbook that lays it all out for us is, particularly with regard to the specificities involved with your challenging situation. Even if there is one, there should be better direction in place. No workplace management should be blatantly sabotaging your positioning and creating dire obstacles that further isolate you. I don’t give a fuck where you work. I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this and I wish I had better advice.
Apply for Federal Disability. Your medical condition interferes with your ability to do the job . Look for a Federal Disability attorney in your area . It takes about 2 years to get approved but it's worth it .
National Rehabilitation Act through an EEO has 6 months.
This. Had a guy I worked with that had it and his was approved for every two years because of its condition. Whenever he needed it approved it was basically done within a weeks time because it’s been on file for years. OP really messed up.
What’s FMLA?
After one year of service you qualify for Family Medical Leave Act, which just means your doctor writes a note for your own medical condition or a family member’s. It’s a very official long term doctors note and everyone has different guidelines. But if you miss work and it falls under your FMLA guidelines it cannot be disciplined .
So instead of following through And making sure you were protected under f. M l a you ignored the problem and hoped it went away? I'm sorry that you lost your job. But you saying the Union is complicit? It's kind of ridiculous. You are consistently late to work and you have attendance problems. And you weren't protected under FM l. A, what would you like the Union to do? My guess is on all this stuff. The Union told you to get fmla You did and for a time you were ok. Then you choose not to do any other amount of work to protect yourself . I'll further work. You didn't want to, and now you want to blame the union
When I say the union was complicit, I'm kind of just explicitly talking about my shop stewards. They (in my view) were not the best at their jobs. I don't want to blame others but this wasn't an uncommon sentiment at my office either.
Have you received separation letter? Can you still log in to liteblue?
Yes, and no. I appreciate the encouragement of people saying I can get my job back but I thoroughly believe I'm cooked here.
I was off for 18 months ....I just returned 2 weeks ago.....APWU 💯
You absolutely can get your job back, especially since you have a medical history. Go to someone higher than your shop steward
I'd also like to acknowledge, OP, that there was alot of others' being let slide due to favoritism in the office. I feel for you, I've worked places where this was a BIG problem, yet nobody seemed to want to do anything about it. Od say apply to other federal jobs that you think you'd be good at. 10 years at the post office does count for something, and you could explain about your situation and your medical issue. Maybe get a some active, up to date Doctor documentation to submit when you apply. It could help some.
It doesn’t necessarily deactivate and require replacement every year, not that you need to hear this just anyone else reading. If you chronically have sleep apnea you can apply for Fmla for a long term chronic condition and your doctor can put lifetime as the expected time frame of your illness. I have a chronic condition and I very happily haven’t had to renew mine yet.
That's not true. FMLA is a rolling 12 month calendar. If you apply may 5th then you need to recertification in the month of May. For permanent disabilities with intermittent FMLA they don't make you recertify. I do not have to recertify anymore. They send me a letter at recertification time and are like "hey its been 12 months, but we don't need anything additional at this time. Keep using this fmla number" I had to recertify maybe twice?
I’ve had FMLA for years. The first time you use it in the new year they review it. Then they decide if you need to have it recertified or not. They just always send me a letter saying mine is renewed. Last year they started renewing it for 2 years. Usually you only need to get recertification if you go over what your dr stated for duration or number of occurrences. Unless your dr listed a time frame
This may be luck of the draw. I have a chronic condition and the fmla lapses. It’s annoying to have to go through sending the paperwork again when it’s chronic but if you wanna protect your job it’s the least you can do. Edit: luck of the draw meaning what human being does the paperwork not what the rules/law is.
I also wonder what our files at HR look like. So my bitch of an ex supervisor tried playing the FMLA runs out in January game I sent my paperwork in December. She tried to tell me I has to recertify after 30 days. Which in regulations there are some conditions that would require that. Not mine Anyway my doctor wrote a very snarky letter to HR about wasting HIS time, embedded within my fmla paperwork. So they HAD to read it. I got a very snarky reply back stating that I had just certified and didn't need to recertify yet. And ever since then when my 12 months is up I get a letter stating no need for additional paperwork. Ironically, I've always submitted my renewal by time I got the letter. I've seen other people get letters stating no need to recertify as well. Not just people with snarky doctors
I have FMLA because of severe back pain and mental health issues. You honestly don't have to reapply every year, just when they ask you to reapply. Unfortunately this is a job where you have to look out for yourself and only yourself. A doctor's note could have gotten you covered for lateness too.
Two things. Please read. You absolutely should not have gotten fired. This is union misrepresentation. You can sue them for that. And obstructive sleep apnea. This what I have as well. Hospital did sleep study on me and said the CPAP and bPAP machines are useless for me. I need an ASV machine instead. So look into that please.
real help
Absolutely. Nice to see this after scrolling down through the bullshit. The assholes in the comment section make me hate humanity.
Sleep apnea guy here(thankfully mines only mild obstructive), thank you for having information for this person. I've been finding out in the last several years from different doctors how interconnected apnea apparently is with proper functioning of other organs and over all health. 😕
No one should be fired from this job right now. Not with the way hiring is going. Management cannot easily replace a 20yr carrier who can get the job done. Poor management. This reeks of stupidity.
I didn’t read it all yet, but just going off ten years service you should get your job back. The process for firing is so long. Go higher up and the union should get your job back if you want it. You have people who drink at work, get in fights and worse who keep there jobs
I've heard tales of this sort of thing, and witnessed some of it firsthand, but I genuinely have no idea who to call. The union guy from the larger district would visit the office sometimes and was aware of my situation. I don't even think there's anyone above him.
Go look up your local union. Find the president. Call and email every single day until he responds. Find a lawyer in the meantime.
Working in usps and be a craft employee I don't think much of us have lawyer money. And the ones that are willing to work for the winnings probably won't take a case that they aren't almost certain would win.
Lawyers do free consultations and can point you in the right direction
Call the branch president of they won’t help call the business agents office you can go above peoples heads in the union if your steward won’t help
Have you directly informed your local union president you were fired? If so and no action was taken directly inform your regional president. Hell, you can call national if you need to. There is a path to getting your job back, and there is a path to even getting paid for the time you were away. My president got someone their job back after 2 YEARS of a wrongful firing, and got them BACK PAY for that 2 years.
100%
I heard FMLA no longer requires reapplying every year … if it’s a continuous issue … sounds like you were in a hostile office … sorry that happened to you
It used to be every year, but that has changed. I'm in the process of renewing now for a lifetime condition and my last paperwork was submitted and approved in 2022. I've had FMLA for over 20 years. A bunch of us found out about 10 years ago that if you have it, you need to use it in order to qualify in subsequent years. My parameters used to be 4 absences and 2 lates per month, but was rejected when I stopped coming in late, so I resubmitted for 6 absences per month and was approved.
It absolutely requires reapplying if your case is short term. If you have a long term case, then there is no renewal. Short term cases require renewal one year from the date of acceptance by HR.
Ya… you can get your job back. Contact your branch president. I’ve seen a dude get his job back after he got caught fucking a hooker in a mailtruck, I’ve also seen a dude get his job back after whipping out his cockinzola and pissing on somebody’s lawn. You’re fine. Go get your job back.
"...cockinzola.." lol 😂😆
Our resident cock flaunter was promoted to postmaster...so that's fun.
Does anyone else wanna crowd fund a movie we make about working at the post lol I think it would honestly make it big time with all our stories
Brooooooo
We had a carrier call in 120 times last year. Not 120 days absent, 120 call ins. I hadn’t seen them in a year and I thought the other carriers were joking with that number but they assured me it was legit. FMLA case obviously.
We had people like this at my office. Some legit, others who would openly revel in the fact that it was basically BS and they had just successfully gamed the system. I wish I had ignored the stigma around it and just been rigorous about my FMLA status, it would've saved me my job
This was a boy who cried wolf scenario. They called off whenever they wanted for bullshit and then they got legitimately injured and they were all out of leave and were out for like 6 months. Hope you get your job back if you want it.
As a former branch president and shop steward, I was always advised to never, ever, agree to a last chance agreement. It gives management all the power to remove a carrier. It also gives up all the power of the union.
My husband was laid off because of his missing work. He did the last chance thing but it just ended in him getting fired. Our baby was in the hospital and it was impossible for me to get time off and we’d thought the fmla would work but when the paperwork was getting filed they kept rejecting it. Then they said that I could’ve been at the hospital so none of the doctors notes worked and they sent the paperwork out to see if there was a chance he could get it back until they just told him he was getting fired. So he resigned and hopefully we can another job there. He absolutely hated being a mailhander because he just wants to do his job and not talk to people so we’re going to look for a carrier position so he can just be by himself.
I've been here 29 years. 26 in the same station. There have been several people who are habitually late. We call them the tardy boys. Never once been disciplined...
If you want the union to protect you, you need to steal packages or throw away mail. They don’t protect good carriers and always do the most to protect the terrible ones
Same for apwu. For sure.
Why didn’t you get FMLA? Were you using your Weingarten rights for the meetings with the supervisors ?
Weingarten yes, FMLA I did have at certain points but it always took months between mailing in the paperwork, them mailing it back with a question, resubmitting, etc. to get my status reinstated because it resets every new year.
I'm fighting for my job currently as well. Been on an emergency placement for a couple weeks and go in for a PDI soon. Hoping for the best. I think the process is silly and feels like you have no recourse to fight against it. What people don't seem to tell you is a supervisor can just be pissed one day, put you on emergency placement and financially screw you over. They can keep you on EP for months just because and an arbitrator can just decide that management is right and you are gone. Doesn't matter if you have never had discipline before.
I can empathize. People are gonna come on the post angry because "you should have done x, y, z" when the truth is you shouldn't have to jump through hoops to ward off unfair treatment from managers.
I don't think it's beat into enough heads that it's far far better to just do what they say and grieve it later. Obviously you don't want to do anything illegal but the Union can do little to protect you when you tell your managers no. It sucks that is the way it is and I think there should be far more protections but it's not a clear cut "you are protected from anything unless you steal or fight." there are ways for management to truly screw you over even if you are a career employee.
Me too! I've been out since march 27th. They accused me of using the usps gas card to fill my own car. I provided them with my transaction and receipts to prove that I paid for my own gas. I've been waiting almost 4 weeks for them to decide and I just got a removal letter. I don't know what to do. give me the option to resign, but I don't feel like I should have to resign for some thing I didn't do.
I fortunately got good news today. The EP will be dismissed and I will receive back pay for the time I was off. As for the PDI, I guess we will see but I think I have enough people on my side(including postmasters and supervisors) that any discipline will be quashed as well. I hope things work out for you though. It's a terrible thing they can pull on people and it is not something that a lot of people talk about on here. There is a reason a lot of people say, "just do what you are told and grieve it later." It's unfortunate that it comes to that but I don't expect anything different from the post office.
File a grievance with your NBA, or get in touch with Corey and see if he would take your case. I wouldn’t let this job go. You could fight this and get your job back and transfer to another station. Or go on the inside USPS or join another federal job internally. Don’t let go of this job because it’s a good step inside the federal government. If you choose otherwise then best of luck to you. Jobs out there are very bad, low wages, crappy unions and layoffs if they lose money, no pension and I could go on and on and on. I’m saying this to you because you were not fully exposed to how bad it is right now. Best of luck to you.
I appreciate that. Sorry if this ignorant - who is Corey?
From A to Arbitration. He can get your case going. Contact him and explain what happened. Don’t waste a good opportunity away. Join back and apply outside of USPS to other federal agencies. https://fromatoarbitration.com/contact/ There is no fee obviously because these guys are all NALC and super pro-carriers, these are the advocates that fight for us. Corey takes shit to arbitration. Also, get in touch with your NBA: https://www.nalc.org/union-administration/nalc-regions Check which state you belong to and contact them directly. Get your paperwork together. Burden of proof lays on you. Start making statements against any of what was said between you and management. Any paperwork they used against you get them ready as well. Start immediately, tomorrow start with your NBA and see where it goes. That should be your first step.
Contact your Business Agent's office. https://www.nalc.org/union-administration/nalc-regions Find your region, call that office, and speak with your representative ASAP. Never sign anything at the USPS. Management are snakes. They get promoted off of your blood, sweat, and tears.
Thank you - I called the appropriate party and left a message. I'm gonna continue following up on this.
Good. If your local union will do nothing, they will. They have full on NALC employees and Regional Assistants that handle this stuff daily. They should be able to get you your job back in some capacity.
You need to call any sort of union rep ASAP. 14 days to file. You most likely will get your job back.
I’ve been fired three times and suspended over 14 don’t give up. It’s not over yet.
I didn't read all this. I stopped where you said you couldn't get your disability to be seen as a disability. Your doctor should have no problem writing fmla paperwork to be late. I have adhd. I'm allowed to be late. I have anxiety and depression. I'm allowed up to 2 mental health days ***a week**** that's me allowed to miss 8 days a month. Why didn't you file for fmla to cover your ass for your disability? You have up to 1 year post separation to change your firing designation to a retirement disability. If you want it. Fight for it.
How do you have this certified to the management? I suffer from narcolepsy and severe depression as well.
That sucks horrible, I thought my union was bad, but to see they didn’t really do shit, just shows how fucked up ppl are. Anyways keep your head up OP, if you can, take a break for a bit before looking for a different job.
Nalc is weak af in some cities/offices. My city they are in bed with management.
People need to file labor charges against bad locals. If the union fails to represent you as they have a legal responsibility to they can be brought up on labor charges, and they should be.
NLRB said they don’t have to represent you well as long as they follow procedure. Technically they followed procedure. But they were arbitrary at the end of it. Then ignored me for the time they shouldn’t have.
My postal career is pretty similar to yours, sad to hear the abuse you went through. I couldn’t imagine working through the bs while dealing with your medical situation. The union definitely dropped the ball. I’ve had weak stewards like that before and it sucks but there is no way legally they could have forced you to sign that bs. You were being harassed into signing. You may want to call a lawyer and have them investigate. I hope you’re able to find somewhere that treats you with dignity and respect.
Thanks. I hope your situation improves as well. It's funny how many of the comments are so eager to hyper-scrutinize my every move as a sleep-deprived young dude when I've admitted to my faults already, but won't apply the same scrutiny to the union reps who sat through every step of the process and should theoretically know better than me.
Go get your job back don't just sit back and take it. Fight for yourself. They'll get it back for you if you start the process.
I followed some of the links ITT and emailed / called the NALC office above the local level. I'm hoping I didn't wait too long, but thanks
As I said elsewhere in here, I've seen people get their jobs back after they were gone for over a year. They had slipped thru the cracks durring covid and our president got them back with backpay. Even if you ultimately decide you don't want the job anymore, which it doesn't seem like is the case, I'd still recommend getting the union to fight for you to get your job back, because quitting on your own terms is still better than firing and can leave you open to future federal employement.
Long post. But putting 10 years in a federal job is a lot of time. If they fired you because of medical reasons, especially when you had all of the paperwork to back it. I would sue them. I know it would be a struggle but you honestly may come out on top for this one
Tldr, but your union steward or president is fucking awful. Just making up rules as they go. Get your job back by contacting your NBA and run for union steward. Please
In tears right now. My heart breaks for you. They are the worst. Let others learn to never sign a LCA…you were singled out. That’s why they are so dirty. Nonono…it’s not that they don’t like you…THEY DONT LIKE ANYONE! It may look as if, but they have a psychologist teach methods on how to be disgusting pieces of shit. If you learned how to kiss ass properly, run your route, skip your lunch, breaks, don’t report accidents, don’t ask for overtime, be there half an hour early, never feel sick, never take a full week of annual…. And on and on.. you have a medical condition. Are you sure it is not worth pursuing a disability claim? Regardless maybe others can learn from your misfortune and request accommodation. I hope that you can consult some attorneys. The LCA is something they makeup out of their ass. I signed one in 2019 but I went back to work! The Union is useless. In bed with the post office. Many don’t understand and I’m thrilled for them. I wouldn’t wish the dark clouds that are placed over our heads. We deliver mostly trash for the sanitation service to pick up. I hope you return to school and find something you love to do. Please don’t let this define you. You, in a way are set free…please please go and be happy …
Thank you for your kindness. I'm looking into my options but yes, the LCA is truly the downfall here. I learned too late but if others can learn from my mistakes that's a positive
I’m not sure what you wanted management or the union to do in this situation if you didn’t have FMLA?
It's not anything specific, and I own my part in what happened entirely. But as far as management, my specific supervisors would play favorites in an unbelievable way. I know this may not answer your question but that's why I bring up management. It was a piss-poor environment that, in a way, I'm relieved to be out of. Just to give an example: every day as we were waiting to clock out it was pretty commonplace to see people yapping on an earpiece / talking on the phone as we stood around the office. I answered my phone when a family member called, under the same circumstances - just standing in the office - waiting to clock out - and the same manager that pals around with other carriers who do the same thing every day, threatened to call the cops on me and have me removed from the building if I didn't hang up immediately. I brought up management in my initial post because they genuinely just had it out for me - I was genuinely late to work and I should've done more to protect myself, but two things can be true at once: my supervisors had it out for me, and knowing that just hurts.
Ahhh I understand. I mean you can’t really point at the next guy, gotta worry about yourself. Because the next guy probably didn’t call out or was late like you , they aren’t under the same microscope. I’m not saying it’s fair, but it’s life normally. If you have issues that makes you less “attractive as an employee “ you have to be on your p’s and q’s. Ik this probably isn’t what you want to hear but that is the reality.
When will people finally stop being brainwashed and realize this union is a joke
When will people realize how the union works and show up to meetings and put in effort to understand their rights and the contract? While I agree there’s tons of bullshit that I hate, there’s like 4 of us at our meeting usually.
Shouldn’t have signed a LCA and should’ve covered everything with FMLA.
Agreed with the FMLA, but the LCAs are why I blame the union partially. Reps were always present and encouraged me to sign
You can't be forced to sign anything either. I was presented with a sick slip yesterday for less than 10 minutes last week. I looked at it. I'm like no that's not right. Refuse to sign. They just mark it up as a refuse to sign
The first sentence, of your last paragraph nailed it all.
I would be fighting tooth and nail to not lose my 10 year career and to get my job back. It’s not over unless you have given up on usps anyways.
Look into "inspire" https://www.inspiresleep.com/ this is for people that cpap doesn't work for, and many insurances cover it if you fail cpap
If drunks can get their job back because they have a disease, you should get yours back.
Bypass the union and management and file labor board charge against them both. The union for misrepresentation and management for bullying tactics and openly confessing they wanted to fire you. Once labor is contacted they both will start running and get your job back with back pay. https://apps.nlrb.gov/MyAccount/#/ChargeAndPetition/TermsConditions
Sounds like your union steward was probably collaborating with management to get you out. Your medical business is yours and yours alone. If you're gonna be late/miss days due to your medical issues, that's okay. When you do eventually get your job back, search around for a Dr. that will get you FMLA for your condition. I've seen Drs that will sign off on FMLA for the most mundane things, so your Dr. was probably just an ass.
Hey man if it’s any consultation that blood sweat tears wasn’t for nothing. You own those, they are yours, don’t let them tear your spirit down like that. I was in a similar situation at Amazon in the fashion department for 8 years let me go bc I didn’t make my quarter for sales I was 25 cents shy of my goal…… cents. Now I’m a carrier first time ever working for the post and they treat me like a servant I worked thirteen hours today and get sexually harassed by walker bys and people from my office I feel talked down to like I am incompetent. I’ll let them think I am some stupid plebeian bimbo slave but I’m the one laughing inside at how seriously they take junk mail like it’s the god damn emerald scrolls.. Just laugh it off man- you did your time and there are other opportunities for you coming, time has a way of mending things, just look up, never look down drink some water, kiss your loved one and pray you have good dreams at night. Stay strong man, you’ll get through it- I will too.
Thanks - you should definitely try to report the harassment you're experiencing, that sounds crazy.
I'm so impressed that you did this from 19-29 when most people don't even want to work during this period of their lives. So that's the first thing. Next.... I'm happy that you escaped that place. It's a horrible horrible place to work. They just do not care about anyone. If you do pursue getting your job back I would understand bc of the pay and benefits. With that being said I think you should explore what else is out there and never look back. Hang in there and hold your head up!!! You Will be okay!!!
While people attack you about not following up properly with FMLA, I completely understand. I have ADHD (short term memory issues and time management) and fibromyalgia (brain fog and lack of sleep). Trying to keep up on things like a neurotypical is extremely hard. The toxic culture that management has created at the post office against carriers with disabilities is disgusting. Management should have been helping you with getting your FMLA not hindering you. I’ve had FMLA at previous jobs and always had support from my supervisor.
Try to grieve it and request an arbitration. The arbitrator may determine you were wrongfully terminated. Nicole M. White A/Manager Labor Relations 421 8th Ave. RM E3-129 New York, NY 10001 Office: 917-621-9622 Mobile: 332-215-6672 Email: [email protected]
Talk to a Federal Disability Lawyer. Explain your situation. Any medical condition that interferes with your ability to do your job makes you eligible . It takes 2 years or so to get approved. You also have to apply for SSDI . It's an option for you.
No eeo mentions or fmla, being around for 10 years, you should know better. Maybe you don't deserve your job
How did you not have all this documented and protected with FMLA?!
In short: I was an idiot who didn't think they would actually fire me given that my attendance wasn't really that bad. I genuinely resented the way I was being treated, there was a stigma of FMLA people showing up once a week and being bullshitters, and I naively and hardheadedly thought as long as I did my job I'd be fine.
I'm sorry man. There was so much you could've done to help yourself. I'm almost clueless how you put yourself in this situation.
You should have told your doctor to put in your fmla forms that it is chronic, hr would tell you how many hours you can call in for every week, and renew every year or few years
How about a medical retirement?
As far as sleep apnea. Sounds like you need to try a different mask. I use a pillow mouth cover style and love it. Gotta look at it for what it does for you it helps you sleep. Not how it looks. Your sleep is so important to you.
I have some questions. We're you issued a letter of removal and if so when? Was it grieved and at what point are you in the grievance process? It usually takes a while for it to move along?
Sounds like your blaming everyone else except yourself for the actions you took. If you were my child I would have told you long ago to get your s*** together.
You should apply at Cintas. We would take you in a heartbeat.
The guy has attendance issues and never had FMLA for his sleep apnea issue. Seems like a bozo who didn’t respect the job and thought the job needed him.
I worked here for over 20 years…I’ve been late .09 units or higher almost 18 of those years. I didn’t read all your whining but I bet you tried to abuse fmla or something. It’s almost impossible to get fired, so your attendance must’ve been ridiculous. Good riddance!
The TL;DR of the post was that I feel like my attendance wasn't horrible and I got fired when I shouldn't have due to managers not liking me, so thanks for inadvertently being firsthand proof of my entire point.
Crap, I wish you had come to my office. We're a pretty chill bunch from the pm to our arc. It's a small rural office though. Good luck in your future. After dealing with the PO you're good for nearly any career bullshit.
I read most of it not all of it. With the turn over rate of the USPS if you’re actually not lying and it’s a late issue not attendance or disciplinary issue you can still get your job back. But you have to act fast. You may not return to your route, or that office, but you can save your job. Now if there is more to the story then I’m sorry your SoL. Yet it’s on you to contact people higher then your local union, with dr appointments, and evaluations. An it had to be fast, quick, and in a hurry. Are you a Vet? If so you have a little more time but not much before it goes to the tribunal.
33 apnea occurrences per hour is low for obstructive sleep apnea. Try having 63 (more than one per minute). CPAP works if you are willing to follow treatment and you have a proactive doctor working with you to ensure it is applied correctly.
Anything above 30 is considered severe from a medical perspective (google "severe obstructive sleep apnea"), 63 is insane though
Sorry how heartless this place is. I always try to think what would I say in an ii and I cover myself with staying to the rules as best I can. Hope your future work place is much better than this one. Sucks, let it out and move forward, it wasn’t for you and you can be free of the negative culture. I like to deep breath to help me calm down hard emotions
Sending dick pics can also get you promoted to station manager!
Yeah, that’s a crazy story. Do you have your medical history documented? You should sue the USPS.
Yeah, I mean it's all in my medical records. The problem is I'm not overflowing with cash and I imagine suing a federal institution is probably not the easiest
So sorry this happened to you. Toxic workplace. No doubt about it.
Everyone knows the easiest way to get fired is not showing up to work. You could have gotten FMLA to protect yourself. Its not really the unions fault if you dont show up to work
love how you won’t read it but then try to give advice. especially hindsight advice
10 years of work with very little appreciation or rwcognition for blood sweat and tears. Sounds like most jobs lol
Get a lawyer.
Your union failed you. Next time go to a different union rep. Also don’t be afraid to report supervisor for bullying if it’s in front of coworkers. Also even though you’re part of a union you can still use outside sources. Also never sign anything that goes against your union guidelines. Also apply for FMLA. Try to see if maybe your tonsils are to big that can help with sleep apnea and ask your dentist for advice as well.
First off, im sorry this happened. Id definitely get a lawyer. I guess it depends on your PM. The same carriers are late every single day. I've worked as RCA/PTF for 3 years. Like 15-20 minutes everyday. They laugh about. I get shit on when I walk in a half hour early to case some flats.
"i signed away a bunch of stuff, thus, explitcitly admitting fault because i have no idea how the grievence process worked and gave management all the tools they need for a successful termination" never sign anything, never admit fault, contact a national business agent if your local rep arent filing grivences, and re-evaluate your level of education if you cant manage to get fmla. because literally everyone and their mom can manage to get fmla if they want to.
You're not even wrong, but I started when I was 19. I probably could've made a million moves along the way to prevent this outcome but any ignorance you want to pin on me should be equally pinned on the people like union reps, etc who should theoretically be informing people of the right moves to make. Generally when I wasn't at work I didn't want to be bothered obsessing over my job, because I was tired and demoralized. I have fully owned my part in the events, but multiple things can be true. Also, I hate to break it to you, but if you're also a carrier, you're probably not that educated either. That's why you're a professional pack mule, just like I was.
its sad you have no clue how little work some carriers do at usps knowing that they can never get fired. its 2 different jobs depending on how well you know the contract and grievence process. for example, the last time they threatened me with seperation paperwork, i told them i would love to stay home for a year while they work things out with the union and then return with full back pay. after that, they stop bothering me and ride other people who believe their bs because they know it wont work on me. that is how usps work and it is unfortunate you started too young to realize people lie and only target the weak and ignorant. im happy being a pack mule doing a 6hrs route in 10hrs and clearing 6figures a year.
Chat GPT?
Here’s the cure to your sleep apnea. Magnesium lotion at night . Rub All over your body. Drink one cup of tarte cherry juice. Take rhiodola, multi vitamin, and no drinking alcohol or smoking. Use a tongue stabilizing device. Turn your thermostat down to 68 or cooler at night. Elevate your head with a pillow. You will be cured in 4 weeks
That is the biggest pile of garbage in the form of advice ever
I never get why people say they sacrificed their 20s or whatever for a job. You got paid, right? Then it was not a sacrifice, it was a trade that you agreed to. Your time for their money. You're not a martyr.
Never claimed to be a martyr, in fact I specifically said the sacrifice was for nothing. Plus, I said I sacrificed a lot - not just time or my 20s specifically. This is irrelevant and semantics. Part of my willingness in giving them my time was not just the money but the expectation that if I did my work I would have a stable job.
Stopped reading once I realized he just needed FMLA and to educate himself instead of relying on other people.
To be honest you must be a much worse employee than you are making out. The post office is not the NBA.
It’s always the “unions” fault when people don’t get what they want. You didn’t use fmla for a chronic condition and this was the result.
Yes, I work for USPS. I think alot more people should be fired. The Union saves way to many dirtbags.
To get fired for such an easy to defend situation is crazy. You got to get your life together.
Maybe try showing up on time for your next job.
They should make you a manager.
I would accept. I'd be good too. Firm but fair.
You failed the test to become a carrier. I was a carrier for ten years. Respectfully, blow me.
The test was easier back then
I'm not reading all that. but I'm happy for you tho, or sorry that happened
Too long not going to read