Deteriorating physical conditions at postal facilities can have a range of negative impacts on USPS, an IG report has said, including exposure to OSHA fines and penalties; poor employee morale and increased turnover; risk of injuries to customers and employees; and related costs such as workers’ compensation claims, loss of work and productivity, and lawsuits.
It said that although the Postal Service periodically inspects building safety and maintenance, it does not assess building appearance and other important factors that impact the overall retail experience, such as cleanliness and needed repair.
In a look at 20 facilities in the Washington, D.C. area—out of some 30,000 retail facilities nationwide—auditors found that “because of competing priorities, local management did not focus on cleaning and general maintenance and repairs.”
For example, 18 had potential OSHA violations related to building safety or security, the same number did not maintain a customer complaint log or monitor how complaints were resolved, 16 did not display posters informing employees what to do when injured at work, 11 had lighting issues, and 10 had building appearance issues.
Addressing such issues would not only improve USPS’s image and customer satisfaction, it would also boost employee morale, said the IG.
