17,000 front-line postal supervisors are classified as “special exempt,” and get straight time, rather than time and a half. Image: Tada Images/Shutterstock.com
An inspector general report has raised issues with how well the work hours that Postal Service supervisors report are supported but added that in discussions with supervisors it found that it is common for supervisors to intentionally report fewer hours than they actually worked.
The report said that the 17,000 front-line postal supervisors are classified as “special exempt,” meaning that they receive straight time, rather than time and a half, for hours beyond their regular schedule. In January-June 2022, it added, some 3.6 million such hours were recorded, above the 3.4 million in the same period the prior year.
In a sampling of such adjustments, auditors found instances of missing or incomplete information to support them. However, in interviewing 72 supervisors, it found that 31 had worked extra time that they did not record, some of whom said they “felt compelled to work extra hours due to their workload or unexpected issues” and “cited reasons related to their perception of management’s expectations and possible consequences of working more hours than expected.”
“Eight supervisors indicated management had instructed them to limit their extra straight time, while two supervisors stated that they were afraid management would not allow the extra time or that they may take some action against them because of the extra hours,” it said.
Also, even though they had full lunch periods recorded in the system, several said they “sometimes continued working through portions of their break to keep up with their workload and address operational issues that arose.” Others cited reasons including “believing it was expected that supervisors would not be compensated for all extra hours.”
Said the IG, “If supervisors do not accurately record the hours they work, they may not be properly paid, which could affect employee morale and performance . . . Further, if supervisors are working more hours than recorded, management would not be able to make an accurate assessment of the resources needed to run their operations and the productivity of those operations.”
It said USPS management agreed with a recommendation that it “reiterate proper timekeeping procedures and emphasize the requirement for supervisors to adhere to their work schedules and record all hours, including extra hours.”
Senate Eyes Vote to Pay Federal Employees Working Unpaid
Series of Bills Offered to Address Shutdown’s Impact on Employees
Public Starting to Feel Impact of Shutdown, Survey Shows
OPM Details Coverage Changes, Plan Dropouts for FEHB/PSHB in 2026
Does My FEHB/PSHB Plan Stack Up? Here’s How to Tell
2025 TSP Rollercoaster and the G Fund Merry-go-Round
See also,
TSP Takes Step toward Upcoming In-Plan Roth Conversions
5 Steps to Protect Your Federal Job During the Shutdown
Over 30K TSP Accounts Have Crossed the Million Mark in 2025