Employment with the United States Postal Service is a prestigious gig, considering how selective the agency is about hiring. You wouldn’t want to threaten that by being late or missing work, but how much is too much? Sometimes emergencies arise that are beyond our control.
So, what is the USPS attendance policy, and how many strikes do you get? I’ve researched the matter thoroughly, and here’s everything I discovered!
Key Takeaways
What Is The USPS Attendance Policy In 2022?
USPS expects employees to maintain the schedule to which they are assigned, as well as they’re able as of 2022. Without justifiable proof, an ongoing failure to report to work on time may result in disciplinary action or firing. Also, if you miss three consecutive days of work because of illness, be prepared to bring a doctor’s note.
If you have more questions about the USPS attendance policy, including how much work you can miss, if you can be forced to work on your day off, and even whether the Postal Service can fire you for calling in sick, keep on reading!
How Many Days Can You Miss At USPS?
The Postal Service doesn’t have any hard-and-fast rules on the books that say, “Miss X amount of days, get fired” per se.
Instead, the Postal Service appears to rely heavily on each location’s manager, using their best judgment up to a certain point.
For example, imagine an employee misses their shift but gives notification promptly (e.g., calling in on the way to the ER or calling as soon as possible).
Then, this employee will likely be treated with leniency and compassion, especially if they are normally reliable and on time.
But then, after three missed days (especially consecutive ones), management begins to require evidence or proof to support the employees’ claims that their kid is in the hospital.
In this case, the employee would need valid documentation for the medical excuse, like a note from a doctor.
Then, management can use their best judgment on how to proceed from this point forward.
Notice how the gesture of reaching out to management and explaining what is going on as soon as possible makes all the difference.
In contrast, even one absence without any explanation or reasonable attempt to reach out to management could be the cause of disciplinary action.
However, it appears that USPS doesn’t skip straight to firing right away but rather goes through some disciplinary actions before reaching that conclusion.
How Many Times Can You Call In At USPS?
The Postal Service offers a generous benefits package, with full-time employees able to accrue unlimited sick leave and part-time employees up to 13 days per year.
Thus, call-ins are normal and permissible, especially when done through the correct channels.
On the other hand, when employees don’t show up to work and offer zero explanation (in a timely manner or otherwise), the Postal Service takes issue.
How Does USPS Holiday Leave Work?
USPS employees may take advantage of ten days of paid holiday observance each year.
Furthermore, these paid holidays include:
- New Year’s Day, January 1
- Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, third Monday in January
- Washington’s Birthday/Presidents Day, third Monday in February
- Memorial Day, last Monday in May
- Independence Day, July 4
- Labor Day, first Monday in September
- Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, second Monday in October
- Veterans’ Day, November 11
- Thanksgiving Day, fourth Thursday in November
- Christmas Day, December 25
According to USPS’s employee manual, the preceding Friday is observed if a holiday falls on a Saturday.
Likewise, if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is observed.
Moreover, this rule of thumb applies to all full-time employees. But, part-time employees may be subject to work on holidays.
Can USPS Force You To Work On Your Day Off?
The Postal Service’s website does not cover what to do if management asks you to come in on your day off.
But, the locals of FederalSoup.com are adamant: You are not obligated to work on your day off.
However, if you feel like a supervisor is punishing you for not working on your day off, you should contact HR.
Can USPS Fire You For Calling In Sick?
The Postal Service is likely not going to fire you for calling in sick – provided you don’t make a habit out of it.
For example, if you miss more than three consecutive days due to illness, you should prepare to show a doctor’s note and keep management in the loop.
With that, it’s when your sick days start to interfere with management’s confidence in your reliability to show up for work that you may face disciplinary action.
To know more about USPS, you can also see our posts on USPS sick leave policy, USPS backgroud check policy, and USPS shoe policy.
Conclusion
The United States Postal Service treats its employees like adults and trusts that they will show up for work, on time and on scheduled days.
However, failure to do so may not result in job loss right away, but rather, disciplinary action first so that the Postal Service can attempt to retain a valuable employee.