Post #11 A Parody of Costs

Mr. Chairman, Members of the Worforce Protection Committee,thank you for the opportunity to speak   about  the financial  challenges  the Post Office is facing by being required to provide more generous compensation for  workers injured in the postal service than the inadequate compensation provided to the general public when injured at work.Ah, for the record ,Please strike the word inadequate and replace it with adequate..

I say the post office isn’t being adequately protected from the deluge of workers who claim they are being injured at work. Surely they knew or should have known that working for the post office might well lead to ergonomic injuries. There is no excuse for them to claim that it was never their intention to become injured at work when the postal office has 48% of federal injured workers.

It is common knowledge that there are more federal employees injured on the job now than in 1916 when the Federal Employees Compensation Act became law. I’m not saying we should do away with the law, only that  if the benefits part of the law is decreased the injured workers will have more incentive to return to work and it is possible that the number or workers injured at work will return to the same level as as the number they were in 1916.

And how would OSHA like it if we went around insisting that our posters be put in their agency ? I’m certain that  putting this information in the face of workers is the cause of  an increase  in the number of workers compensation cases being filed

In their chase to have a roof over their heads and indoor plumbing and other luxuries  they threw caution to the winds and some, with total disregard for a prudent assessment of the fact that an injury could happen,  even aspired to putting their children through college.  And  is it really important to have food on the table every single night?

I maintain as any reasonable person would that when employees become casualties of work, like good soldiers, they should keep on moving or fall down without a whimper.

To illustrate, the other night on TV I witnessed a Calvary officer with an arrow in his back ride his horse quite nicely and carry on a reasonable conversation. He didn’t panic and apply for worker’s compensation. On another night I viewed men with great gaping wounds spurting blood in unending streams anxious to fight on. They didn’t ask for a CA-1 or a CA-2 form to apply for compensation for their injuries.

Yet, those who claim to be injured on the job often show no external damage and even have to go to a doctor to prove their job is the culprit.

I feel with great conviction that by compensating them with such generous amounts of compensation we are destroying their will to ignore their limitations and pain by  whatever means to return to work.

I maintain that the right of the post office to make financial blunders shouldn’t be challenged.  This business about sponsoring the Olympics and a Bicycle Rider and over spending on advertisements, buildings, bonuses for management, deep discounts for presorted mail and whatever-else those who claim to be damaged want to dredge up, has nothing to do with cutting  compensation costs.

One of our goals, of course is to pay less compensation to those injured and disabled on the job and to decrease the numbers of those receiving compensation.

This would free up the necessary funds for more safety talks and videos plus the staff needed to make sure that those who are able to work are made to do so. Project 1000 is an example of what the Post Office is doing in addition to having our own OWCP section.

.Regardless of what government reports are issued our postal  employees   must quit whining about their injuries. It makes us look bad.

I didn’t mean in the previous statement about whining employees that they not report their injuries. Indeed  the Post Office insists that all injuries be reported even if it results in progressive discipline and drug tests which injured workers mistake for harassment

This brings us to the subject of what the employer suffers  when workers fail to protect themselves properly from damage. The post office not only loses from decreased productivity or no productivity at all but has to deal with the morale of other workers who see a worker with no discernible injuries doing less work or disappearing from the work place altogether.

On the other hand when injured employees parade about wearing wrist splints, rubbing their shoulders, massaging their backs, shaking their hands, walking funny and looking grim it disturbs the other workers, Mr. Chairman.

What is even more disturbing is that when management  gives them cushy jobs such as paste and repair are the injured workers grateful? Hardly. They complain about how boring their jobs are and that other workers are encouraged by Managements’ actions to harass them.

May I further complain; strike that from the record. May I further explain that money given to employees, albeit injured and disabled , is money that could be better spent on persons such as myself  who work tirelessly to cut labor and compensation costs . People such as myself depend on bonuses, and promotions  to better meet rising expenses.

Which brings me to the point that everyone  knows that those used to less are used to living with less so that it’s not that hard to have more of less so  compensation levels should be brought in line with what other injured workers get in the private sector.

At this time I would like to reserve the right to counter any remarks by the opposing side. 

One week later : Injured at work he started to think

I’m not to blame                                                                                                                                  I had nothing to gain                                                                                                                            It’s a rotten shame                                                                                                                              I’m not on the gravy train                                                                                                                 Nothing’s the same                                                                                                                        The rules of the game                                                                                                                          Are really a pain                                                                                                                                I’m not on the gravy train                                                                                                                  I want to be as before                                                                                                               Couldn’t ask for more                                                                                                                           If healing takes little  time                                                                                                                 The  job I have will still be mine.                                                                                                        With sick leave my income won’t be less                                                                                    But still  I’m under such stress                                                                                                          Now that this has happened to me                                                                                                     My statement   to a committee will be                                                                                             Being injured is a real drain                                                                                                     Injured workers are not on a gravy train.

And he filed for worker’s compensation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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POST #12 INJURY IS THE SAME AT 65-

Thursday, May 12, 2011

U.S. House of Representatives   Subcommittee on Workforce Protec  Committee on Education and the Workforce  Washington, DC

The 1974 amendments removed the provision, enacted as part of the 1949 amendments, requiring that FECA benefits be reviewed and permitting FECA benefits to be reduced after a claimant reached the age of 70 to account for the reduced earning capacity that may come with age

In its report on the 1974 amendments, the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare provided the following justification for eliminating the reduced benefit provision: The Committee finds that such a review places an unnecessary burden on both the employees receiving compensation and the Secretary. Further, the fact that an employee reaches 70 has no bearing on his or her entitlement to benefits and is considered discriminatory in the Committee’s opinion.

Excerpt from statement by Ms. Lynn Woolsey the senior Democrat member of the subcommittee regarding reduced benefits for those who reach retirement age.The Administration’s “redesign” cuts FECA benefits for permanently disabled workers with dependents from 75 percent of the average wage to 50 percent when they reach “normal” social security eligibility age. Perhaps this decision was made on the assumption that individuals leave the workforce and don’t pursue employment after age 66, which we know is not true anymore.   Furthermore, this one-size-fits-all approach could result in unfair treatment of injured workers whose wages were low, and possibly violate a core principal of FECA that no one should be economically worse off because of a work related injury.

Excerpt from Prepared Statement of Scott Szymendera, Analyst in Disability PolicCongressional Research Service

While the 1949 amendments generally increased the level of FECA benefits, the amendments also required the FECA administrator to review the amount of compensation paid to any person aged 70 or older. The administrator was provided the authority to reduce the amount of such benefits if it was determined that the worker’s wage-earning capacity had been reduced because of age, independent of his or her disability.This provision was opposed by several representatives from federal employee organizations who testified before the House Education and Labor Committee that such a provision was inconsistent with the mandatory federal employee retirement age of 70 in place at the time and could cause undue hardships to workers who, because of their disabilities, had not been able to reach their full earning potential or who had reduced pensions because of many years of limited or no earnings.

1960 Amendment
The chargeback process
The Federal Employees’ Compensation Act Amendments of 1960, P.L. 86-767, created the chargeback
process in which the Secretary of Labor is required to bill each federal agency for the costs of FECA
benefits provided to their employees in the previous fiscal year so that these agency may reimburse the
Employees’ Compensation Fund. In addition, these amendments required that government corporations
also pay their “fair share” of FECA administrative costs to the government. The chargeback process was
intended by Congress to “further the promotion of safety” among federal agencies by making the agencies
ultimately responsible for the costs of injuries, illnesses, and deaths of their employees.

Because the Post Office has to reimburse the Employees’ Compensation Fund for benefits provided in the previous year plus administrative costs the Post Office’s Upper Management has a higher stake in cutting compensation for their injured workers as the Post Office isn’t supported by taxes but must pay compensation out of  revenue from stamp sales, post office box rentals,etc.

 

Now once again some members of Congress have set their sights on lowering compensation for federal injured workers and particularly for those 65 and older.

Lieberman with S1789 and Issa with HR2309  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am4wez1ShPY.

 

To view video, highlight and right click which brings a choice of “go to by clicking left https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am4wez1ShPY

Ads can be omitted by going to full screen

 

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POST # 13 S 316 and HR 630 — These Bills Will Leave Compensation Intact

These bills will put the Post Office on a firm footing and will leave the Compensation Program in place.

Links to sign in support of  S 316 and HR63o

Petition to Congress —Free Petitions that send E:mail to Capitol Hill. A good site to post support for HR630 and to add S316 to the same petition which is the Senate Bill introduced on 3-13-2013 by Bernie Sanders. please-support-HR-630-to-modernize-preserve-united-states-postal                                                                   POPVOX.COM has undates on this bill, comments and a way to voice support for  the bill >Link to  s316  and                                                                                          hr630

APWU (American Postal Workers Union) website http://www.apwu.org/issues-uspsfinances/index.htm

NALC (Nation Association of Letter Carriers) www.nalc.org

z?d113:s.316: KEEP UPDATED ON S316  LIBRARY of CONGRESS: Thomas

 Google S316 Postal and HR630 postal  for additional websites.

Video on  S316 and HR630  watch?v=Xnms7drZ8ok                                                                                                                               Link to those in Congress that have signed on in support of S316http://www.apwu.org/issues-uspsfinances/cosponsors-pspa.htm

 

 

 

 

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THE USPS IMPROPERLY ASKS FOR MEDICAL DOCUMENTATION

HEALTH AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT    UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

 

COMPENSATION CAT SAYS

Because  Postal HRM requests  a reply

Doesn’t mean you need to comply

It means an attempt is being made for you

To give  information they’re not entitled to

 

 

 

 

 

Medical Treatment Update

Upon review of your workers’ compensation file it was noted that there is no current medical documentation with regard to your accepted work-related condition. Your case is being reviewed for return to work capabilities and it is necessary that we obtain a medical update.

In order to fulfill  our obligation of maintaining an accurate record of your work related injury we are requesting a copy of your most recent medical documentation. The medical report must contain your current physical capabilities and current work status.  For us to properly manage your claim, it would also be helpful for the report to contain information such as diagnosis, treatment plan, and prognosis.

Both current and former employees receiving benefits under the FECA are required by statute to return to either their former or alternate work when medically able.  They are also to inquire of their treating physician  the earliest date that they may be able to return to some typa of productive duty. The United States Postal Service is required to demonstrate that suitable work is made available to the injured employee in accordance with medical capabilities.

A postage paid envelope has been enclosed for your convenience in responding to this request in a timely manner Your cooperation in this manner is appreciated. Should you have any questions or concerns reguarding this request, please contact your District HRM office at phone number 661-775-3060

Sincerely,

Gwendolyn Wanzo

Health & Resource Management Analyst

Headquarters/Pacific Area

Enclosure

cc: File OWCP

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